meatless monday: vegetarian chili shepherd's pie

One of the great things about being home on maternity leave was being able to make supper. Sometimes I'd cut veggies or make side dishes from scratch when the babe was napping. I'd scan cookbooks or Google new meal ideas.

Now that I'm back to work, I find I automatically jump to whatever meal choice is going to be easiest. Husband, who is spending his summer off from teaching with our boy, often plans dinner, but I still cooking for my family.

Enter: the slow cooker.

This is a highly underused appliance in my kitchen, but really it should be a regular player. How simple is it throw ingredients in and come home to a hot, homemade meal? The trouble is, I've never really made anything in my Crock-pot that I actually liked very much.

So with the help of another blog, A Year of Slow Cooking (so may great ideas here!), I'm trying a new recipe:

Vegetarian Chili Shepherd's Pie

So simple.

Stir together in slow cooker:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn
1 small onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sprinkle with:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cover with:
2 cups mashed potatoes (leftover, fresh, from a box-- your choice!)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4. Uncover the slow cooker near serving time and let cook uncovered on high for 20-30 minutes to cook away any collected condensation. The potatoes will brown on top a tiny bit and begin to pull from the sides.

I'll be back to give you the verdict on taste tomorrow.

Have any slow cooker recipes that you love? Do tell.