What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking?

Here's a quick rundown - I make it from memory so the measurements are estimates. Feel free to adjust them as you see fit :)

For the mash:

• 2 kg potatoes (not waxy so it falls apart better)
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 cup plant milk ("full fat" e.g. barista Oatly)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of nutmeg (optional)
• Vegan shredded cheese (optional)

For the mince:

• 500g mock minced meat
• 250g diced or shredded carrots
• 250g peas
• 250g diced or sliced mushrooms
• One or two shallots (otherwise 1/2 a large onion, but shallots taste better IMO)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 200mL veggie broth (or stock dissolved in water)
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• Rosemary (one or two fresh sprigs, or dried equivalent)
• Thyme (one or two fresh sprigs, or dried equivalent)
• One bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying

Prep:

1. Peel potatoes and chop them up into small, uniform pieces so they cook evenly. Add them to a pot with water, then bring them to a boil. This way they cook all the way through. Boil them for around 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, Chop up the shallots, carrots and mushrooms.
3. Heat up a frying pan - once it's hot enough, add some olive oil and fry your shallots and mushrooms on high heat. Add some salt to draw out the mushroom's water, and wait till it evaporates and the mushrooms fry properly.
4. Turn down the heat to medium and add your mince, peas, and carrots and mix.
5. Make a small well in the center of the pan, and fry the tomato paste in some olive oil for a minute, until it turns a deeper red and doesn't smell like raw tomatoes so much. Then mix it in with the rest of the pan ingredients.
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, then the broth, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan and turn down the heat to let everything simmer for 20 minutes. Top up with some water if needed, but make sure there is no excess water at the end. Once cooked, add more Worcester and soy sauce if more umami is needed, same with salt.
7. Back to the mash: strain the potatoes once they're cooked. The goal is for them to be tender enough to fall apart when mixed or pierced, but not while they're boiling.
8. Put the potatoes back in the pot on medium heat and gently stir for some minutes to boil off excess water.
9. Add the margarine and milk and gently mash the potatoes. We don't want to overmash or mix or we'll end up with gloopy potatoes. If you like your mash more smooth, add more margarine for creaminess and milk for smoothness.
10. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, and optionally nutmeg. Gently fold it into the mash.
11. Now for assembly: in a baking dish, spread the mince as one layer, then the mash on top, then an optional layer of shredded vegan cheese. Tips: ensure the mince has no excess water or it will bubble through the pie. Also, use the back of a spoon to smooth the mash over and close any gaps in the dish.
12. Cover with aluminum foil. Preferably let the dish rest in the fridge for 2 - 24 hours.
13. Bake the dish in a 200C / 400F oven for 40 minutes covered. Then uncover it, move it to a high rack, and let it bake until the mash lightly browns in some areas at the top, and the cheese melts.
14. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Otherwise the pie will fall apart easily while serving. It will be too hot to eat anyway - although that rarely stops me :P

Hope this helps!