Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie & A Chocolate Twist – Choc Affair

Ingredients

• 8 oz red split lentils (no soaking needed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 large carrots – chopped
• 1 large stick celery – chopped
• 1 large onion – chopped
• 1 courgette – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic ( I use lazy garlic, simply for ease)
• 1 punnet / 250g of chestnut mushrooms
• Fresh thyme
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tin baked beans
• 30 g 60% Choc Affair dark chocolate buttons
• King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes ( I use a full 2.5k bag, as I love lashings of mashtopping.)
• Milk to taste
• 50g butter (again, very generous amount, you can reduce this)
• 150 g cheddar cheese – grated