Cottage pie is beef; shepherd’s pie is lamb. This version swaps about half the ground beef for cooked lentils. The sauce carries most of the flavor anyway, so the lentils barely change the eating experience.

Japanese curry built on a scratch roux instead of the store-bought bricks, with crispy chicken strips served alongside so they stay crunchy. Family approved. Serves 4–6.

Note: unlike most recipes on this site, this one is not gluten-free or dairy-free as written — the roux is flour and butter, and the chicken is breaded. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free panko should work, but I haven’t tested that yet.