Thursday, March 12, 2015

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie




“May you always be blessed with walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, a warm cup of tea by the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all that your heart might desire.”
A traditional Irish toast.

This is my favorite St. Patrick's Day meal. Trust me. It tastes as good as it looks! The recipe comes from one I first received from an Irish pub in New England, and it works equally well with either ground beef or lamb.

I hope your St. Patrick’s Day is one filled with fun and joy, plus a little bit of blarney. I also hope this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is on the dinner menu.


“May you be in Heaven three days before the Devil knows you’re dead.” –another traditional Irish toast

Yield: 4
Author: Linda Ditch
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

A twist on the traditional favorite.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef or lamb
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans low sodium beef broth
  • 1 ounce Irish whiskey, or to taste
  • 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (see below)
  • For Sweet Potato Mash
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter, add onions, and cook until soft. Add in ground beef or lamb and spices, and then saute until cooked through. Add the peas. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the broth and whiskey. Bring to a simmer and cook until the desired thickness is reached.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon the meat mixture into a casserole dish or individual serving dishes. Cover the top with the mashed sweet potatoes. Place the dish onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake until the sweet potatoes start to brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. For Sweet Potato Mash: Cover the cubed sweet potatoes with water in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until cooked through. Strain potatoes and return them to the pan. Add the butter and half and half, and mash with a potato masher, being careful not to over mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Created using The Recipes Generator

1 comment:

  1. Hi Linda!
    What an interesting concept, Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie! Why didn't I ever think to make it, I wonder. Now that I see it, and it does look delcious, it makes so much sense. What a nice spin on a traditional Shepherd's Pie. I can definitely understand why you had such a response. I'll be pinning it for sure!

    Thanks so much for sharing, Linda...Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

    ReplyDelete