Individual Shepherds Pies With Sweet Potato Food

SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, undisturbed, until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the pan.
• Cook the sweet potatoes over low heat, stirring constantly, until all water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Stir in sour cream, butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Whisk cornstarch and broth in a small bowl; set aside.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until the carrots and onion soften slightly, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and herbs; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the beef mixture along with peas, Worcestershire, pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Evenly spread the mashed sweet potato mixture over the beef mixture in the skillet. Using a spoon, decoratively swirl the top. Bake until the topping is hot, 15 to 20 minutes.

TURKEY SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO

Steps:

• For the mashed sweet potatoes: Scoop sweet potato flesh into a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Mix in the cream, butter, coriander, ginger and egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape into a pastry bag and set aside.
• For the topping: Mix the cheeses, breadcrumbs and fresh thyme together in a bowl. Set aside.
• For the shepherd's pie: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Render down the bacon in a large saute pan or braiser over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the ground turkey to the pan, and cook, stirring often and breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onion, leek and sage, and cook until caramelized, another 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the pine nuts, flour, tomato paste, coriander and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, carrots and meat, then return to a simmer and cook until reduced and nappe (when it thickly coats the back of a spoon), another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Top with an even layer of the sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumb topping. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

VEGGIE SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO MASH

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, then fry 1 halved and sliced large onion until golden.
• Add 2 large carrots, cut into sugar-cube size pieces and most of the 2 tbsp chopped thyme, reserving a sprinkling for later.
• Pour in 200ml red wine, 150ml water and a 400g chopped tomatoes, then crumble in 2 vegetable stock cubes and simmer for 10 mins.
• Tip in a 410g can green lentils, including the juice, then cover and simmer for another 10 mins until the carrots still have a bit of bite and the lentils are pulpy.
• Meanwhile, boil 950g sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, for 15 mins until tender, drain well, then mash with 25g butter and season to taste.
• Pile the lentil mixture into a pie dish, spoon the mash on top, then sprinkle over 85g grated vegetarian mature cheddar and the remaining thyme. The pie can now be covered and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for up to a month.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cook for 20 mins if cooking straightaway, or for 40 mins from chilled, until golden and hot all the way through. Serve with broccoli.

INDIVIDUAL SHEPHERDS PIES WITH SWEET POTATO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cook potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 10 to 15 min. or until tender.
• Meanwhile, cook meat with mushrooms, onions and dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat 10 min. or until meat is done, stirring occasionally. Stir in combined flour and water; cook 2 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in beans.
• Drain potatoes; return to pan. Add Neufchatel; mash until potatoes are smooth and mixture is well blended.
• Place 4 (1-1/2-cup) ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Spoon about 1 cup meat mixture into each ramekin. Top each with about 1/2 cup potato mixture; spread to completely cover meat mixture. (Ramekins will be full.)
• Bake 15 min. or until filling is heated through and tops are lightly browned.

SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the onions for 6 mins until starting to turn golden. Add the garlic, carrots and thyme, and cook for 4 mins more. Stir in the mince, breaking it up with the spoon. When it has turned brown, add the lentils and swede with the flour. Cook for 1-2 mins, then gradually add the stock and red wine. Cover and simmer for 35-40 mins.
• Meanwhile, boil all the potatoes for 15-20 mins until tender, then drain and mash with the yogurt, nutmeg and black pepper. Spoon the meat mixture into a 2-litre ovenproof dish, spread or pipe the potato mixture on top, then grill until the topping starts to brown. (If making ahead, reheat in the oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 45 mins.) Serve with green veg, such as peas and broccoli.

SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In pot of boiling water, cook potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender.
• Drain well and return to pot. Add margarine and half of the fresh ground pepper and mash until smooth; set aside.
• In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook ground round, green pepper and garlic, stirring for 5 minutes.
• Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add stock to skillet; bring to a boil.
• Add peas, corn, carrots, and remaining ground pepper.
• Spread mixture into 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish. Spread mashed potato over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until bubbly around edges.