I thought this would be a nice spin on the traditional shepherd’s pie. The sweet mashers are a wonderful contrast to the spicy beef and veggie filling. Another added benefit is that the spicy filling hides turnips very well. That comes in handy if you have plenty of turnips to use and your family is less-than-enamored with them.
* 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
* 3 tablespoons earth balance
* Honey
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
* 3 large turnips, peeled and diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* ¼ cup water
* 1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
* 3 tablespoons GF flour
* 1 can beef broth
* ½ cup frozen peas
* 1 tablespoon earth balance
* Cilantro, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until tender and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a large bowl with the butter. Mash until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and honey.
Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and turnips and cook, stirring, until the carrots are cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add water, and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir in. Cook for about 3 minutes then add in the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Add the peas, season to taste, and remove from the heat.
Transfer the beef mixture into a large casserole dish. Top evenly with the sweet potatoes. Dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until bubbly and hot. Serve warm with cilantro sprinkled over the mashers.
