Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

2015-11-12 20:01:27

Sweet and savory, new spin on an American classic! A perfect warm nurturing meal for these autumnal months.

For the Top Layer

For the Filling

Instructions

Chop up the sweet potato and put into a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. You can tell that the potatoes are done when one of the larger chunks can be easily pierced with a fork.
Then, drain the water, and put potatoes back into the dry pot without heat. Add butter, milk or milk substitute, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes with a masher, and stir everything together thoroughly (or, mix with a hand mixer if you like a really smooth mash). Cover pot with a lid and set aside.

For the Filling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with ½ tsp olive oil. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the onions and saute for 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Then add the beef and let it brown, stirring occasionally with the onions.
Add the carrots to the skillet. Stir, then cover with a lid and allow to saute/steam for 6 minutes. Remove lid, add the garlic, and saute for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring periodically.
Add everything else to the skillet broth, rosemary, cinnamon, flour, sea salt, and pepper. Stir everything thoroughly and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until most (but not all) of the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated.
Then scoop the beef mixture into the casserole dish so that it covers the bottom. Layer the sweet potatoes on top of the beef and spread it out as evenly as possible.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Bon Appetit!

Notes