Shepherd’s Pie

Ideal for potlucks, this pie satisfies everyone’s tastebuds and makes great leftovers. I also love to make the mash on its own and pair it with a simple seared protein like salmon or tempeh for an easy weeknight meal.

Shepherd’s Pie (meat and veggie options!) from Go with Your Gut

Ingredients

Happy Joes (minced beef):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
• 1 pound protein (minced beef or turkey, cooked lentils or crumbled tempeh all work great)
• 1–2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 × 8 ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Sweet potato and broccoli mash:

• 1 large sweet potato, chopped (or use regular sweet potato or yam) 
• 1 large head broccoli, chopped (florets only, save stems for snacking)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, butter or ghee

Optional garnishes: 

• Chopped fresh parsley and/or coriander 
• Toasted flaked almonds 
• Shredded red cabbage, raw or ‘quick pickled’ by soaking in 60–120ml cider vinegar (enough to just cover the cabbage) while pie is cooking

Directions:

For the Happy Joes mixture:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium–low heat. Sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
3. Add protein of choice, chilli powder, oregano and salt and stir.
4. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and mustard; stir and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add up to 450ml water as needed to create a sauce; stir and cook for another 5 minutes, until the protein is cooked through.

For the sweet potato and broccoli mash:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Steam the sweet potato for 10 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli to the pan and steam for a further 10 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork or knife.
4. Transfer the broccoli and sweet potato to a food processor with the salt and oil or butter and pulse until combined (see Tip).
5. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with the Happy Joes mixture, then top it with a layer of the mash.
6. Bake until completely heated through and the mash starts to brown a bit, about 15–25 minutes. For a browned and crispy top, finish under the grill for a further 5–10 minutes. Serve with garnishes of choice.