Shepherds pie is one of those stick-to-your-ribs meals that's perfect when the weather turns colder.
Shepherds pie is delicious in the fall and winter when the weather turns colder. But if you find yourself making shepherd's pie frequently, it can get boring after awhile.
This shepherds pie recipe will get you out of the rut. It uses sweet potatoes instead of the traditional white potatoes for the topping. And the beef is seasoned with peppers, cumin and lime juice for a slightly spicy, southwestern flavor.
Try it, and see how you can transform the ordinary shepherd's pie into something really special. If you find yourself yearning for the old standby, this shepherds pie recipe is quite good and pretty easy.
The roasted garlic and onion jam makes this shepherd's pie easy. If you can't find it in your supermarket, just cook 1 cup of chopped onion and 4 tablespoons of minced garlic in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Stir in one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and proceed with the recipe as directed.
The slow cooker makes this shepherds pie easy to make in advance. You will still have to spend about 30 minutes prepping it for the slow cooker, so leave a little time for that.
Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. firmly-packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. canola oil
- 2 pounds beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic and onion jam
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 jalapeno peppers or serrano chili peppers, finely diced
Directions
1. Wash and prick sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on paper towels. Heat in microwave on high 4-5 minutes or until cooked.
2. Remove from microwave. Scoop out potato flesh into a medium bowl. Mash with butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove to slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
4. Stir together the garlic and onion jam, cumin, lime zest, lime juice and jalapeno peppers. Pour over the beef in the slow cooker.
5. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly over the beef. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or low 7 to 8 hours.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
