Recipe Background
Simple Shepherd's Pie combines sweet potatoes and spices for a nostalgic, comforting dish made during a power outage.
The first time I made shepherd’s pie was during a power outage at my childhood home that coincided with a surprise family reunion. I was a teenager then, and had just mastered the art of peeling potatoes without losing too much of the actual potato—a tricky skill, I must say! With the house filled with laughter, candles flickering on the dining table, and the rain pattering on the windows, I dived into the kitchen determined to whip up something comforting. With only a few ingredients to select from in the dim light, I grabbed ground beef, an assortment of root veggies, and a couple of sweet potatoes that usually sat idle in our pantry.
I started by heating up some avocado oil and sautéing a chopped onion until it had just the right amount of caramel color to lend that special depth to the dish. While the meat browned, I reminisced about how we used to pretend we were building miniature forts with mashed sweet potatoes as our construction material. With garlic cloves smashed and carrots chopped, I added a splash of rice vinegar. Little did I know, this unexpected ingredient would become a closely guarded secret, weaving a thread of tang throughout every savory bite.
With the lights still out and the aroma filling the room, I layered the sautéed mixture into a casserole dish. Spreading the mashed sweet potatoes over the top, I slid it into our old oven, letting it bake until golden. Despite the chaos of the storm outside, we gathered in the dim candlelight, as each spoonful of that simple shepherd’s pie warmed us from the inside out. The trick I discovered? Letting the pie rest a bit for clean, hearty slices made all the difference in creating a meal that could hold together even in the darkest storm.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
- 5 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid aminos
- 1/3 cup water or beef broth
- 1 cup green peas
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes boiled, skinned, and mashed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and place the skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown, about 5-8 minutes.
- Move the onions to one side of the skillet and add the ground meat to the other side. Do not break it up yet.
- Allow the beef to brown on one side, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the beef and brown on the other side, about 2-3 minutes.
- Use a spatula to break up the beef and stir it into the onions.
- Add the garlic, the carrots, the vinegar, the liquid aminos, and the water.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and allow the flavors to meld, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the peas, the spinach, and the salt.
- Cook uncovered until the sauce starts to thicken slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the meat and the vegetable mixture to a large casserole dish.
- Spread the sweet potatoes over the meat mixture.
- Bake until everything is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
- Serve.
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