Guys and dolls, I have got a TREAT recipe for you! I’m not gonna lie, I’m literally chuffed with myself for managing to make a success of this recipe first time. I’m even more chuffed that you guys can try it out too! Shepherd’s Pie is, I think most of you would agree, one of those classic comforting dinners. My goal for this year is to try a LOT of new recipes, and I recently decided to make this one my next challenge. You guys know I LOVE sweet potato, and I knew I wanted my version of this recipe to include it as a key ingredient. You guys also know I’m obsessed with certain ground spices (which I find it so hard not to add to everything I make!), so I was keen for my Shepherd’s Pie to have a little spicy kick! And just to be COMPLETELY different I decided not to use lamb or beef mince, and went for turkey mince instead. Intrigued? You should be.

So, you might be thinking, what has she actually created? Well, this Shepherd’s Pie is a double-whammy dish. The meat and vegetable component (or base) is spiced with garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon – sort of an Indian-style spice theme with a bit of sweetness. The topping part is a creamy sweet potato mash made with cinnamon, nutmeg and a little milk. It’s definitely a multi-purpose recipe – perfect if you’re cooking for a group, and also perfect if you’re meal-prepping for a busy week! I used this recipe to make 5 portions for a week of work lunches and it worked an absolute treat! Try it out and see what you think – I’d love your feedback since its a bit of an unusual take on a classic recipe! The method below looks complex but honestly its not. Have a good read through the steps before you start and you’ll see what I mean!

Recipe

Ingredients

For the Turkey & Vegetable Sauce

• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp Glenisk Natural Protein Yoghurt (or alternative brand)
• 300g button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium size carrots, sliced
• 400g lean turkey mince
• 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 500ml chicken stock

For the Sweet Potato Topping

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp milk (I used Hazelnut but any will do)
• 2 large sweet potatoes (2 x 400g approximately), peeled & chopped into chunks

Method

Part 1: Preparation

1. Cook the sweet potato by roasting it in the oven for 30 minutes at 200C.
2. While the sweet potato is roasting, you’re going to multi-task by preparing the turkey and vegetable base. Efficient or what!
3. Heat the coconut oil in a pot set to medium heat.Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
4. Add your turkey mince, and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mince is cooked through.
5. Add the following spices – garam masala, cumin, sweet paprika and turmeric – and stir until the onions and turkey mince are coated.
6. Now add your chopped vegetables, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, yoghurt and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well, bring the pot to the boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer.
8. Leave to simmer (allll the way down!) for 10-15 minutes. Then do a taste test. If you feel the sauce needs it, add a little more garam masala and cumin, and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Turn the heat off, and if your sweet potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
10. Leave the oven on as you will be using it to cook the pie!

Part 2: Assembly & Cooking

1. Time to make that creamy sweet potato topping! Place the roasted sweet potato pieces into a bowl. Using a fork, mash the potato chunks until you have (you guessed it!) a ‘mash’ texture.
2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and tablespoon of milk to the mash. Mix again using the fork.
3. Assembly time! Take the pot of turkey and vegetable spicy mix, and add large spoonfuls of it to a suitable size baking dish (e.g. a lasagne-style dish).
4. Make sure you’ve evenly spread the mixture throughout the dish.
5. Place spoonfuls of your sweet potato mash onto the turkey sauce. This is the KEY step – I start at one corner and side, and add a spoonful at a time, spreading the mash a little as I go. You want the mash to evenly cover the turkey base, so play around with it using the back of a spoon until you’re happy!
6. Time to cook! Bake the shepherd’s pie in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes at 200C fan oven. Check it at 25 minutes and if the edges are browned/starting to crust, you’ll know you’re good to go!
7. Once the pie is done, remove from the oven, cover with a clean teacloth and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing it up and tucking in!

I was SO HAPPY with how this recipe turned out on its first go. I really hope you love it as much as I did, I can’t wait to make it again! Tag me if you try it out – @theirishbalance on Instagram, you know the drill!

Ciara 🙂 x