Curried Shepherd's Pie

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

I'm celebrating Pi Day with one of my favorite one-dish comfort foods that's also perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Curried Shepherd's Pie combines warm spiced with a fluffy, creamy topping. It's also a great recipe to serve babies if you omit the salt.

Tip: Before you stick the skillet under the broiler, dot the top with butter. After about 5 minutes, the butter will brown and you can mix it into the sweet potatoes before sticking it back under the broiler to finish.

I'm not a registered dietitian, so it isn't my place to advise you on whether to feed your baby recipes containing butter. But everything I've read says it's okay as long as you choose unsalted butter with minimal ingredients, preferably just cream. That's why I only use Challenge unsalted butter. It's 100% real cream butter made with milk from cows not treated with growth hormones.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the topping

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef)
• 8 ounces yellow onion, small dice
• 4 ounces carrot, small dice
• 4 ounces celery, small dice
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 14.5 ounces no salt added crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces frozen corn kernels

Directions

For the topping

1. Roast sweet potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes. 
2. Peel away skins and place potatoes in large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mash until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. This can be done up to a day in advance.

For the filling

1. While sweet potatoes cook, heat oil in large skillet and brown meat over medium-low heat. Use wooden spatula to break meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook until no longer pink.
2. Remove meat from skillet and place in paper towel-lined bowl.
3. Add mirepoix to skillet and cook until softened. 
4. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper and saute with mirepoix until it is coated in spice mixture. 
5. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until it turns from bright to brick red.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and return meat to skillet. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add frozen peas and corn to skillet and cook until vegetables soften, about another 10 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from heat and preheat broiler.
8. Add mashed sweet potatoes to skillet and smooth. Add thin slices of butter to top.
9. Place mixture under broiler until butter turns brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and stir butter into potatoes.
10. Smooth top and return to broiler. Continue to cook until top turns golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and serve.