Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe is a playful twist on traditional shepherd’s pie, swapping in sweet potatoes for the mashed potatoes and a Moroccan-inspired filling for the usual carrots and peas. With warming spices such as cumin and smoked paprika, along with ground lamb, chickpeas, and dates, the filling is both savory and a little sweet, and the perfect partner for the mashed sweet potato topping. Because sweet potatoes contain more water than Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, the topping will be softer here than in a traditional shepherd’s pie. It will firm up as it cools, but make sure to cook any excess moisture from the potatoes before mashing to ensure the mash is thick. If you have access to them, white or Japanese sweet potatoes tend to be drier and starchier than conventional “yams” and work particularly well here.
- Time: 85 min
Source: Only Recipes
Ingredients
- pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- teaspoons smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper
- tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- large yellow onion, chopped
- teaspoon ground cumin
- teaspoon ground cinnamon
- teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
- large garlic cloves, minced
- pound ground lamb
- can chickpeas, rinsed
- pitted dates, chopped
- tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- tablespoons tomato paste
- tablespoons all-purpose flour
- beef broth