Talk about comfort food. This Moroccan Shepherd's Pie is perfect for these cold winter days, it’s a great blend of spices with the familiar comfort of meat and potatoes and will leave your house smelling wonderful.
I love traditional Shepherd’s pie, but find it a little to heavy at times. This Variation is perfect, if you are looking to clean up your diet a little but still want those delicious comfort foods. I actually even prefer this Moroccan pie to the traditional one. I like to load mine with different veggies to make sure I’m packing in the nutrients!
You can make a big batch and feed a crowd, or make beautiful individual portions for a lovely dinner for two.
For the filling:
- 1 lb Crescent Foods Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 large handful of spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
- 1 ½ cup chopped plum tomatoes (about ¾ 28 oz can, drained)
- ½ cup stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) + salt to taste
- ½ bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped
For the mash:
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (more if needed)
Method:
For the filling:
- Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook till meat is cooked through.
- Remove meat from skillet and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the pan along with the leek, and carrots. Cook for about 4-5 minutes then add in all the spies. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, till the veggies begin to soften.
- Add the cooked meat back to the bpan with the veggies. Stir to combine everything together.
- Add in tomatoes, chicken stock and honey.
- Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes more.
- Add spinach and chopped cilantro, stir and remove from heat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the mash:
- Peel and cut the sweet potato into large pieces.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
- Drain well, add the olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and milk.
- With a hand blender (or potato masher), blend until they reach a creamy consistency.
Assembly:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Fill a 13 in x 9 in casserole dish with the filling and spread the mash on top. Ora few small ramekins.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.
- Garnish with extra chopped cilantro, if desired.
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