Sweet Potato Shepherd Pie

Because it’s tasty, hearty and nutritious, this is a regular fall dinner at our house. It can be made a day or two early for those busy weeknights.

Variations:

  • Use only with sweet potatoes or only with butternut squash.
  • Use ground turkey, beef or bison instead of turkey sausage
  • Make it spicy, adding a chopped jalapeño or two
  • Give it a Southwest twist When preparing the sausage filling, add 1 teaspoon chili 1 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 cup corn kernels (I used defrosted frozen corn) Instead of bell pepper, use a poblano pepper
  • Make it vegan by using cooked lentils instead of turkey sausage.

It’s a great way to use leftover Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Puree after Thanksgiving. Layer it over the leftover Wild Rice, Turkey Sausage and Leek Stuffing.  If no stuffing is left, make the filling with leftover turkey instead of turkey sausage.

Serve it with Kale, Apple and Cranberry Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Print Recipe
Servings
4 - 6 servings
Servings
4 - 6 servings
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Print Recipe
Servings
4 - 6 servings
Servings
4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Steam sweet potatoes and butternut squash until tender. Drain. Return to saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Add broth, mix until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.
  3. Heat expeller-pressed canola oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook sausage, breaking up with spoon and occasionally stirring, until it is brown (about 10 minutes). Transfer sausage to a bowl.
  4. Add onions to the same skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add celery, garlic, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes (if using red pepper flakes). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix sausage back into skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place sausage mixture into prepared baking dish. Spoon sweet potato mixture over; smooth top.
  6. Bake until it begins to brown around edges, about 45 minutes (or about 1 hour if it was refrigerated).
  7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes

[su_original_recipe]

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Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Puree

The orange gold hues, creamy flavor contrasted with carmelized onion and poblano (or bell pepper) strips, makes this one of my favorite fall dishes. It is also deliciously healthy. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are in the pumpkin family, rich in carotenoids.
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Mathews” source_title=”SuperFoods Rx, Fourten Foods that Will Change Your Life” full_quote=”Pumpkin is one of the most nutritionally valuable foods known to man. Extremely high in fiber and low in calories, pumpkin packs an abundance of disease-fighting nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and E. The key nutrient that boost pumpkins to the top of the SuperFoods Rx list is the synergistic combination of carotenoids. Foods rich in carotenoids have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, and lower rates of heart disease. Carotenoid consumption also decreases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.” short_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, and lower rates of heart disease.”]

Variations:
– Use only sweet potatoes or only butternut squash
– Leave the seeds in the poblano pepper for delightful contrast of spicy and sweet

Serving ideas:
– An accompaniment to Rosemary Roasted Pork, or Broiled Chicken and Artichoke for a dinner party menu, with a Green Bean and Arugula Salad or a Kale Salad. Make the Apple and Cranberry Crisp for dessert.
– As a delicious, nutritious topping for the Sweet Potato Shepherd Pie, or make an impromptu shepherd pie over leftover chili, particularly the Lentil Chili.

I double this recipe for the Thanksgiving 2016 Menu.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Puree
Print Recipe
Servings
6 - 8
Servings
6 - 8
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Puree
Print Recipe
Servings
6 - 8
Servings
6 - 8
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  2. Place squash and sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Roast until very tender (poke with a fork to test), about 50 minutes.
  3. Cool. Scoop flesh out with a spoon and transfer to large saucepan. Mash with potato masher until smooth.
  4. Stir in broth. Season puree to taste with salt and pepper. (Puree can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
  5. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and poblano (or bell pepper), and sauté until onions are golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes.
  6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in a closed container. Bring to room temperature next day).
  7. Bring puree to simmer, adding more broth to thin if necessary.
  8. Stir in 3/4 of onion-bell pepper mixture. Transfer to serving bowl. Top with remaining onion-bell pepper mixture and serve.
Recipe Notes

Modified from Epicurious: Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Puree

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