Shepherd’s pie with a sweet potato twist

SOMETIMES all you need is some honest, homemade comfort food and these two pies fit the bill perfectly. I’ve taken the classic shepherd’s pie and given it a sweet potato twist. Although traditionally made with meat left over from a lamb roast, minced lamb works perfectly and is a winning combination with the sweet potato.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 (with a little for leftovers)

Drizzle of olive oil.

1 onion, peeled and diced.

2 carrots, peeled and diced.

400g mince lamb meat.

200g mushrooms, washed and sliced.

2tbsp tomato puree.

500ml beef stock.

Splash of Worcestershire sauce.

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks.

Knob of butter.

1tbsp of milk.

METHOD

In a saucepan, heat the oil on a medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook gently for around 10 minutes until golden and soft. About half way through, add the carrots to soften as well. When soft, turn up the heat and add the lamb mince. Cook until the meat is browned, then add the mushrooms, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce. Fry for a few minutes. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 40 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, preheat the oven to 180C and begin preparing the potatoes. Place the peeled and chopped potato in a large pan, and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Bring to the boil and cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash using a potato ricer or masher. Once you’ve mashed away the majority of the lumps, add the milk and butter. Mix together until you have lovely smooth mashed potato.

When the mince is cooked, put into an ovenproof dish. Make sure there isn’t too much gravy at the bottom, otherwise this will make the pie too sloppy. Top with mash and ruffle with a fork. At this point, you can chill the pie and then freeze it. Alternatively, bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the mince is bubbling through at the edges.