Sweet Potato Cottage Pie | Recipe

Guys! There's true fall weather happening here today in Central Pennsylvania. We wore jackets out to the bus stop and I drank my coffee with the kitchen door open and cleaned the downstairs windows while enjoying the crisp breeze. Now it's time to meal plan and when I think of dinner time during the fall season the first words that come to mind are warm and comfort. There's nothing like a big cast iron pot of chili simmering on the stove waiting to be poured over a homemade batch of mashed potatoes, or a sizzling pot roast on a Sunday afternoon, or a bubbling dish of cottage pie/shepherds pie. Cottage pie has become one of our families favorites. Growing up we always called it Shepherds Pie but I've since come to learn that it's only Shepherds Pie if you make it with lamb-- if you use beef then it's technically Cottage Pie.

My standard recipe is pretty common and includes warm layers of ground beef, country vegetables and home-style mashed potatoes all topped with sharp white cheddar. But, this fall I wanted to try something new and festive to incorporate seasonal flavors. So after a bit of research and a few adjustments I gave the Cottage Pie a try topped with savory mashed sweet potatoes and switched up the filling components. I added some thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and garlic for flavor.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

for the filling:
1 lb of lean ground beef
16 oz bag of mixed vegetables
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups of beef or vegetable stock
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
A splash of balsamic vinegar
A splash of Worcestershire sauce
Thyme
Rosemary
Salt and black pepper
Spray oil

for the mash:
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chucks
1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil if your non dairy)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk (more if needed)

directions:
-Spray a large frying pan over a medium high heat with spray oil, add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.
-Add in the ground beef and a couple dashes of thyme and rosemary, cook until browned- breaking up any big lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
-Add the veggies and cook until thawed.
-Add the stock, tomato paste, splash of Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat and allow to simmer for approx 20 minutes until sauce thickens.
-Set aside and allow to cool completely
-Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
-Drain well and add the butter, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and milk.
-With a hand blender or stand mixer blend until they reach a creamy consistency.

assembly:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-Spray and fill a 13 in x 9 in casserole dish with the filling and spread the mash on top.
-Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.
[bonus: top with shredded cheddar cheese to create a crispy crust and extra layer of texture.]

extra tips:
You can do a half white potato/half sweet potato combination to cut the sweetness or half sweet potato/half butternut squash combination. You can also omit the nutmeg in the mash if you don't care for it.

Enjoy!