Skillet Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Every winter I crave sweet potato shepherd’s pie. There’s just something comforting about a slice of this hearty pie with warm creamy sweet potatoes on top of seasoned beef mixed with veggies on a cold day. It definitely hits the spot for my family and me every time! It’s also a relatively easy meal to serve in one skillet to keep it simple! If you’re not a sweet potato person, no problem–regular russet potatoes would work just as good in this recipe!

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds ground beef (preferably grass fed) or lamb
• 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (~ 8 cups)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (~ 2 cups)
• 1  1/2 cups chicken broth
• 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• salt and pepper

1. Put peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a pot and fill with water until covered with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender and slide off of a fork when punctured (~ 15 minutes). Strain the potatoes and mash together with 3 Tbsp oil until creamy. Salt potatoes to taste. 
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Begin browning beef and diced carrots over medium heat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. Break up meat into small pieces with a spatula. Cook until meat is browned and carrots are tender (~ 15 minutes). Drain fat from beef and carrot mixture then set aside on a separate plate.
3. Add  2 Tbsp of oil to skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, and  mushrooms to skillet and cook until tender about 4 minutes. Add the garlic to skillet and cook an additional 1 – 2 minutes until vegetables are browned and garlic is fragrant. 
4. In separate bowl, mix together broth and cornstarch, then add to skillet. Return beef and carrot mixture to skillet. Then add tomato paste, mustard, worcestershire sauce, thyme (or rosemary) to skillet and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Level the beef mixture in skillet and add the mashed sweet potatoes on top. Smooth out with spatula. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, then broil for 3- 4 minutes until the peaks of the potatoes are slightly browned and pie is bubbling. Top with fresh cracked pepper.
6. Serve and enjoy!