Shepherd's sweet potato pie recipe

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Potatoes
1 tsp. ghee or unsalted butter
¼ cup half-and-half
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt

Meat Filling
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ lbs. ground beef, 90/10 fat
2 Tbsp. potato starch
2 tsp. tomato paste
14 oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme leaves
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup seedless raisins

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut into ½-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and ghee into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half-and-half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the potato starch in the chicken broth and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chicken broth with starch, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the peas to the ground meat mixture and spread evenly into an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with raisins. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.

Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition analysis per serving: 350 calories, 15 g fat, 21 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 280 mg sodium