Shepherd's Pie

Oh, comfort food, I just can't live without it. I tried the diet thing where I denied myself my favorite foods, but that just didn't work for me. As soon as I hit my goal I was back to my bad eating habits, but I finally realized I have to adjust my favorite recipes to still taste good, but have less calories and fat.

I created this tasty treat because shepherd's pie is just too darn tasty to go without. I know it has a ton of ingredients and sounds complicated, but it really isn't too hard to make. Yes, it takes some time to put it all together, but it's the perfect meal for a cold, dreary Sunday afternoon. It works well to make it ahead of time and heat it up and if you make two pans, you can eat leftovers for days.

Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6 at 395 calories a slice

1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Brummel and Brown yogurt spread
2 1/2 ounces diced pancetta
1 pound ground lamb
2 small yellow onions, diced
6 ounce diced carrots
2 medium turnips, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped shittake mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons beef base dissolved in 2 cups boiling water (or 2 cups beef broth)
4 cups chopped kale
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 ounce shredded gruyere cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. Steam the potatoes until soft. Mash with the coconut milk and yogurt spread and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is released. Cook the ground lamb in the pancetta fat until fully cooked. Strain with a slotted spoon into the glass baking dish and set aside.
4. In the still hot skillet, cook the onions, carrots, turnips, and mushrooms until the onion starts to brown. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute. Add the red wine and cook until most of the liquid is dissolved.
5. Stir in the flour, followed by the beef broth and cook for 1 minute. Stir will, then add the kale. Cook for 5-6 minutes, then add the thyme, rosemary, pepper, and salt.
6. Pour the vegetable mixture over the lamb mixture, making sure it's evenly distributed. Spoon the mashed sweet potatoes over the top and smooth out until the potatoes completely cover the top of the vegetable mixture.
7. Cover the pan with greased foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet (the gravy may boil over), and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Follow me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/OneHealthyMealADayForLife