Paleo plan

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:

2 pounds (907 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

¼ cup to ½ cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more if you like it hotter)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE FILLING:

1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil or cooking fat of choice

2 pounds (907 g) ground chicken or turkey

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

4 cups (960 ml) frozen sliced peppers (fire-roasted is great or use fresh if you prefer)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

One 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin

2 teaspoons (10 ml) chipotle powder

1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Prepare the sweet potatoes. Fill a medium-size pot with a few inches of water, and place a steamer basket inside. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic to the basket, and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook the potatoes until they are soft, about 12 minutes.
3. Pour the potatoes and garlic into a large bowl, and add the coconut milk, some of the chicken stock, and the chipotles. Using a hand potato masher, an immersion blender or a hand mixer, mash the potatoes to the desired consistency, adding in more chicken stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling by heating the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the ground meat and cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat to a large plate
   or bowl, reserving the oil in the pan.
5. Add the onions to the skillet in which the meat was cooked and sauté until softened. Add the peppers and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper and then stir in the reserved meat. Stir well and cook the meat filling until just heated through.
6. Divide the meat filling among 8 ramekins (about 11⁄2- to 2-cup size) and top with the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the shepherd’s pie is slightly bubbly.

NOTES: If you are sensitive to the coconut flavor of coconut milk, feel free to decrease the amount of coconut milk used and increase the amount of chicken stock to your desired taste. Or, if you eat dairy, use some butter or heavy whipping cream in place of the coconut milk. If you have leftover chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes (194), feel free to use those.

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This southwestern shepherd's pie layers smoky ground chicken with fire-roasted peppers and tomatoes under a fluffy topping of chipotle-spiked mashed sweet potatoes. It bakes in individual ramekins until bubbly. Comfort food with real heat - and not a drop of dairy anywhere.

Pro Tips

• Steam the sweet potatoes with a garlic clove until soft (about 12 minutes), then mash them with coconut milk, stock, and minced chipotle for a smoky, creamy topping.
• Fire-roasted frozen peppers save a pile of time and bring smoky depth. Fresh peppers work just as well if you prefer.
• Brown the ground meat first and remove it, then cook the onions and peppers in the same pan. The browned bits left behind are pure flavor.
• Add more chipotle than the single teaspoon if you like it hotter. The adobo sauce is where the smoky heat really lives.
• Divide the filling among 8 ramekins and bake just 5-10 minutes until slightly bubbly. The filling is already cooked - the oven simply marries the layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is southwestern shepherd's pie paleo?

It is. The topping is sweet potato instead of white potato, and the filling is ground meat, peppers, tomatoes, and spices - no dairy or grains.

Can I use ground turkey instead of chicken?

Yes, the recipe calls for either. Both brown the same way in about 6-8 minutes.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes - assemble the ramekins and refrigerate up to a day ahead. Add a few minutes to the bake since they start cold.

How spicy is this dish?

With 2 teaspoons of chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon of cayenne, and the adobo chipotle it has real heat. Scale all three back for a milder pie.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

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• 2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ¼ cup to ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more if you like it hotter)
• 1 tbsp oil or cooking fat of choice
• 2 lb ground chicken or turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 4 cups frozen sliced peppers (fire-roasted is great or use fresh if you prefer)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• One 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Prepare the sweet potatoes. Fill a medium-size pot with a few inches of water, and place a steamer basket inside. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic to the basket, and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook the potatoes until they are soft, about 12 minutes.

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