This twist on traditional shepherd's pie uses ground beef, sweet potatoes, spinach, and hard-boiled eggs. If you do not choose to pipe the potatoes on top, simply spoon them into a smooth layer. Ground chuck is preferred for its richer flavor, but you may substitute lean ground beef, if you must.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 pounds ground beef (80/20 chuck, preferred)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided use
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided use
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (40-ounce) can sweet potatoes, thoroughly drained
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a large casserole dish with vegetable spray.
Brown ground beef in a heavy, deep skillet. Remove meat to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Gently saute onions in half of the butter until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute, stirring often. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the broth. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs.
Add the onion sauce, rosemary, half of the salt, and half of the pepper to the browned ground beef and stir to combine.
Spread half of the meat mixture over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange hard-boiled eggs in a single layer over the meat, then top with remaining meat. Spoon spinach into an even layer over the meat.
Place sweet potatoes, remaining 1/4 cup butter, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth.
Using a pastry bag with a large star tip, pipe the sweet potatoes in a decorative layer over the top of the spinach.
Bake 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned. Let sweet potato shepherd's pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Brown ground beef in a heavy, deep skillet. Remove meat to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Gently saute onions in half of the butter until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute, stirring often. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the broth. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs.
Add the onion sauce, rosemary, half of the salt, and half of the pepper to the browned ground beef and stir to combine.
Spread half of the meat mixture over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange hard-boiled eggs in a single layer over the meat, then top with remaining meat. Spoon spinach into an even layer over the meat.
Place sweet potatoes, remaining 1/4 cup butter, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth.
Using a pastry bag with a large star tip, pipe the sweet potatoes in a decorative layer over the top of the spinach.
Bake 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned. Let sweet potato shepherd's pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
