Portobello & Yam Shepard's Pie

This is a classic comfort food turned extra healthy. I baked these on Portobello mushrooms for an extra serving of vegetables. I used purple yams (but you could use regular yams) on top instead of the usual mashed potato topping, and omitted the dairy altogether. These are hearty and a great meal for a cold fall evening and are also gluten free.

Portobello & Yam Shepard's Pie

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Mashed Yams

• 2 large purple or regular yams, peeled and cubed½ cup chicken broth, warm

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For Filling/ Assembly

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 large carrot, grated

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1lb extra lean ground beef

• 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced

• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced

• 1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 ¼ cup beef stock

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup frozen corn

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 6 large Portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (gently use a spoon to scrape out the gills)

DIRECTIONS

Place the cubed yams in a medium sized sauce-pot and cover them with water, around 1 inch above the yams. Add salt and bring to a boil.  Boil until yams are fork tender and then drain, place the pot back on the burner over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Remove from heat and add in yams and chicken broth, mashing until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add in onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon while it cooks. Continue to cook until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat if necessary.  Stir in rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire and tomato paste. In a small bowl, whisk together beef stock and cornstarch. Pour into beef mixture and stir to combine. Add in frozen peas and corn and continue to cook until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop the beef mixture into prepared Portobello mushrooms. Place on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Top with mashed yams and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot!