Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. We absolutely loved this dinner. Joe liked it even better than the "regular" shepherd's pie I make every year. Andrew ate the sweet potatoes off the top of his serving and picked out the corn kernels to snack on, but other than that was pretty indifferent. But I'm sure he'll eventually come around to loving this too.

Sweet potatoes are an under-utilized ingredient in our house, especially considering that Joe and Andrew absolutely love them. Other than sweet potato fries and the casserole I make for Thanksgiving every year (which I'll definitely post the recipe for eventually), I don't use them for a lot of things. This was a great way to satisfy Joe's and Andrew's love of sweet potatoes, and also my nearly constant craving for Mexican food. The recipe calls for 2 cups of tomatoes, so I used one can of diced tomatoes, but I think salsa would be a great substitution to add even more flavor to this dish. Delicious!

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie
source: adapted from Epicurious

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green jalapeño
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and brown for 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until liquid reduces, 15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and 4 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Boil until fork-tender. Drain; mash with butter and milk. Spread mash over the meat mixture. Bake in a 400 degree oven until brown, 30 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro.