Bison Shepard’s Pie
Ingredients:
for the potato topping:
3 large sweet potatoes- I prefer yellow! (about 5 cups chopped)
1 tbsp butter
½ cup milk, your choice (I used fat-free plain Fairlife)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp fresh chopped rosemary
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
for the meat filling:
1 lb ground bison
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves (1 tbsp minced)
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup red wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup chicken broth
1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
1½ tsp fresh sage leaves
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For the potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel potatoes and roughly chop. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until soft. Strain the liquid and then return potatoes back to the pot. Add the butter, milk, Parmesan, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir/mash until smooth and creamy- taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
To make the meat stuffing, chop the onion and carrots and finely mince the garlic. In a large pan (I used the Ninja Foodi and then transferred to a disposable aluminum pan for the oven OR you can use an oven safe pan from the beginning), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic along with ¼ tsp salt. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, then add the meat, chopped thyme, sage leaves, wine, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, and peas. Sauté for about 5 minutes, uncovered. Once the meat is no longer pink, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove from heat. If not using an oven safe pan, transfer to a casserole dish.
Scoop the potatoes over the meat, spreading them evenly and smoothly over the top (optional, use a fork to make small peaks in the potatoes).
Bake uncovered in the oven for about 20 minutes., then broil for the last few to brown the top, if desired.
To garnish, top with rosemary leaves.
Serve warm and enjoy!
