Sweet Potato and Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

Cook the sweet potatoes until very soft. I wrap mine in damp paper towels and microwave them for 12 to 14 minutes. Allow them to cool enough so you can handle them, then remove the skin, put them into a bowl and mash them until smooth. Mix in a few dashes of salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and saute until soft. Add the ground chicken and continue cooking and stirring until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and juices no longer are pink. Add the 1/4 cup broth, salt, and leeks. Cover the pan and continue to cook on medium to medium-high heat until the leeks wilt. Turn off the heat and mix in the thyme. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the beets and carrots into into pieces 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. (Note: if you don’t want your carrots to turn a purplish red color like mine did, cook the carrots and beets separately.) Place the beets and carrots in the saute pan and add the 2 1/4 cups water. Boil the beets and carrots for about 20 minutes or until soft enough to be poked through with a fork. The water should have almost entirely boiled off at this point. Lower the heat to medium and add the peas. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon zest.

In a pie pan or 8×8 dish spread out the mashed sweet potatoes as if it were a crust. Add the chicken mixture and spread it evenly across the ‘crust’. Spread the vegetables on top of the chicken mixture. Finally, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the pie. Bake the pie for 5 minutes in the 350 degree F oven or microwave it until the cheese melts. Enjoy!