Farmer’s Market Shepherd’s Pie

by Lizzy W   |   September 2, 2014   |   7 Comments

There is nothing better than early Saturday mornings at the farmer’s market.  Food, live music, produce 10x more fresh than your local grocery store – I love it.  This weekend was especially amazing because everything is turning over to fall – pumpkins, squash, everything bright and colorful.  I grabbed what popped out to me the most – carrots, green beans, the most gorgeous red chili peppers, sweet red corn, and red potatoes – and decided to make a really good one pot dish.  I’m not sure why shepherd’s pie came to mind but this recipe was so amazing, so healthy and light, I will probably be eating the leftovers all week :).

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. avocado oil (or olive/vegetable oil)
• 4 ears Sweet Red corn, kernels cut off
• 1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green beans
• 11 red potatoes (4 quartered, the rest boiled whole)
• 5 medium carrots, chopped about 1/2 inch.
• 3 red peppers (mild or sweet, not hot)
• 1 lb. ground lamb (or other meat of choice – turkey, bison, beef)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. tony chachere’s
• 10 sprigs of thyme
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 6 oz. can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup half and half (may use less depending on size of potatoes)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Mexican or gouda cheese

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add salt and red potatoes.  Boil until tender, about 15 minutes.
• While the potatoes are boiling, heat 2 tbsp. of avocado oil in a large saute pan.  Add the vegetables – carrots, onions, garlic, green beans, 4 quartered red potatoes, corn, peppers, and season well with salt and pepper.  Saute the vegetables until they start to get tender, about 15 minutes, then pour them into a bowl and set aside.
• Add another 1 tbsp. avocado oil to the saute pan and add the ground lamb.  Season well with salt, pepper, tony chachere’s, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powder, and stir.  Once the meat browns, drain off any excess fat and add the vegetables back in.  Stir in the tomato paste and then add the chicken stock.  Stir well until the stock is absorbed and the mixture is thickened, about 15 minutes.  Transfer the filling into a casserole dish and set aside.
• Once the potatoes have been cooked, drain the water out and begin to mash them.  Add in 2 tbsp. butter, 1/4 cup half and half, and season well with salt and pepper.  Mash the potatoes and add more half and half as needed.  Once the potatoes are done, spread them over the filling and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.
• Enjoy!!