Shepherd's Pie, With Sweet Potato Topping (FODMAPs Friendly)

Shepherd's pie is defined as " A meat pie baked in a crust of mashed potatoes". This recipe differs from a "true" shepherd's pie because the potatoes aren't mashed, but whatever, this is 2012, I can make a Shepherd's pie with potato slices if I want! :)

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
(Adapted from my low FODMAPs booklet)

Serves 6
Total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes


Ingredients

4 T garlic infused extra virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1.5 pounds extra-lean ground beef (I used 96% lean)
1 bay leaf
3 T bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cups tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Dash of pepper
2 T chopped parsley

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into thin slices
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips

Potato Topping

1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 t extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Heat 3 T garlic olive oil in a large pan and add carrot and zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add ground beef, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for about 8-10 minutes (or until beef is browned).

3. Add tomato, Worcestershire, and tomato paste and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from heat, and add parsley and pepper to taste.

5. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 T garlic olive oil and cook eggplant and yellow pepper until softened (eggplant will turn golden brown).

6. Next, place the sweet potato slices on a baking pan and lightly spread with the 1 t extra virgin olive oil. Bake the sliced potato in the oven for 20 minutes.

7. Assemble the pie; layer of the meat combination, next the eggplant, then the meat combination, then the yellow pepper, and the last layer will be the remaining meat combination, then top with the cooked sweet potato slices.

8. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the inside is nice and bubbly.


This is what the pie looks like before topping with potatoes.


This is what it looks like after topping with potatoes.


NUTRITION FACTS
(for 1/6 of the pie)

Even though I was FULL after eating one serving of this, I wanted more because it was SO GOOD! I actually added zero salt to this recipe and as you can see above the sodium was pretty low. That being said, Nick complained that it wasn't salty enough. If you want to add some salt, be my guest, but personally I didn't think it needed it. Nick still loved the dish, and ate it without adding more salt :)

QUESTION: Have you ever made a Shepherd's pie? Do you find that you like salt more or less than your significant other?