Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

This is one of those batch cook recipes I could eat again and again, I think Tom could too and neither of us would ever get sick of it! (Well maybe Tom would but he wouldn't be game to tell me - he just appreciates the food I put on the table and eats no questions asked.)

The Cleavers organic meat range has been on sale down at the IGA recently near our place and when we forget to put in a Young Farmers meat order or don't get time to go to TMP Organics in Brisbane, this is our next best option. Because lets be honest... organic food isn't cheap and organic meat seriously isn't cheap.  You are definitely investing in your health when you buy organic, but I do believe it is totally worth it.

Cleaver’s products are from animals that are humanely raised in a free range environment where they never use added hormones. Cleavers have a range of sausages, rissoles, meatballs and flavoured meats that are paleo and are carefully made according to stringent standards. Therefore none of their products contain preservatives, artificial colours nor flavours- So basically they have no added crap!! Which we here at Heal Your Gut love to see.

So anyway, we basically snagged a bargain and picked up packs of 500g Cleavers Beef mince for $6 each so I stocked up and went crazy on beef mince Winter recipes for the week. Check out my basic but delicious beef rissole recipe here. 

Cottage Pie is the best recipe to make for kids where you can hide as many vegetables in as possible, just grate them up and mix them through the mince base and they will never know! You can also add steamed cauliflower to the sweet potato topping or use normal white potatoes, choose your own adventure really. This recipe is a great balanced nutritional meal with healthy proteins, fats and carbohydrates so you will be left feeling very satisfied after. I hope you love the recipe as much as we do on a cold Winters night, with a glass of organic red wine.

Ingredients

Base

• 1kg beef or lamb mince
• 400g canned tomatoes
• 2 zucchinis grated
• 2 carrots grated
• 6 button mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp butter, ghee or oil
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp pepper

Note: if your mixture doesn't look runny enough add some tomato pasta sauce, paste or another can of tomatoes.

Topping

• 3 sweet potatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 4 tbsp butter (or ghee or leave out if dairy)
• 1 tsp salt & pepper

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180’C and boil chopped sweet potato in water with 1tsp salt until soft.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan on a medium heat, add garlic and onion sauce for a couple of minutes then add mince and cook until browned.
3. Once mince is browned add carrot, zucchini, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
4. Place the lid on the pot and bring the mince mixture to a simmer for 20 minutes. 
5. Drain sweet potato into a bowl once soft and mash with coconut milk, butter, salt and pepper until you reach a smooth consistent mixture.
6. Pour the mince mixture into an oven safe dish and spoon sweet potato mash on top, spreading evenly. 
7. Bake for 25 minutes, until top is golden brown