Shepards Pie...kind of...

In honor of my St. Patricks Day and my husband's birthday (on St. Patricks Day) I tried my hand at my 1st Irish dish. Although I made it a little different then the traditional version, it was surprisingly good. The vegetables were crunchy, potatoes were sweet and the sauce was perfect for sopping up with a roll. This was a great, healthy take on an old Irish classic. This recipe was in the Oct. 2007 issue of Rachel Ray shown here with a few modifications.

Turkey Sweet-Potato Shepards Pie

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 T olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 t poultry seasoning

2 T butter

2 T flour

1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 T Worcestershire

1 bag frozen, chopped green beans

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 T tomato paste

1/3 ripe banana, sliced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I didn't use this but I'm sure it would be good)

In a large saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425°. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and poultry seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the turkey broth and season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then stir into the turkey mixture. Stir in the green beans, tomatoes and tomato paste and remove from the heat.

Add the banana to the sweet potatoes and mash or place in mixer and mix until combined and season with salt.

Place turkey mixture into 9 by 13 inch baker and top with the sweet potato mixture and smooth the top. Cover the sweet potatoes with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with dinner rolls.

Enjoy!