Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

I found this recipe ages ago and saved it because it just looked so good.  And it is - so good.  I've made it a couple times so far, and this recipe is definitely a keeper.  I thought it was about time I post the recipe. 

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie
adapted from a Parade Magazine recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped green jalapeño
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• fresh spinach (optional)

for topping:

• 1-1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• butter
• milk

Directions:

1. Place sweet potatoes for topping in a saucepan with water to cover. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are cooked and soft, about 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium-high heat; add beef and cook for 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and jalapeño and continue cooking until beef and vegetables are cooked.
3. Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer 10-15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and cilantro (and spinach if you're using it, cooking just long enough to wilt it). Spoon mixture into a 9x9-inch baking dish.
4. Drain; mash with butter and milk (if needed) and spread over the meat mixture. Sprinkle with a bit of chili powder if desired. Bake in a 400°F oven until bubbly and  a bit brown, 30 minutes.

Of course I changed things a bit, but I did keep the spices the same.  The combination of flavors is really good - a bit spicy, a bit sweet.  I added the spinach because I had some that needed used, and I'm a bit obsessed with throwing spinach into everything these days.

The original recipe called for 2 T butter and 1/2 cup milk when mashing the sweet potatoes, but my sweet potatoes were so soft and mashed up so nicely they didn't really need anything.  I did add the butter before I realized that, but I completely skipped the milk.  Just add butter and milk as needed to get the consistency you want.

Garnish with additional cilantro and serve with a green salad and cornbread for a delicious dinner.