Shawarma Spiced Shepherds Cottage Pie

Banriona's Note:

I got this recipe from a local hole in the wall Lebanese restaurant and tweaked it a bit. Best of both the sweet and savory worlds. As a time saver I keep a jar of this spice blend (Shawarma spice blend) on hand and just measure out 2 1/2 tsp of the combined mixture in order to make this recipe. For the frozen vegetables I use a combo of corn, peas, green beans and carrots.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 32 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil until tender.
2. while potatoes are boiling, brown ground meat until no longer pink.
3. Add onion, seasonings, beef broth and worcestershire;simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until onions are crisp tender.
4. Remove meat from heat and stir in frozen vegetables. Set aside.
5. Mash potatoes in bowl with butter, add milk to taste.
6. Place beef & veg in 9x11 casserole dish. Top with shredded cheddar.
7. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Use a fork to make peaks in the potatoes if you wish.
8. Bake uncovered in 400 degree F oven until bubbling and brown. (about 40 minutes).

Reviews

[Mia in Germany]

Very good twist on shepherds pie! I'd rate it five stars because it was really delicious, but that was because I doubled the spices. We like it quite spicy, and this blend of spices is excellent. Only the amount seemed not enough, so I doubled it and that was perfect. I'll make this pie again! Thanks for sharing :)
Made for Turning Over A New Leaf of the Diabetic Forum.

[NurseJaney]

How neat ! Had some frozen ground turkey from our Dear Departed Tom's raw diet, and searched for a recipe. Saw "SHAWARMA" -- and just HAD to prepare this ! BigBadBrenda was my partner in the last Spice Swap, and sent me an envelope of the mixed spice. Prepared the recipe as posted, and thought as I "built" it in the casserole, that I should have made TWO pans (for 2 of us), but it will last for a few warm-ups. Did add pepper and garlic as suggested by another reviewer, but found it all just a tad too sweet -- likely the cinnamon - a necessary spice for the area. We did enjoy a different approach to Shepherds Pie. Thanks for posting, Banriona.

[Lt. Amy]

Very good. My boyfriend loved it. For the veggies, I used peas and corn mostly. The only thing I would change, is I think next time I'll add a little flour or corn starch to thicken it up a bit. Also, the top on mine never did get browned, not sure why not.