Spicy Sweet Potato: Petite Root Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

Petite Root Vegetable Shepherd's Pie is an adorable mini sized pie that's packed with perfectly caramelized, roasted vegetables. Adapted from a recipe on Tasty-Yummies.com, this vegetarian shepherd's pie has a tasty filling of cauliflower, squash, and brussels sprouts that's topped with a slightly spicy carrot and turnip root mash. The ingredient list for this recipe is a little long, but the hardest part is just roasting all the vegetables, when can be done ahead of time, if desired.

Petite Root Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
Gluten Free
Serves One
Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients--

Topping:
5 ounces turnip root, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
dash of ground cayenne, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsweetened original almond milk
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

Filling:
1 cup cauliflower florets (about 1/4 of a small head)
4 oz. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
5-6 brussels sprouts, halved
1.5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cannellini beans

Sauce:
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

To Prepare the Topping & Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets (make sure to pick two sheets that will fit in the oven at the same time) with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.

2. Place turnip and carrots on one baking sheet. Toss with 1/2 tsp. of olive oil, cayenne, and salt and pepper until vegetables are evenly coated.

3. Spread out cauliflower, squash, and brussels sprouts on the other baking sheet. Toss with 1.5 tsp. olive oil, thyme, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, until vegetables are evenly coated

4. Transfer both baking sheets to oven and roast 15 minutes. Stir all vegetables.

5. Roast 10 minutes more, then remove cauliflower, squash, and brussels sprouts from oven. Leave carrots and turnips in oven for 10-12 minutes more.

6. While the turnip mixture continues to cook, transfer cauliflower mixture to a bowl, stir in cannelini beans, and set aside (This is the filling for the pie).

7. Once carrots and turnips are golden brown and very tender, remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.

8. Stir in milk and chicken broth. then use an immersion blender to puree vegetables until smooth. (Alternatively, transfer ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth). Taste for seasoning then set aside (This is the topping for the pie).

To Prepare the Sauce:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp. of chicken broth and the cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, stir together remaining 3 tbsp. of broth, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes.

3. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

To Bake the Pie:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. Pour filling into casserole dish, then pour sauce over roasted vegetables.Stir to ensure that all of the vegetables are coasted in sauce.