Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes or yams

4 carrots

1 celery stalk

1 yellow onion

4 slices of bacon

3 Tbsp butter, ghee, or avocado oil

Ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp avocado oil

2 bay leaves

1 lb ground lamb

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup chicken stock or broth

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Assemble, prepare, and measure ingredients. Peel and cube sweet potatoes or yams. Chop carrots. Chop celery. Dice onion. Slice bacon into batons.

2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat, add potatoes or yams, and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with butter or ghee and a pinch of ground nutmeg.

3. While sweet potatoes/yams are cooking, warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaves and cook 8-10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and carrots are tender. Add bacon and fry for 5 minutes, or until it has rendered most of its fat but isn't dark brown. Add lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock/broth, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half. Remove and discard bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Pour the lamb mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish and spread sweet potatoes/yams in an even layer over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned in places.

5. To serve, cut into big squares and place on individual plates. Enjoy!