Shepherd's pie à la Hachis Parmentier

Comfort food.

Sometimes, you just want to curl up with a bowl of hot food, ignore the world and watch a film. Sometimes, you just want to get together with a couple of close friends, enjoy a simple yet filling meal and gossip about nothing and everything.

Sometimes, you just need some comfort food.

This shepherd's pie is perfect for those occasions. It's warm, filling, healthy, and easy to make. You can also make a lot of it at a time and save leftovers for later. It has a little bit of a kick, is a little bit sweet, and is perfectly cheesy. What's not to like?

Watch the video on how to make them here: (or keep reading for written instructions)

Ingredients:

450g sweet potato

450g russet potato (or any other high starch potatoes)

2 tbsps of milk

a pinch of salt

2 tbsps of nutritional yeast (optional, adds an extra cheesy flavour)

a cup or two of water

500g of mince (I used a beef and pork mix, you can use your favourite kind of meat)

200ml of boiling water

70g of tomato purée

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 cups worth of carrots

2 cups of mushrooms

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of curry powder

1 tsp of tandoori mix

0.5 tsp of celery salt

0.5 tsp of salt.

1 whole courgette (that's a zucchini)

1 cup of your favourite hard cheese (I used a Belgian cheese called the Vieux Liège)

0.5 cup of mozzarella

How to:

1. Start by preparing the ingredients: mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms, dice the carrots, chop up the potatoes, slice the courgette (zucchini) and grate the cheese

2. In bowl, mix the mince and the spices together to infuse it with all the delicious flavours

3. Mash the potatoes - and sweet potatoes - with the nutritional yeast and milk (cream and butter will make it creamier and smoother). You can even add an egg if you want it to be extra decadent

4. Place the courgette in a single layer on a plate, sprinkle with celery salt and pepper and microwave for 1 minute

5. Mix the tomato purée and the boiling water together to form a sauce

6. Toss the garlic in a wok, add the meat and cook till slightly browned. Add the mushrooms, and when they turn golden add the carrots and the tomato-liquid

7. In a large, oven safe, dish spread a thin smooth layer or mash. This will soak up any extra sauce from the next layers. Pour the meat and vegetable mix over the mash, trying to get it as even as possible. Layer the courgette on top and finally, spread the rest of the mash over the courgette. Always make sure to get the mixture into the edges and corners, and make it as smooth as possible. You can then 'ruffle' the top with a fork if you're feeling fancy

8. Sprinkle cheese on top and pop in the oven, preheated to 180C for 20 minutes

9. Add the last layer of mozzarella cheese, and put back in the oven until melted and generally delicious looking (and smelling)

10. Revel in cheesy goodness. You will not be able to get enough of this!

Nutritional Values: