I’m having commitment issues. Hubs has started Whole30 as of January 4th but I just can’t do it. I can’t commit. I do WANT to do it again, I’m just not quite there yet. In an effort to cheer on my other half in his endeavor, I’ve been meal planning my heart out. Shopping, prepping, it feels so great to have some healthy food in the fridge for once! Now, to be completely honest he’s not doing the true Whole30. He’s eating Whole30 during the week and not so much on the weekends. It’s working for him to keep at it for the longer haul, so I’m all about it. Plus, he cooks more when he’s invested in Whole30. Um, yes, please!
This weekend I kinked my neck, yet again, so Nathan was sent out to do the grocery shopping. Among the regular fruits, veg & meats he also came home with flowers, Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond (<– the BEST), and apple cider + fireball (<– even BETTER) for the pain. He also won #1 Husband award. I spent my weekend on the couch being just about as lazy as I could be. Netflix binging, movie watching, crocheting away… It was wonderful. I didn’t meal plan, I didn’t prep, I didn’t get anything done that I should have. Oops.
Thankfully, I DID plan the previous weekend and I’ve got one of these shepherd’s pies waiting for me in the freezer. Yes! Whole30 friendly, super filling, full of flavor, but really simple. To say Nathan loved it would be an understatement. This is a great meal to double the recipe, prep on the weekend and keep one or both pans in the freezer for the future. PS – If you’re not a sweet potato lover, switch them out for regular ol’ spuds!
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & large-diced
- 4 cups cold water
- 4 Tablespoons clarified butter, divided
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled & diced
- 1 pound ground meat (I used beef)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large pot, bring the sweet potatoes and cold water to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the pot, add 2 Tablespoons of the butter and all of the coconut milk (off of the heat). Mash potatoes with a potato masher or immersion blender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the same pot to the stove on medium heat and melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the ground meat and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the meat is browned about 7-10 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Remove from heat and leg the meat and vegetable mixture cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Spoon the meat and vegetable mixture evenly into the bottom of a casserole dish or 9x12 baking dish. Carefully spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the top. (I used the tines of a fork to press a design into my potatoes, definitely not a necessity!) Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, letting the top brown slightly. Enjoy!
