Wednesday, November 13, 2019

A Fall Classic That Has a Twist




LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
That classic is none other than Shepard's Pie, and the modern twist; using Bison meat and sweet potatoes.  Kristen Johnson, who wrote the cookbook Target To Table stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with her ideas on this cold-weather classic that people having been warming up to for years.  Kristen told Tonia that she also uses onions and garlic...along with another twist: taco seasoning.  Kristen also says she uses coconut milk to give the pie a cream texture.  This update works very well, but it still does the job, keeping its eater happy!

3 large sweet potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Pederson’s Wenzel All Natural Ground Bison*
1 pkg. Simply Organic Southwest Taco Seasoning
1 (14.5 oz.) can of organic diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded Crafton Village 2 Year Aged Vermont Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese, divided
½ cup of coconut milk
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, pepper, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.
  3. Add bison to skillet and sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Heat until cooked through and browned.  Add in the cooked vegetables and canned tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a low boil.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
  5. When potatoes are cooked, peel off skin and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.  With a hand held mixer blend in coconut milk until creamy.  Stir in 1 cup of cheese.
  6. Spread bison mixture evenly on the bottom of casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Spoon the sweet potato mixture evenly over top.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes and let sit 10 minutes before serving.  Now that’s comfort food!