Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Oh, my goodness!  This was to die for!  This one will be made again and again.  It was inhaled by everyone in our family.  There was not a bean left in the entire 9x13 dish.  If you want leftovers, I would suggest serving with a salad.  :)  This recipe also came from Vegan on the Cheap.  I just opened up the book and had all of the ingredients on hand for this and made it!  I did make a couple changes but nothing drastic.  I added a huge, heaping pile of chopped kale which I can't imagine not including.  I used probably 4 packed cups full.  Maybe even more.  Be generous!  I also used a can of corn instead of frozen corn and only put the chipotle chile in adobo sauce in the filling...not in the mashed potatoes as well.  That's about it!  Very easy and too delicious to miss.  I hope you make this.  We thought it would be good stuffed in whole wheat tortillas as a burrito filling, too. 

Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 chipotle chiles in adobo (I used 1)
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. vegan margarine
salt and black pepper
(I also added a bit of unsweetened almond milk to thin it out)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
4 cups kale, finely chopped
3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels (or 1 can, drained)
1 1/2 cups tomato salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Steam the sweet potatoes until just tender, about 12 minutes.  While the potatoes are steaming, in a blender or food processor, puree the chile(s) with the water and set aside.  (I skipped this step and just chopped mine really fine.  It was frozen so it was very easy to chop.)

Mash the steamed potatoes with the margarine, and salt and pepper to taste.  (And milk if needed.)  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a separate large skillet, heat olive oil (or same amount of water) over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add finely diced chipotle chile.  Stir in chopped kale and corn and cook a couple minutes until kale is wilted.  Stir in beans, salsa, and cumin and heat through.  I thought it needed just a little more liquid and added about 1/2 cup water.  You could also add tomato sauce, more salsa, vegetable broth, milk, etc.

Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly on top of the bean mixture.  Bake until the filling is hot, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot.

Cheezee Sauce

Yes, another "cheese" sauce recipe.  But it's different than my other ones.  Some use cashews, some use white beans, and then there's this one which is really more like a cheese flavored "white sauce" with very basic ingredients.  I like that it's not too heavy and easy to whip up.  Use it in casseroles, nachos, drizzled over your favorite pizza, or anytime a cheesy flavor is needed.  I used it on baked potatoes with broccoli.  The whole family gobbled it up.  The only thing I changed was to leave out the tablespoon of olive oil.  You're supposed to add it at the end and I really didn't see the point.  It was the perfect consistency and who needs more fat, right?


I got it from a cookbook I checked out from the the library that I really like!  It's called Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson.  Nice and simple recipes that are very basic but easy to "splurge a little" as she calls it and add a little more to them.  Most of the recipes are around $1.00 per serving but no more than $2.00 per serving.  Great book to get if you are just starting out and want some basic vegan recipes that aren't too intimidating.  She also gives you some menu ideas and a grocery shopping list.  Don't be surprised if you see other recipes from her book on here.  I've got quite a few pages bookmarked.  

Cheezee Sauce

2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk...you can even use water)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I left out)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. yellow mustard

In a medium saucepan, combine the yeast, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder.  Turn the heat on medium and whisk in the milk (water).  Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard.  The sauce is now ready to use.  If not using right away, refrigerate the sauce in a container with a tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for several days.