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.