Turkey Chili Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

I mentioned in my Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup post that I've been wanting warm-and-filling dishes to bring to work for lunch.  Big salads are my go-to lunch when it's warmer out, but up here in NH it's been anything but salad weather.  I think it's currently 3 degrees.

Problem: a lot of standard warm-and-filling dishes are filled with either cheese, pasta, or both.  I love both of those things, but not everyday for lunch.  So on Sunday night I set out to make some casseroles that have been successful before and are full of veggies and other healthy goodness.

First up:

Turkey Chili Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping
you'll need:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pound of lean ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1.5 T of chili powder
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 T cumin
• 1/2 T coriander
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T butter (optional, or earth balance or margarine)
• 2 T sour cream (optional)

Peel and cube your sweet potatoes, then put in a pot, fill with water to cover potatoes, and bring to a boil.  Cook for 10 minutes at boiling, then drain.

While potatoes are cooking, heat tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or pot and add onion and garlic-- cook for about 3 minutes until softened.  

Add turkey and cook until browned, flipping and chopping with the spatula every so often.  

Next add peppers, tomato paste, and spices.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken broth and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the chili thicken.  

While chili cooks, mash sweet potatoes with a fork and stir in butter and sour cream.  I used regular butter and light sour cream... but really whatever kinds of things you like in your mashed sweet potatoes will do... including absolutely nothing if you like them plain.  

Pour chili into a large baking dish, spread sweet potato mixture on top, and cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Serve!

I made this Sunday night and got 4 servings out of it, I just reheat every day in the microwave.  You could also cook the chili portion in the crock pot for either 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, then all you have to do is cook the topping and bake in the oven when you get home.  You could also just boil the sweet potatoes and throw them right into the chili if you don't have the time to bake.  It's extremely versatile, convenient, and delicious!