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Shepherds pie… is it British or Irish? My mom insists Irish, I thought it was British.
I did a quick Google search on the topic which mostly pointed towards a British/Scottish origin. Seems the true origin dates back to the Scottish countryside in the 1700’s where the dish was made mostly by the poor from leftover lamb meat combined with gravy and mashed potatoes. It was originally called “cottage pie”. Shepherds pie didn’t come about for another 100 years or so when the Brits, who’d taken a liking to the pie but also added some veggies, favored the word shepherds over cottage. Apparently the word cottage was a term associated mostly with the poor. Since rich folks enjoyed the pie as well, “shepherds pie” came to be the term more widely used.
At some point the Irish did catch wind of this tasty little pie. They have been claiming it as their own ever since!
Do you think the British like Mexican food? Oh my gosh, I hope so.
I hope I am not offending them by turning their classic Shepherds Pie into a hard-core Mexican dish.
You see it just sort of happened one day when I had some chorizo and sweet potatoes on hand.
I mean why not?
I’ve made sweet potato chorizo tacos that were tasty, so I figured this was sure to be good as well.
Right?
I hoped. I prayed.
Yes. SO Good.
Spicy Mexican chorizo, with the cheesy, creamy sweet potatoes… it works! Topped off with diced avocado and a heavy sprinkle of cotija cheese, it is British food turned Mexican. So so good.
Oh and FYI – yesterday, I think I dropped and broke four bowls.
No, not I think. I did. It was rough. None of my shots worked either. Nothing seemed to go my way, which is why today’s post is short and sweet!
Mini Sweet Potato Cheddar and Chorizo Sheperds Pies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, mince or grated
- 3/4 pound ground chorizo
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 orange pepper, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained if using canned
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for topping
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 in chipotle chili adobo, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado, diced, for serving
- crumbled Cotija cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Using a fork prick the sweet potatoes all over and place in the oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the oven and add to a large bowl, if desired peel away the skins (I left most of the skin on mine). Add the butter and milk and mash mash mash until they’re, well mashed! Add the chipotle chili, cinnamon, honey,cheddar cheese and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mash some more and get it super creamy.
- In the meantime heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the onions and sauté until they start to soften, 4 minutes. Add the chorizo and brown the meat all over, breaking it up as you go. Add the red pepper, orange pepper, carrots and jalapeno. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft and begin to caramelize. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste, cook another 5 minutes and then stir in the spinach, black beans and cilantro. Cook another minute or so and then remove from the heat.
- Then divide the chorizo filling evenly among 4 ramekins. Spoon the mashed sweet potatoes on top of each pie. Arrange them on a baking sheet and slide into the oven for about 20 minutes or so.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced avocado + crumbled cotija. Serve!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Feeling like tomorrow is going to be sweeter though.
“Do the British like Mexican food?”, you ask- I say, who the heck cares, when this looks so freaking good! What a smart idea. I love the sprinkle of cotija cheese on top!
Thanks Ruthy!
Wow! That looks absolutely incredible. Fantastic twist on a classic, can’t wait to try!
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Thanks so much! Let me know if you do give it a try!
What a fun twist on a classic! Just stumbled on your blog today, and I’ll be following you, thankyouverymuch. Love chorizo and sweet potatoes! Looks great 🙂 Cheers!!
Thanks so much for following along, Katy!!
Mini food is the best, what great little pies!
I know! Mini food is always so fun! Thanks Laura!
What an AMAZING twist on shepherd’s pie!! I recently did one with sweet potato and pumpkin puree. I love that you put your own spin on this and I am sure this is a hearty meal perfect for fall!
Thanks Sophia!! Your sweet potato pumpkin one sounds awesome! YUM!
In Australia we always knew it as cottage pie but really who care when it is this delicious?
Love the use of chorizo and sweet potato, the golden topping is mouthwatering!
Thanks Belinda!
I don’t care where these babies come from, all I know is I want them. And I want them NOW! xo
Thanks Ashley! Happy you could care less where they came from! All we need is some good food! 🙂
These look fabulous Tieghan! LOVE how you twisted a traditional shepherd’s pie with different flavors. Totally want to try this. Great job!!
Thanks Laura!!
what a crazy awesome twist on a classic! I Love this SO so much!!
Oh, girl…The Big Lug and I make a mean Tex-Mex breakfast every weekend and we always love adding chorizo with our sweet potato hash. It just completes us, LOL! Now, we simply MUST make your version of Shepherd’s Pie! You ROCK. Have a better day today than yesterday! xo
Chorizo and sweet potatoes together are the best!! You guys do weekend breakfast right!
Thanks Stacy!
I am really liking the spicy with sweet potato and avocado combo here!
Thanks Kevin! It is good sweet and spicy combo for sure!
What a fantastic evolution – from Scottish to British to Irish to … Mexican! Would you believe I just grabbed a fork and tried to dig in?!?! 😀
Thanks Shelley!
Wish I could give you a real one to dig into!
Ohhh girly, I hope you have a better day today. Your sweet potato shepherd’s pies look amaaaazing…perfect cold weather comfort food!! Chorizo + sweet potato = badass = let’s do this!
Ha! You are awesome! 🙂
Sounds absolutely delicious! 🙂 I always thought that cottage pie was made with beef and shepherds with lamb, but I could be wrong. Oh well, who cares, this looks amazing. Love your blog!
Thank you so much, Kate!! 🙂
What a cool idea to spice up the cheesy, creamy sweet potatoes with Mexican chorizo! It’s the middle of the night, and your photos are making me very hungry! Sorry to hear about your broken dishes – it happens, especially when you have a camera in front of you. 🙂 Recipe pinned!
Thanks for pinning and your kind words, Julia!!