Sweet Potato Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very soft to the touch. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium pot, combine the lentils, oats, bay leaf, and salt with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat.
• Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf and drain mixture into a colander or sieve.
• Finely chop half of the mushrooms and set aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms into quarters.
• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and soft.
• Add the chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent.
• Lower heat to medium and add the lentil and oat mixture, followed by the vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Taste, and add salt or correct the seasonings as needed.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Peel sweet potatoes with your hands and place in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a smooth paste, add Frank’s Red Hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Evenly spread the lentil mixture into a 9-x13-inch baking dish. (For thicker layers, use a 9-x9-inch pan.) Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges.