Moroccan Shepherd’s Pies from Freezer Cooking for the Paleo AIP
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, read my privacy policy.
I’m ushering in fall with the perfect healthy comfort food. These Moroccan Shepherd’s Pies are savory bowls of awesome, with a satisfying, complex flavor and little bursts of sweetness from the currants. I absolutely love one-dish meals full of all the meat and veggies you need, especially ones that travel well as a work lunch or potluck offering. That they’re also really great for batch cooking is no accident: They’re one of 123 recipes available in the new cookbook, Freezer Cooking for the Paleo AIP!
I can’t emphasize enough how helpful freezer cooking has been to me in my time on the autoimmune protocol. When takeout and fast food aren’t an option and so many pre-made meals contain ingredients you can’t eat, it’s so tempting to throw in the towel on days you just can’t bring yourself to cook. It took a lot of mistakes that left me feeling miserable the next day to teach me the importance of planning ahead. If you cook a lot of extra servings when you do cook or prepare a lot of different meals on days you feel great, you can always have something in the freezer for those lazy, tired, stressed out, or sick days! And you’ll thank yourself for it.
The cookbook features contributions from 30 of your favorite autoimmune protocol bloggers, including three recipes from yours truly: you’ll find freezer-friendly versions of my popular Savory Baked Salmon as well as exclusive new recipes for Bacon-Blanketed Veggies and Cilantro-Lime Chicken. (These Moroccan Shepherd’s pies were created by Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness.) With recipes for every meal of the day as well as special occasions, you’ll never want for something quick and easy to eat!
Like these Moroccan Shepherd’s Pies? See what else is inside:
Moroccan Shepherd’s Pies from Freezer Cooking for the AIP
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion roughly chopped, omit for IC
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1″ piece ginger minced
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 3 carrots carrot chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup currants
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 whole lemon juiced, omit for IC
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot three quarters the way with water and bring to a boil, covered. When the water comes to a boil, add the sweet potatoes and set a timer to cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium heat. When melted and the pan is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring, for 7 minutes, or until translucent and lightly browned.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2-5 minutes, or until vegetables are just soft.
- Add the bone broth, currants, oregano, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, and cinnamon to the skillet and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- When the timer for the sweet potatoes is up, check them for doneness by poking with a fork—it should go in easily. Use a colander to carefully strain and set aside to cool.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture and juices to a bowl, and place the skillet back on the stovetop.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet, and brown on medium-high heat, using a wooden spatula to break the meat into chunks and stir for even browning. When it is finished, add back the vegetable mixture, lemon juice, stir to combine, turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, add the sweet potatoes back to the empty stockpot with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Mash until desired consistency is reached, and set aside to cool.
Freezing
- It is best to freeze this dish in portion-size containers with a serving of meat on the bottom and a serving of sweet potatoes on the top. Wide-mouth pint ball jars work perfectly. Fill about ⅓ to ½ of the way with the meat mixture, and then top with mashed sweet potato. Do not exceed the freezer fill line on the jars. Let cool completely to room or refrigerator temperature before placing in the freezer with a loosely capped lid for 24 hours before completely sealing and storing long-term.
Serving
- Heat until warm, using preferred method.
This looks great. Can hardly wait to test it out! Thanks