I don’t know about you, but my jeans were feeling a wee bit snug after Thanksgiving. Don’t most Americans gain something like 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas? I don’t know the exact researched amount, but I just know that I don’t want to frighten children in my bathing suit when we go to Mexico for Christmas to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday.

Despite our Thanksgiving trip to Tucson negating a couple weeks of hard work in the gym, we are trying to get back on track by eating lots of vegetables this week and hope to continue eating this way when we are at home so we can prevent the dreaded holiday weight gain. This Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash is one of my favourite weekday meals to make. The recipe makes a huge pie that can be eaten for either lunch or dinner throughout the week, and we have even frozen half of it before and it always holds up well after it is defrosted.

After the gluttony of Thanksgiving, there is something soothing about eating a huge bowl of lentils and vegetables for lunch. Although don’t get the wrong impression that this dish tastes like boring health food because the sweet potato mash and grated cheddar make it feel like you are still being decadent. This recipe makes enough for 8 large portions at 95 cents per serving.

Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash, adapted from BBC Good Food
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 pound carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
7 ounces red wine
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 vegetable (or chicken) stock cubes
1 pound dried lentils
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces mature or Irish cheddar, grated
salt and pepper

Cook the lentils according to the package instructions, which is usually to let them simmer for around 45 minutes until they are tender. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion until golden. Add the carrots and all but a sprinkling of the thyme leaves. Pour in the wine, 5 ounces of water, and the tomatoes, then crumble in the stock cubes and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Add the drained lentils to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes until the carrots are almost tender and the lentils are pulpy. Season the pie filling with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes until they are tender, drain well, then mash them with the butter and season to taste. Place the lentil mixture into a pie dish, spoon the sweet potato mash on top, then sprinkle over the cheese and remaining thyme.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and cook the shepherd’s pie for 20 minutes, or until the cheesy top of the pie becomes golden and bubbly.