This twist on shepherd’s pie features lean ground pork and smoky, spicy dry-cured chorizo in place of ground beef. Oka cheese is made in Quebec; its buttery, mild flavour transforms the mash into a golden, rich topping.
HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
1¼ hours
MAKES
8 to 10 servings
INGREDIENTS
PORK PIE FILLING:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
900 g lean ground pork
115 g dry-cured chorizo cubed
2 cups sodium-reduced beef broth
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 sweet potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp each salt and pepper pinch cinnamon
1 cup frozen peas
OKA MASH:
1.35 kg russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 cup milk
225 g Oka cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter
DIRECTIONS
PORK PIE FILLING: In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook leeks and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Add pork and chorizo to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up pork with spoon, until pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the broth; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until no liquid remains. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in remaining broth; bring to boil. Stir in leek mixture, sweet potato, paprika, salt, pepper and cinnamon; return to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas; scrape into 13- x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish.
OKA MASH: While pork is browning, in large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potatoes and garlic until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan; mash in milk, Oka and butter. Spread over pork mixture. (Make-ahead: Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and overwrap in heavy-duty foil; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours; remove plastic wrap and re-cover with foil. Bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to baking time. Increase heat to 425°F/ 220°C and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden, about 10 minutes.)
Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven until filling is bubbly and topping is golden, about 25 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER EACH OF 10 SERVINGS: about 523 cal, 30 g pro, 29 g
total fat (13 g sat. fat), 34 g carb, 3 g fibre, 105 mg chol, 549 mg sodium, 841 mg potassium. % RDI: 20% calcium, 17% iron, 47% vit A, 23% vit C, 19% folate.
TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
This is a terrific freeze-ahead dinner. A casserole this large will take several days to thaw in the fridge, so don’t worry
if it’s still a bit firm after 1 day. The partial thawing just allows it to reheat a bit more evenly.
