Sweet Potato Mash Lentil Shepherd's Pie!

I posted this a few years ago but I'm making it tonight to take to a dinner so thought I would repost:again. So delish! )Even better the next day. Just like a Shepherd's Pie but with lentils, peas and mushrooms. Fat free and loaded with fiber.

Sweet Potato Lentil Mash

Ingredients (serves 6)

Top layer 

2 12.75 ounce cans sweet potatoes ( I used 2 large sweet potatoes)

1/4 cup almond milk

3 T maple syrup 

Bottom layer 

Frozen apple juice concentrate for sautéing, or red wine. ( I did not have any so used some red currant jelly!)

1 cup diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced ( I didn't have any but I think it would be even better with them)

10 ounces peas, fresh or thawed

1 package Trader Joes pre-cooked vacuum sealed lentils (or about 2 ½ cups cooked lentils). If using canned lentils, drain and rinse before cooking ( I used canned)

½ cup red wine or broth if you don't have any

2.5 T low sodium tamari

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

dash of hot sauce

8-10 ounces baby spinach, chopped ( I used kale becasue I had no spinach)

I drizzled maple syrup on top before baking  instead of mixing it in with the potatoes

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand mixer, blend sweet potatoes, almond milk and maple syrup until smooth.** I did not mix in the maple syrup, I drizzled a bit of it on top before baking* Set aside.

Sauté onion and carrot on medium heat in a little frozen apple juice concentrate until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic,and mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes.

Add peas, lentils, wine, tamari, thyme and oregano. Mix well. Simmer about 8 minutes.( add dash of hot sauce if desired)

Add spinach in batches until it is wilted.

Spray the bottom of an 11 x 7 or 8 x 8 Pyrex dish. Pour lentil mixture into pan. Spread sweet potatoes on top of lentils. Bake 35 minutes. ( Iused a small square pyrex casserole dish) You could increase the ingredients by a third and put it in a 11 x 13 dish.

Hard to make a mushy dish look tasty but it was! It would be even better with mushrooms!