Shepherd's Pie w/ Sweet Potatoes

One day, about two months ago, I got it into my head that I needed to make a shepherd's pie. I have never made a shepherds pie, my mom didn't make them, my friends don't make them. Basically, why this became something that I needed is, at best, unclear to me. Things we learned: lamb is totally overwhelming and even cutting it with beef was too much for me. Apparently I only like lamb in the context of Indian food? However, if you do like lamb, then you're good to go. Secondly... I forgot to add the spinach (yes, spinach, I was going to put some in here, go with it), so you'll be seeing some spinach from me soon enough.

Also, I love sweet potatoes. Love them. They are happiness and sunshine to my palette. As a result, I made the pie with a sweet potato topping instead of white potatoes... though I did have a random yukon gold sitting in my fridge, so it went in the pot too. See?

Pretty, isn't it. The topping was phenomenal, and I think that if I just go with entirely beef next time, I'll become quite attached. It might also help if I remember the green things.

Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 heaping tsp ground cumin
1 heaping tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2.5 cups water/beef broth (you may need more or less, you don't want to flood the meat. I added in smaller batches as it cooked to keep it from getting to thick or thin)
5 cups baby spinach (3 ounces)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked and peeled
1-2 oz soft goat cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1) In a large pot, brown the ground meat. Drain fat (NOT down the sink).

2) Add the garlic and onion and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add the carrots and spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and stir for a minute, cooking off the flour taste. Then add the water and/or stock. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour.

3) Raise the heat to moderately high and stir in the spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stew into a baking dish.

4) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°. Cook sweet potatoes and mash them while still hot. Blend in the goat cheese, milk and butter and season with salt and pepper. I may have had some heavy cream in the house and a drop or 20 of it may have ended up in the topping as well...

5) Spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the stew and bake for about 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbling at the edges. Preheat the broiler. Broil the topping 4 inches from the heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Serve at once.