“Tartas Pastores”: Mexican Shepherd’s Pies with Smoky Sweet Potato Crust

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

To make the Smoky Sweet Potato Crust: Place the sweet potatoes in a small pot. Cover with water. Place a lid on the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
When the sweet potatoes are tender, drain them well, shaking off any excess water. Return the potatoes to the small pot. Add the ground chipotle and use a potato masher to mash. Add enough almond milk to reach a creamy constancy. You want something a little thicker than mashed potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Set aside until ready to assemble pies.

To make the Mexican Black Bean Corn Filling: While the sweet potatoes are boiling, make the filling for your Tartas Pastores. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion. Sauté until they start to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and coriander. Sauté 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes, just until the tomato paste darkens to a brick red color. Add the water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the black beans and corn. Stir well to combine. Taste to adjust seasoning.

To assemble and bake your Tartas Pastores: Evenly divide the Mexican Black Bean Corn Filling among 4 individual pie tins. Top each pie with ¼ of the Smoky Sweet Potato Crust topping. You don’t want to overfill your pies, so you may have extras of the filling and/or crust. Place the pie tins on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 individual pans (or one 8-inch full-sized pan)

Chef Katie’s Tips: 

No Oil:  Check out the calorie count on these.  I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, and that includes oil.  This oil-free version gives you all of the Mexican flavor, tons of satisfaction, and none of the extra fat.

Save on Spices: If you want to save cabinet space, you can substitute a store-bought Mexican or taco spice mix. Look for a salt-free or no-sodium blend. Use 2 1/2 teaspoons, in place of the paprika, cumin, and coriander.

Kid-Friendly Spice Control: Dried chipotle is made from smoking poblano peppers. It usually comes either in flakes or ground, and you can use either in this recipe. It has a spicy kick. If you want less spice substitute with chili powder or smoked paprika.

Deconstructed Version: You can turn these pies inside-out with a faster version. Instead of assembling the filling and crust, simply serve the Mexican Black Bean mixture over the Smoky Sweet Potatoes. For a bowl version, serve on top baby spinach and top with Tomatillo Guacamole.