This dinner was initially planned to be a baked mutton and ale ramekin topped with English cheddar…but then our neighbors brought us a box of twenty five sweet potatoes, and everything changed. Needing to use some sweet potatoes, we opted to mash some and use that to top the pie instead of the cheese. That got us thinking though about other toppings that might be good…and we’ve suggested them in the ingredients section below!
We served our Mutton and Ale Pies with sauteed carrots and green beans, but they would also go well with peas, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Asparagus, or Broiled Tomatoes.
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- Ground Mutton (or lamb or beef)
- Beer (We used Black Sheep Ale imported from England because we have a sick sense of humour)
- Black pepper
- Flour and butter (equal amounts)
- Pie topping. We are making mashed sweet potatoes, but Mashed Celery Root, Mashed Turnip, Mashed Parsnips, mashed potatoes, or puff pastry would all work well too.
- Sweet potato
- Milk
- Butter
Method:
- Wash, slice, and start to boil your sweet potato.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with some foil. Foil is key here because it will prevent a mess from inevitable spill-over.
- Dice your onions, and sautee them for a few minutes in a pan before adding your ground meat and black pepper. Cook the meat until it browns.
- As your meat cooks, combine your flour and butter in a bowl, and mash with a fork to combine. Evenly parse it into your ramekins. (We put this into our ramekins on top of our meat, and we think it would be better added first to thicken the sauce).
- Fill your ramekins with your browned meat, and pour in some beer.
- When your sweet potatoes are soft, puree them with some butter and milk in your food processor.
- Scoop your sweet potato puree, and spread it over your ramekins. Make sure to leave some room for steam to escape (we didn’t, and that was a learning experience) so your sauce can thicken. If using puff pastry, cut a little venting slit in it.
- Stash your ramekins in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
- Plate, devour (carefully…it will be very hot), and enjoy!
