Some are born guilty, some achieve guiltiness, and some have guiltiness thrust upon ’em.
In my case, the guilt is a casualty of genetics, exacerbated by years of parenting. So when I read the latest stats on food waste, the mantle of responsibility weighed heavy upon me. We toss 40% of our food annually. That’s $2,275 for the average foursome family, totaling a whopping $165 billion overall. And yes, it’s way more than the 70’s.
So, guilty and frugal, I refused to dump the leftover “candied” sweet potatoes that no one liked and that didn’t really candy.
Here’s the re-do…Sweet Potato Cottage Pie
Actually it was sort of, kind of Cottage Pie as I only had leftover chicken and not enough of that to make what would be a traditional meat pie with a potato crust. In all honesty, I loved it! Still, I was accused of using the wrong topping (i.e. sweet, not white potato) which is what happens when you cook too often and take too many requests! On the plus side, not one word about the ratio of meat to veg!!
Ingredients:
2 small onion, or 1 medium, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 slim stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin
large handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
heaping tablespoon corn starch
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken, if you have it
leftover candied sweet potatoes from 3 large ones that no one ate
butter to taste
milk to texture
cayenne for fun
Step 1
Soften the first 4 ingredients in oil, about 5 min in 12 inch skillet, then add garlic for a minute. Toss in zucchini and green beans, cook a few minutes, and give the whole thing a stir or two. Blend in the chicken. Dissolve corn starch in chicken stock. Add stock to pan, swirl a couple of minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stop here if you’re ready to eat, tastes like chicken pot pie. Goes with rice, pasta or pototoes.
Step 2
Reheat sweet potatoes in microwave. Mash with butter and enough milk to make them spreadable. I used a ricer. Cayenne spices it up. Salt to taste.
Step 3
Spoon everything but the sweet potatoes into a 9 inch casserole. Sweets on top. Preheated 350 oven till bubbly, about 30 minutes. Broil to get crustier on top.
Eat.
I Am Not A Restaurant! 
this sounds good! will try next time i have appropriate leftovers!! thanks, betsy!
My family would never eat this (candied sweet potatoes). Good for left overs if you are into sweet savory dishes.
planning to make it my casserole for next week!
I am a vegetarian so I love that the chicken is not in the directions. Can you make it without the chicken!
This sounds really good. I love using a little of this and that to use things up. The good thing is if it was mashed white potato left over that would work too. Thanks for another hearty, quick evening meal idea.
This is a must try this week-end.. Sounds soo good!
What a great idea! Thanks
Thanks Betsy, Love remakes and of course there is always soup!