Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie with Southern Country Ham
As winter’s chilly days wind down, let’s enjoy one last comforting stick‑to‑your‑ribs savory pie. (Note: You need to cook the butterbeans and sweet potato ahead of time to be ready to throw this pie together!)
Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- 1 lb. center cut country ham, cut in ½-inch bites (we used Johnston County Hams)
- 8 cups chopped cabbage
- 6 leeks, trimmed, washed and thin-sliced
- 4 small carrots, shaved
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups cooked butterbeans
- 1 can (15-ounce) creamed corn
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Paprika
- 3 cups cooked sweet potato
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 6 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly coat a large deep ovenproof skillet with oil. Sear ham over medium-high heat, stirring as it cooks, for 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Add cabbage, leeks, carrots and red pepper. Sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in butterbeans, corn, thyme and ham.
Spoon topping over mixture and dust with paprika. Place into oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese has melted in the potatoes.
The North Carolina Sweet Potato
North Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state. They sweeten the state’s economy, too, yielding a crop worth $324 million in 2019. Dig up some more sweet facts about our state's official vegetable!
