Sweet Potato and Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I first had this dish when I met Jill Gardner for lunch in Edinburgh. I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to find a way to make this for myself again and again.

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes roasted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 cup green or brown lentils
•  3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for vegetarian/vegan option
• 1 1/2 cups spinach
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate flesh of sweet potatoes from skins and place in a medium-sized bowl. Discard skins. Mash together sweet potato with butter, milk and salt (I used an immersion blender to ensure smoothness). Set aside. In the meantime cook the lentils in plenty of water. Bring water and lentils to a boil, then simmer until tender, 30-40 minutes.
   
2. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add cooked lentils, broth and Worcester sauce to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and simmer until broth is absorbed. Discard bay leaf.
4. Transfer lentil mixture to 4 individual ramekins or a baking dish and spread an even layer of sweet potato mixture on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.