Earlier this month, my wife Lindsey gave birth to and blessed our family with our second daughter.

When you welcome a child into this world, you are greeted with a huge range of emotions and challenges. The first one is finding out who is going to make the coffee in the morning. The second one is finding out when the coffee will be done and if it can be made any earlier.

In all seriousness, one of the greatest hurdles I have had to overcome is what to feed these little rascals. You want your children to grow up feeling good and you want to provide choices so that they have the chance to be healthy.

Knowing that my kids have nutritious options helps me sleep at night. I won’t get on a soapbox about this any more than I already have, but sound nutrition is the best health insurance you can give to your children.

With all of that in mind, I developed this recipe based off a household favorite of ours. Shepherd’s Pie is something that is always a big hit.

The objective was to make something that is healthy and delicious without sacrificing flavor. The secret is to find a quality ground turkey and a sweet potato that hasn’t been stripped of all its nutrients. If you have written off sweet potatoes I ask you to give them one more chance. This rendition of Shepard’s Pie is lighter and doesn’t make you want to take a nap afterwards.

Shepherd’s Pie

2 large sweet potatoes chopped

1 head cauliflower chopped

Salt and Pepper

1 cup Asiago/Gouda cheese grated and divided

3 Tblsp room temperature butter

Oil (any neutral oil with a high smoke point)

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup celery diced

2 large onions chopped

1 Tblsp tomato paste

3 Tblsp shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Pinch cinnamon

1 clove of garlic minced into a paste

Zest & juice of 1 orange

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes & cauliflower until fork tender (about 20 min) and drain.

2. Add salt, pepper, cheese & butter to the potato and cauliflower mixture. Mash until smooth and set aside.

3. Set up a grill for indirect cooking or preheat an oven to 350-400 degrees

4. Using an oven safe, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron is great), warm the oil in the pan and brown the meat in the oil. When fully cooked, set the meat aside leaving the drippings in the pan.

5. Add the celery & onions to the same pan with the meat drippings and sauté for 1 minute.

6. Add the tomato paste & pepitas to the same pan and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add the cinnamon, garlic, orange zest, juice, parsley and meat and stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry you can add a splash of water. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Top the mixture with the potato & cauliflower mash and smooth it out using a spoon or silicone spatula.

9. Return the pan to the grill (or oven) and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

10. Enjoy