A savoury skillet pie with sweet potatoes

With a layer of savoury, seasoned chopped meat tucked beneath a creamy blanket, this healthful dish is like a shepherd’s pie — but one with the distinctive taste and look of autumn.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet Pie Makes 4 to 6 servings

1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/4 cup low-fat milk (1 per cent) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium carrot, scrubbed well and cut into 1/4-inch dice 4 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 pound ground turkey (93 per cent lean)

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat the oven to 350 F.

Place the sweet potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to mediumlow; cook for about eight minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot. Add the milk and 1 tablespoon of the butter; mash until smooth and creamy. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet. Add the onion and carrot; cook for about two minutes, until they have softened a bit. Then add the mushrooms and cook for about six minutes, until they have released their moisture and it has evaporated. Add the thyme and turkey to the skillet and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon as it cooks.

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to incorporate, then add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Once the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, remove it from the heat.

Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly on top of the turkey mixture; dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake (upper rack) for about 15 minutes, until heated through.

Increase the oven temperature to broil; once the broiler element is fully heated, broil for three to four minutes so the top browns in spots.

Let the skillet pie rest for five minutes before serving.

Per serving (based on 6): 290 calories, 17 grams protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fibre, 7 g sugar

Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.”

DEB LINDSEY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST To minimize the dishes that need washing at the end — and add to the dish’s homey, rustic vibe — the layers are baked in the same skillet used to cook the turkey mixture.