Description

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty and nutritious meal featuring a savory meat and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. This dish combines ground beef or lamb with a medley of vegetables and spices, all baked to perfection with a smooth, flavorful sweet potato crust. It’s perfect for meal prep as it freezes well and offers a comforting, balanced dinner option with a slightly sweet and spicy twist.

Ingredients

For the Shepherd’s Pie Filling:

1 pound ground beef or lamb
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or dried herb of choice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water

For the Sweet Potato Topping:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces each), peeled and cubed (~6 cups cubed)
1 tablespoon butter (may substitute ghee or coconut oil for Whole30)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375℉ to prepare for baking the assembled shepherd’s pie later.
Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam until tender, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can bake the sweet potatoes whole until fork-tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Sauté Filling: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef or lamb along with the diced carrots, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and minced garlic. Cook until the carrots and other vegetables are softened and the meat is browned, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Make Sweet Potato Topping: While the filling cooks, place the cooked sweet potatoes with butter, chili powder, and salt into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Note: if using white potatoes, mash by hand to avoid a pasty texture.
Season and Combine Filling: Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, dried rosemary, salt, black pepper, and water to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine flavors.
Assemble Pie: If using a 10-inch cast iron skillet, keep the filling in it. Otherwise, transfer the filling to a casserole or 9×9 inch baking dish. Evenly top the meat and vegetable mixture with the mashed sweet potato topping. Sprinkle a little sea salt and chili powder on top for extra flavor.
Bake: Place the assembled shepherd’s pie in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes to meld the flavors and warm the topping.
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve hot for a comforting and nutritious meal.

Notes

To reheat from frozen: thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven at 375℉ for 20-30 minutes until heated through (internal temperature ~165℉).
If reheating directly from frozen, cover with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking, then remove the foil and continue until the interior is hot.
You can substitute regular potatoes for sweet potatoes if desired—mash regular potatoes by hand instead of blending to avoid a pasty texture.
This recipe doubles well; freeze one portion for a quick future meal.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American