Description
This Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie combines a savory ground beef or lamb filling with a creamy sweet potato topping for a wholesome, comforting meal. Packed with vegetables and seasoned with chili powder and herbs, it’s a delightful twist on a classic comfort food, perfect for an easy dinner baked in one dish.
Ingredients
Scale
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
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
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the shepherd’s pie.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes in a steamer basket over boiling water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, bake whole sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Sauté Filling Ingredients: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef or lamb with diced carrots, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the carrots are soft, around 15 minutes.
- Prepare Sweet Potato Topping: While the filling cooks, place the cooked sweet potatoes, butter, chili powder, and salt in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. If using white potatoes, mash by hand instead.
- Season Filling: Once the vegetables are soft, stir in tomato paste, chili powder, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and water into the meat mixture. Cook briefly to combine.
- Assemble the Pie: Use a 10-inch cast iron skillet to layer the meat filling and then spread the sweet potato mash evenly on top. If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the filling to a casserole or 9×9 inch baking dish before topping.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes to heat through and meld flavors. Optionally, sprinkle the top with a little sea salt and chili powder before baking.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm.
Notes
- To reheat frozen shepherd’s pie, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes until hot throughout.
- Reheating from frozen is possible but requires longer baking time with the dish covered in foil for the first 30 minutes to prevent drying out.
- You can substitute ghee or coconut oil for butter in the topping to make the recipe compliant with Whole30 diet.
- If using white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, mash them by hand to avoid a pasty texture when processed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
