Description
This Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty, wholesome twist on a classic comfort dish, featuring a savory ground beef or lamb filling with vegetables, topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Perfectly balanced with spices and herbs, it’s baked to golden perfection for a nutritious, satisfying meal that’s ideal for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling Ingredients
- 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
Topping Ingredients
- 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 the oven: Set your oven to 375℉ to prepare for baking the assembled shepherd’s pie.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a steamer basket over boiling water and cook until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Alternatively, bake whole sweet potatoes until fork tender (about 45 to 60 minutes).
- Sauté the filling vegetables and meat: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef or lamb with carrots, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir frequently and cook until the carrots are soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. While cooking, prepare the sweet potato topping.
- Prepare the sweet potato topping: Place the cooked sweet potatoes, butter, chili powder, and salt into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Use a hand masher if using white potatoes to avoid a pasty texture.
- Finish the filling: Stir the tomato paste, chili powder, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and water into the cooked meat and vegetable mixture until fully combined.
- Assemble the shepherd’s pie: If using an oven-safe skillet, top the filling directly with the sweet potato mash. Otherwise, transfer the meat filling to a casserole dish or 9×9-inch baking dish and spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and chili powder for extra flavor.
- Bake: Place the assembled dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes to meld the flavors and warm through.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm, enjoying the rich blend of savory filling with creamy, spicy sweet potato topping.
Notes
- This shepherd’s pie is a balanced and satisfying meal loaded with meat and veggies for nutrition and flavor.
- The dish freezes well, so consider doubling the recipe to save one portion for later.
- Feel free to substitute regular potatoes for the sweet potatoes if preferred.
- Use ghee or coconut oil instead of butter to make this dish Whole30 compliant.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
