Description
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a comforting and hearty dish featuring a savory ground beef or lamb filling loaded with vegetables and topped with creamy, flavorful mashed sweet potatoes. Perfect for a wholesome family meal, it combines rich flavors with nutritious ingredients and is baked to perfection in a cast iron skillet or casserole 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℉ to prepare for baking the finished 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, 45 to 60 minutes.
- Sauté filling vegetables and meat: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef or lamb with diced carrots, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and minced garlic. Cook until the carrots are soft, about 12-15 minutes.
- Prepare mashed sweet potato topping: Combine the cooked sweet potatoes, butter, chili powder, and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. If using white potatoes, mash by hand to avoid a pasty texture.
- Season filling: Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, dried rosemary, salt, black pepper, and water into the sautéed meat and vegetables mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Assemble and bake: If you are using a 10-inch oven-safe cast iron skillet, layer the meat filling in the skillet, then spread the sweet potato mash evenly on top. If not, transfer the meat filling to a 9×9 inch baking dish or casserole dish, then top with the sweet potato mash. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and chili powder on top.
- Bake: Bake the assembled shepherd’s pie in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until heated through and slightly golden on top.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm. Enjoy your delicious Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie!
Notes
- To reheat if frozen: Transfer from freezer to refrigerator the day before serving. Reheat in an oven set to 375℉ for 20-30 minutes or until the center reaches 165℉.
- If reheating from frozen, cover the dish with foil for the first 30 minutes to prevent drying, then remove the foil and continue baking until hot throughout.
- You can substitute butter with ghee or coconut oil if following a Whole30 or dairy-free diet.
- When blending sweet potatoes, be careful not to over-process white potatoes to avoid a pasty texture.
- Using a cast iron skillet for cooking and baking can enhance flavor and texture while making cleanup easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
