Description
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a nutritious and hearty meal featuring a savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. This comforting dish combines tender carrots, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic with ground beef, seasoned with chili powder and rosemary, all baked under a smooth, flavorful sweet potato mash. Perfect for a wholesome family dinner, it’s gluten-free and can be adapted for various dietary needs.
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 Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F to prepare for baking the assembled shepherd’s pie.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Alternatively, bake whole sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. This cooking method softens the sweet potatoes, making them perfect for mashing.
- Sauté Filling: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef along with diced carrots, green pepper, yellow onion, mushrooms, and minced garlic. Continue cooking until the carrots and vegetables are soft and the meat is browned, around 12 to 15 minutes.
- Prepare Sweet Potato Topping: While the filling cooks, combine the steamed or baked sweet potatoes with butter, chili powder, and salt in a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. For white potatoes, mashing by hand is recommended to avoid pastiness.
- Season Filling: To the cooked filling in the skillet, add tomato paste, chili powder, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and water. Stir thoroughly to combine all the flavors and allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
- Assemble Pie: If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the meat and vegetable filling to a casserole or 9×9 inch baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mash evenly over the top of the filling. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and chili powder on the surface for extra flavor.
- Bake: Place the assembled dish in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes until heated through and the topping is slightly golden.
- Serve: Remove the shepherd’s pie from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy this wholesome and flavorful meal!
Notes
- This shepherd’s pie provides a balanced and satisfying meal packed with meat and vegetables topped with nutrient-rich sweet potatoes.
- The dish freezes well, so consider doubling the recipe to enjoy leftovers or save for a future meal.
- You can substitute regular white potatoes if desired, but mashing by hand is recommended to prevent a pasty texture.
- Butter can be replaced by ghee or coconut oil to accommodate Whole30 or dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
