Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

Hearty, comfort food at its finest. Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping is a family-pleasing, meal prep friendly and an incredibly tasty recipe.

Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping is a recipe you’ll likely make again and again!

We shared this recipe a few years back at the beginning of our blogging days. It was a recipe I had created for a cooking class. Those that have been following us for a while may remember this recipe or may have even tried it. Heck, it may even be included in your menu rotation. Well, we’ve updated the photos and are republishing it because it’s just too good not share a second time! This Shepherd’s Pie is one of the most popular recipes on our blog. I mean, you really can’t beat a dish made of hearty, wholesome, comfort foods, right?

Shepherd’s Pie is made with just a few ingredients, and like many of our recipes the ingredients can be tweaked with what you have on hand or what sounds good to you. For example, if you don’t care for mushrooms go ahead and omit them and add zucchini instead (or another veggie of your choosing). No grass-fed ground beef or ground lamb on hand? Use organic ground turkey instead or maybe you want to make it vegan-friendly. If so, you could try using lentils. You do YOU!

Shepherd’s Pie is freezer-friendly, too.

I’m all about freezer-friendly recipes. Cooking once, eating twice (or more) is my jam! This dish freezes nicely, so you can go ahead and double the recipe making two 9×9 dishes and freezing one of them for a future meal. No need to do the final baking (see recipe below) with the one you freeze as you’ll bake it the day you serve it. You can even take it a step further by portioning out servings into individual containers (I like these containers). Having a freezer full of already prepared meals makes for easy weeknight dinners.

Learn how to choose quality red meat in this post!

Substitute regular potatoes for the sweet potatoes if you wish.

I’m a sweet potato lover, but if you’d prefer a regular mashed potato topping or it’s what you have on hand, there’s no need to make a special trip to the grocery store. Feel free to make that simple substitution.

Serve it with a fresh mixed green salad or steamed green beans for a veg-heavy meal.

I rounded this meal out with a serving of extra veg. Simply steam up some green beans or whip up a mixed green salad. If you’re looking for a homemade dressing, we’ve got you covered – try our Paleo Ranch or Citrus Vinaigrette with Thyme.

Ingredient Shout-Out: Sweet potatoes – a nutrient-dense carb and one of my favorite foods!

• High in Vitamin B6 which reduces homocysteine in the blood reducing risk of heart disease.
• Excellent source of Vitamin C which enhances immunity, produces collagen for healthy skin & bones and promotes healthy digestion.
• A good source of Vitamin D, which is important for energy and mood as well as bone and skin health.
• The rich orange color indicates that sweet potatoes are high in carotenoids like beta carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A which promotes eye health and enhances immunity.
• Rich in anti-aging antioxidants (carotenoids). 

It’s time to give this Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping a try!!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

A hearty and satisfying meal for the entire family to enjoy. This dish freezes well, so you can go ahead and double the recipe and freeze half for a future meal. Having a freezer full of already prepared meals makes for easy weeknight dinners. Feel free to substitute regular potatoes for the sweet potatoes if you wish.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Entree - Paleo - Whole 30

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 4.8 from 33 reviews

Ingredients

Pie Filling:

• 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef, lamb or bison
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder (such as Simply Organic)
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary or dried herb of choice (Such as Simply Organic)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3 oz. organic tomato paste (about 6 Tbsp.)
• 1/4 cup water

Sweet Potato Topping:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (~5 cups cubed)
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (such as Simply Organic)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. In a skillet on medium heat, add the ground beef, chopped carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms and minced garlic.
3. Cook on medium heat until carrots are soft, about 12-15 minutes. Begin making the topping while the meat filling cooks.
4. Once the carrots are soft, stir in tomato paste, water, seasonings, salt and pepper.
5. For the topping: Steam or bake (at 375℉) the sweet potatoes until fork tender. Then add all of the topping ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. NOTE: If using white potatoes, we recommend mashing them by hand rather than blending to prevent them from getting pasty.
6. Final step: Transfer the meat filling to a casserole dish (9 x 9 inch dish will work) or 10 inch cast iron skillet and top the meat filling with the sweet potato mash. Dash with sea salt and chili powder.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Notes

To reheat if frozen: Remove from freezer and place in fridge the day before you plan to serve it. Simply reheat in the oven set at 375℉ for about 20-30 minutes or until center is hot (~165℉). You can reheat from frozen, it will however take a little longer. If reheating from frozen, cover with foil for the first 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until center is hot (~165℉).

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 394
• Sugar: 17 g
• Sodium: 350 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Carbohydrates: 40 g
• Fiber: 8 g
• Protein: 26 g

Pin now to make later!

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she and her husband reside on 5 acres with their two pups, Walter & Lucy. She’s a creator of simple and wholesome recipes, a lover of nature, a crossfitter, a seasonal runner, and she’s on a mission to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life from the inside out.