Healthy and hearty sweet potato Shepherd's pie is a complete dish the entire family will love. The rich heartiness of the ground beef mix, topped with a buttery, creamy, sweet potato mash, then baked until golden brown and bubbly. Easily make a double batch and freeze for later.
We are in the heart of fall here in Western Washington and that typically means rain, rain, and more rain. While the weather keeps us mostly inside we still like to get out as much as we can. This means we need all the warming comfort food we can handle.
While I love a good soup, and they are typically the majority of our fall dinner menu, a good skillet dish is our second go to.
Another great fall and winter time dish is a Shepherd's Pie or also called, cottage pie.
What is the difference between a Shepherd's Pie and a Cottage Pie? The two dishes are basically the same thing. Ground meat mix with veggies then topped with mashed potatoes.
The only difference is that Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb where cottage pie is any other ground meat. That is the only difference, but the term Shepherd's Pie is more commonly used.
So if you see cottage pie, keep in mind they are made the same way.
Ingredients
Can you make Shepherd's pie with sweet potatoes? Yes you can! If you haven't given it a try, here is your excuse to give it a go.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good mashed potato with russet or Yukon golds. But the combination of sweet potatoes and the ground beef mix is a household favorite. Give it a try and I'm sure it will be yours as well.
Sweet Potato Mash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Softened Butter
- Parmesan Cheese
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Beef and Veggie Mix
- Olive Oil
- Onion Diced
- Diced Carrots
- Diced Celery
- Ground Beef
- Garlic
- Frozen Peas
- Beef Broth
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Dried Rosemary
- Dried Thyme
- Tomato Paste
- Paprika To Garnish
Full measurements in recipe card.
Instructions
Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preparing the sweet potatoes:
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 2" cubes.
In a large pot over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add some salt and the sweet potatoes and cook until they are soft and tender. You will know they are done when a fork can easily pierce them.
Once potatoes are done cooking, carefully dump into a strainer and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add in the softened butter, grated parmesan, salt and pepper.
Using a hand or stand mixer, mix the potatoes until they are soft and creamy.
Preparing the Ground Beef:
While the potatoes are boiling start the ground beef mix.
In a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and diced onion. Sauté until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
Add in carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Or until they start to soften.
Add in the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Once ground beef is cooked, add in the frozen peas and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Mix all together and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the liquid reduces down. About 5 min.
In a baking dish, add the ground beef mix and spread evenly.
Then add the sweet potato mash and completely cover the ground beef. Sprinkle on some paprika and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.
Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Variations
- Traditional Shepherd's Pie: Traditionally, Shepherd's pie is made with either russet or Yukon gold potatoes and ground lamb. Either can be used in the recipe. If using russet potatoes, prepare them the same way and add some milk or heavy cream instead of the parmesan.
Substitutions
- Other ground meat: This recipe can also be made with ground turkey or venison. I have used all three and they work great.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth can be used in place of beef broth.
Storage
This dish will keep for 3-4 days in an air tight container. I just cover the cooled baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.
Can sweet potato Shepherd's pie be frozen? Yes! This dish freezes really well. If freezing, allow the mix to cool and skip the baking step. When ready to cook, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator and then follow the baking instructions.
Equipment
- Large skillet: I like to use my braiser to cook the meat and veggie mix. A cast iron pan can be used but not recommended. Cast irons do not hold up well to a lot of foods with acid and the tomato paste can be hard on the surface of the pan.
- Baking dish: A 9"x13" baking dish works great for this meal.
- Large pot: To boil the potatoes
- Hand mixer: This is my preferred way to mix the sweet potatoes.
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Other Sweet Potato Recipes:
Other Dinner Ideas:
Recipe
Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mash
- 2 Pounds Sweet Potatoes Peeled and Diced in Cubes
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Beef and Veggie Mix
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion Diced
- 2 Large Carrots Peeled and Diced, about 1 cup
- 3-4 Stalks of Celery Diced, about 1 cup
- 1.5 Pounds Ground Beef
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced or Pressed
- 1 Cup Frozen Peas
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 6 ounces Tomato Paste
- Paprika To Garnish
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Start off by peeling and dicing sweet potatoes into 2" cubes.
- Fill a Large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Add a couple tablespoons of salt to the water and mix until dissolved. Add in potatoes and boil until tender. A fork should be able to easy pierce the potatoes.
- Once cooked through, transfer to a large mixing bowl and with a hand mixer add in all the other ingredients and whip until lumps are gone. Set Aside.
Beef and Veggie Mix
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- While the potatoes are cooking prepare the meat and veggie mix in a large oven safe skillet.
- Over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet.
- Add in onion and sauté until soft. About 6-8 min.
- Add in carrots and celery then cook for 2-3 more minutes. Or until they start to soften.
- Add in beef and cook until completely browned.
- Carefully drain excess grease.
- Add in frozen peas and garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Mix all together and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the liquid reduces down. About 5 min.
- In a 9x13 baking dish (or other oven safe cookware) spread the ground beef mix evenly on the bottom.
- Spread the sweet potatoes on top of the meat and veggie mix, sprinkle with paprika and transfer to the oven for 20-25 min. or until bubbly.
- Remove from oven and serve warm.
First time attempting a Shepherd's pie. It was easy to follow the recipe and turned out really good! Everyone loved it. Healthy and filling. Will be cooking this more in the future.
Wow! This looks amazing! Love that you used sweet potatoes instead of the usual!
Thank you! I do to. My kids actually like to so thats always a win.
That photo of the sweet potatoes with the butter makes me drool. I've never tried this before but it looks delicious!
Thank you! Makes me drool to. It's one of our favorite fall dinners.
This recipe looks so easy and so hearty, it's the perfect healthy meal for winter!
Thank you!
Yum! This looks AMAZING!! Can't wait to give it a go!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
This looks really good! I love how many veggies it has and that it can all be done in a skillet. That’s my favorite way to cook for sure!
Thank you! It really is one of our favorites. I love all the veggies to and that there is enough other stuff so my kids eat all of it. And yes only getting one dish dirty is a bonus!