Easy Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious dish made with a mixture of ground beef and lamb, onions, mushrooms, peas, and an herby, gravy-like broth, all topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. It’s the perfect comfort meal, and is super easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 6 cups, or 4 medium sized sweet potatoes)
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup beef broth (can also use mushroom broth)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Sweet Potato Mash Topping
- Peel sweet potatoes, chop into large cubes, and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes until soft and a knife can cut through easily. Drain potatoes, return them to the pot, and allow them to steam dry for a minute or two so that they are not too watery.. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and ½ cup of whole milk and mash the sweet potatoes until everything is blended and the potatoes are nice and creamy/smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Make The Filling
- While your potatoes are boiling, cook the beef and lamb by adding them to a large skillet over medium heat. Break up the meat and continue cooking until it is browned. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside, reserving about ⅛ cup of the fat, and discard the rest.
- Add 2 tblsp butter to the same skillet, then the chopped onions. Cook the onions for about 7-8 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Add the chopped carrots and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes more, until carrots are tender.
- Add the thyme and rosemary and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the beef and lamb mixture back to the pan. Then and the worcestershire sauce to the skillet and combine well.
- Add in the tomato paste and mix to combine. Then, sprinkle flour over the top of the mixture and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the beef broth, and cook until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Add the parsley and frozen peas and season with salt and peppe to taste.
Assemble & Bake!
- Spread the sweet potato mixture over the top of the filling, then transfer the entire skillet to the oven. (be sure to place a foil-lined baking sheet under your pan to catch any boil-over liquid or drippings.
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 380, then broil on high for 2 minutes until potatoes have begun to brown at the edges.
- Allow the sweet potatoe shepherd’s pie to sit for 15-20 minutes to set and thicken. (otherwise you end up with a runny mess!)
Notes
- Let your sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes after boiling to allow some of the liquid to evaporate off them. This will help ensure they are not too watery when mashed.
- Allow your filling to set for several minutes to let it thicken up and make it easier to spread the mashed sweet potato mixture over the top.
- Make sure your sweet potatoes are mashed to a creamy consistency and are warm prior to spreading to make this process easier.
- If using a combo of lamb and beef, use leaner ground beef to compensate for the extra fat in the lamb. If using all beef, use one with a slightly higher fat content for added flavor.
- Don’t add the peas with the other veggies - wait until the filling has finished cooking to add them. This will ensure that they don’t cook for too long and become mushy.
- When baking this sweet potato shepherd's pie, place a foil-lined sheet pan under the skillet to catch any spillovers.
- Make this vegetarian by subbing in lentils or additional mushrooms for the meat and omitting the Worcestershire sauce.
- Allow the cooked sweet potato shepherd’s pie to cool for 15-20 minutes. This will allow it to thicken up even more and help you avoid a runny mess when cutting into it.
- If making ahead, prepare everything up to the point of putting the pie in the oven. Cover the skillet and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Then bake it at 380 degrees for 30 minutes.
- To freeze, place in an airtight container. Will keep for 2 months.
- To reheat from frozen: 1. Thaw overnight, then heat in the oven at 380 degrees for 30 minutes. Or, 2. Head directly from frozen by covering with foil and baking at 380 degrees for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes until heated through.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!