Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
A Cozy Dinner That Feels Special, Without Being Complicated
There are meals that feel like “Sunday dinners” even when you make them on a Tuesday. This sweet potato shepherd’s pie is one of those for us.
We usually have more sweet potatoes from the garden than I know what to do with. I have one kid that doesn’t really like any potato, so they often become add-ons to other meals. However, I had a craving for Shepard’s Pie, and instead of buying regular potatoes, I decided to use the sweet potatoes.
It was so good, I might not go back! It’s still hearty and comforting, but the sweet potatoes give it a little depth and warmth that regular potatoes don’t. It feels warm without being heavy.
It’s especially good in colder months, but I see this a dish that could be useful around St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a nice alternative to corned beef and cabbage if that’s not really your family’s thing.
Making Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
I’ll add the full printable recipe card at the bottom, but here’s the general ingredient list we use. Like most of our favorite meals, this one is flexible.
Ingredients:
- ground beef
- onion
- carrots
- Peas
- green beans
- corn
- mushrooms
- tomato sauce (see note below)
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
- rosemary
- cinnamon
- allspice
- sweet potatoes
- butter
That’s the base. Nothing complicated and several things can be substituted or changed.
Directions:
You brown the meat and then cook the vegetables. Mix them together and season. Boil your sweet potatoes and mash them. Put the meat and veggie mixture into a casserole dish and then top with the sweet potato mashed. Bake until everything is bubbling and slightly golden on top.
Why the Sweet Potatoes Work
Traditional shepherd’s pie uses white mashed potatoes, and they’re great, but sweet potatoes bring something different. They’re slightly sweeter, which balances the savory meat, and they add color (which makes the whole dish look more inviting).
If You Don’t Eat Meat
This dish adapts easily. You can…
- Swap the ground meat for lentils.
- Use chopped mushrooms for texture. I already used some, but you could add more or simply increase the veggies to compensate for the weight of the meat
The sweet potato topping works beautifully either way.
A Few Notes from My Kitchen
I don’t peel my sweet potatoes for this. I wash them well and cook them with the skins on. The skins soften during cooking, and they add a little extra fiber and nutrients. Plus, I like using the whole vegetable when I can. You can see them below in the top, the texture just adds something to the whole dish.
Also, many Shepard’s pies require tomato paste, but I never buy it and always use either tomato sauce or have even used ketchup in a pinch.
This is also one of those dinners where I mix fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables without overthinking it. The last time I made it, I used fresh carrots and mushrooms, a can of peas and green beans, and frozen corn. It all worked.
As long as you keep the general balance, savory filling, plenty of vegetables, and a creamy sweet potato topping, it’s going to come together.
If you have vegetables that need to be used up, this is a great place for them.
A Few Things That Make It Easier
You likely already have what you need, but here are a few things that make this meal smoother for me.
- I use my larger Lodge cast iron skillet (made in the U.S.) to brown the meat and sauté the vegetables. I bake it all in it too!
- A good potato masher makes a difference here. Sweet potatoes are softer than white potatoes, but you still want them smooth enough to spread easily.
👉 See them and some of my other kitchen favorites here
A Meal Worth Repeating
This sweet potato shepherd’s pie has become one of those meals that has earned its place in the rotation… even if one of my kids doesn’t like the potato portion. We just give him the meat and veggies with some rice or a salad!
It’s the kind of dinner that makes the house smell good and the kitchen feel like the center of everything for a while.
If you try this sweet potato shepherd’s pie, I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. You can comment below or tag @bemandfam on Instagram or Facebook.
BEM and Fam 🙂
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👇 Print this Sweet Potato Shepard’s Pie Recipe
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 2-3 tbsp butter
- ½-1 tsp. cinnamon more to taste, start with ½
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1½ pound ground beef
- 1 can peas or small frozen bag
- 1 can green beans or small frozen bag
- 1½ cups corn I used my corn, so I would say just use a can or small frozen bag
- 3 carrots nice sized, diced
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms chopped
- 2-3 tsp. rosemary
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup tomato sauce tomato paste or ketchup
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
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Cut the potatoes into slices or cubes and boil them for about 12 minutes. They are done when they are soft and a fork can easily poke them.
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Drain potatoes and add butter and seasoning. Mash potatoes and set aside
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In skillet cook the beef then, add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms (add any frozen veggies here, canned won't need this). Sauté for about 8-10 minutes just make sure the carrots are soft.
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Add the seasonings and the tomato sauce to the mixture, pour in any not added veggies, and stir.
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If baking in same skillet, level out the meat and veggies. If not, pour mixture into a baking dish. Then top with mashed potatoes. Spread over meat and veggies to create an even potato layer.
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Bake for about 15-20 minutes. This is a wide gap but it has a lot to do with how brown you want your top layer to be. I usually do about 18 minutes
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Pull out of the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Then dish as you would like.
