Sweet Potato Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is the epitome of rustic, home cooked comfort food. Made with simple ingredients, this sweet potato shepherd’s pie is a healthy, hearty meal for a cozy night at home. A layer of seasoned ground beef and vegetables topped with buttery mashed potatoes is a deliciously satisfying meal all in one cast iron skillet.
In my opinion, the best dinner recipes are the ones that don’t add 49 obscure ingredients to your pantry that you have to buy for one recipe and then never finish. That little jar of red curry paste that’s hiding in the back of your fridge? This is your reminder that you opened it two years ago and it’s probably time to part ways. That’s one of many reasons this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is one that we come back to again and again for a cozy winter meal. The only ingredients you need are things you likely already have in your pantry, fridge and freezer.
Spring is trying to “spring” here in Wisconsin, but the snow just keeps lingering, so we just keep on cozy cooking! I’m super looking forward to lighter, summer meals with all those fresh veggies from the garden. But the persistent winter is blessing us with more opportunities to share a comforting meal around our table before we welcome a warmer season.
INGREDIENTS
Meat and Vegetable Layer:
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 – 8 oz bag frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, green beans and corn)
- 1 C beef or chicken broth
- 1/4 C Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Sweet Potato Layer:
- 4-5 sweet potatoes
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
How to Make Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Fill a stock pot 3/4 of the way full with hot water and heat on the stove on high.
- While you’re waiting for the water to boil, get a cast iron skillet heating on the stove over medium heat, with 2 Tbsp of avocado oil.
- Add a chopped yellow onion and 1 lb ground beef to the skillet. Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Chop the beef into small pieces and stir frequently as it browns.
- After the water is boiling in the stock pot, add the peeled, cubed sweet potatoes and cook until they’re soft all the way through.
- Back to the cast iron skillet: After the meat is browned, drain the excess grease and then return to the heat. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Add frozen vegetables. Stir every minute or so to make sure nothing is burning to the bottom of your pan. Allow the sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then, sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour over the meat and vegetables. Stir and let the sauce continue to simmer until it thickens slightly.
- After the sweet potatoes are soft, drain the water. Mash the sweet potatoes with 4 Tbsp butter, salt and garlic.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the heat, and cover the meat and vegetable layer with the mashed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the sweet potatoes have started to brown.
- Serve with fresh sourdough bread or biscuits.
Can fresh vegetables be substituted for frozen?
You can definitely use fresh vegetables in this recipe instead of a bag of frozen mixed veggies. If you are using fresh, cut them down so they are pretty small and cut the carrots finely. Then, allow them to cook in the sauce a little longer than the suggested time to make sure they’re soft when you serve the shepherd’s pie.
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Sweet Potato Ground Beef Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 - 8 oz bag frozen mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas and corn)
- 1 C beef or chicken broth
- 1/4 C Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 4-5 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Fill a stock pot 3/4 of the way full with hot water and heat on the stove on high.
- While you’re waiting for the water to boil, get a cast iron skillet heating on the stove over medium heat with 2 Tbsp of avocado oil.
- Add a chopped yellow onion and 1 lb ground beef to the skillet. Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Chop the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon and stir frequently as it browns.
- After the water is boiling in the stock pot, add the peeled, cubed sweet potatoes and cook until they're soft all the way through.
- Back to the cast iron skillet: After the meat is browned, drain the excess grease and then return to the heat. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Add frozen vegetables. Stir every minute or so to make sure nothing is burning to the bottom of your pan. Allow the sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then, sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour over the meat and vegetables. Stir and let the sauce continue to simmer until it thickens slightly.
- After the sweet potatoes are soft, drain the water. Mash the sweet potatoes with 4 Tbsp butter, salt and garlic.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the heat, and cover the meat and vegetable layer with the mashed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the sweet potatoes have started to brown.
- Serve with fresh sourdough bread or biscuits.
Notes
Fresh veggies can be used instead of frozen, just cut them down into small pieces and give them time to cook through before adding the sweet potatoes.
Ground turkey is a good substitute for ground beef in this recipe! Add an additional 2 Tbsp of avocado oil to the cast iron skillet before browning, as ground turkey has much less naturally occurring fat.
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