Shepherd's Pie is a savory beef and mashed potato casserole that originated in the British Isles. This recipe for shepherd's pie adds colorful and nutrient-packed sweet potato to the classic white potato topping. The sweet potato mixture makes this shepherd’s pie crust a cheerful, autumn orange. The ground beef filling is made with a lower-fat tomato based sauce that includes a variety of sautéed vegetables.
Preparing to Make Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato and Vegetables
One can prepare the potato mixture ahead of time and chill it for easier casserole assembly. The assembled shepherd’s pie can also sit in the fridge or freezer ready to heat for dinner or a cold-weather potluck event.
This shepherd’s pie recipe should serve six to eight people.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. Classic olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 lb ground, lean beef or ground turkey (a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey also works well and helps to cut the taste of the turkey)
- 2 16oz. Cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (other savory herbs such as parsley, oregano, and sage work well and can substitute for the marjoram and thyme if not readily available)
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1 inch chunks
- 4 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch chunks
- 1 Tbsp. fat free plain yogurt or fat free sour cream
Directions for Making Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes and Vegetables
Assembling the pie takes about thirty minutes, depending on how long the potatoes take to cook. One will need a standard casserole, large skillet, and medium pot with a lid to assemble and prepare the shepherd’s pie.
- Drop cubed sweet and white potatoes into medium sized pan half full of boiling water. Put lid on pan and set aside until potatoes are done, 20-30 minutes.
- Heat skillet with olive oil on medium heat for several minutes. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery, and sautee until onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes.
- Brown ground beef in skillet. If using ground turkey alone, add basil and other savory herbs into raw turkey as stir it, and add salt and pepper liberally to turkey as it cooks to season this bland meat.
- When meat is done, add cans of crushed tomatoes and herbs to skillet, if haven’t already done so. Taste mixture, and if still bland add more salt, pepper, basil, thyme, or other savory herb until reach desired flavor. Sauce should be savory and warm but subtle in spiciness.
- Stir ingredients together in skillet and turn off heat to cool.
- Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Check the potatoes. If they are soft, take them off the heat and drain them. Let them cool several minutes before mashing them in a medium sized mixing bowl with a masher or fork. Add several tablespoons of milk or water and plain yogurt or fat free sour cream to reach desired mashed potato texture.
- Spread meat and vegetable mixture into the bottom of a standard, rectangular casserole dish.
- Top casserole with mashed potato mixture. Make ridges on top with a fork, if desired. Cover with foil if desire potato topping to stay soft. For crusty topping, drizzle olive oil over top and bake open in the oven.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until sauce bubbles up around potato crust. Let cool for several minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions for Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato and Vegetables
The colorful crust of this casserole makes it a perfect dinner dish for the fall. Add a green salad, dinner rolls, and grated cheese for a colorful, impressive meal that is also healthy and filling.
When reheating, the casserole may dry out. Sprinkle grated cheddar on top and mash it into potato mixture to add a delicious gooey texture to the dish.
Shepherd’s pie is a tasty and colorful casserole the whole family will love, and the added sweet potatoes in the crust and vegetables in the sauce make it a healthy alternative to it’s higher fat, lower in nutrients original recipe.
For another healthy and nutritious twist on a classic cold weather recipe, one might enjoy Turkey Chili with Vegetables.
 |
 |
