This sweet potato shepherd's pie is paleo, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free. It's made with three layers: ground beef, mixed vegetables, and topped with mashed sweet potato.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Looking for a healthier twist on traditional shepherd's pie? You can replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes and add a layer of hidden vegetables!
I love this recipe because it creates a lot of leftovers. It's perfect for the gloomy Winter days when you want comfort food that still feels healthy.
Recipe Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make the paleo shepherd's pie:
- Ground Beef Layer - The bottom layer consists of ground beef, tomato paste and spices.
- Vegetable Layer - The vegetable layer is made up of diced carrots, zucchini, and butternut squash.
- Sweet Potato Layer - The top layer is made with mashed sweet potatoes and a bit of butter (or coconut oil).
- Spices - To season the shepherd's pie you'll need dried oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and ground pepper.
Recipe Tips
- Use Extra Lean Ground Beef - Leaner ground beef will contain less fat and produce less grease while cooking.
- Spray The Casserole Dish - Spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. I like to use avocado oil spray.
- Strain The Vegetables - The pulsed vegetables might produce a lot of excess juice. Add them to a kitchen towel, wrap tightly and squeeze the juice out over the sink before you sauté them.
How To Make Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
- Mash The Sweet Potatoes - Boil the peeled and chopped sweet potatoes until they're soft. Drain the water from the pot. Add a bit of milk and butter and mash them with a hand mixer.
- Puree The Vegetable Layer - Add the vegetables to a food processor and pulse until they're chopped small. You can also do this by hand. Sautee them in a skillet for about 8 minutes. Add them to a bowl and set aside.
- Ground Beef Layer - Mix the ground beef with tomato paste and spices in a bowl. Brown the beef in the frying pan (without the vegetables).
- Assembly - Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cooked ground beef and spread it into a layer. Add the vegetable layer on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the mashed sweet potato on top. Turn the oven to broil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
More Ground Beef Dinner Recipes
- Keto Vegetable Meatloaf - This meatloaf is made without breadcrumbs. Ground beef is paired with chopped vegetables, and an easy tomato sauce topping. This recipe is healthier than traditional meatloaf - it's keto, paleo, and diabetic friendly.
- Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Beef, Pears and Parmesan - a delicious all-in-one dinner.
- Swedish Meatballs (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free) - Made with extra lean ground beef and a dairy-free, gluten-free gravy sauce that's full of flavor.
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs - A simple meatball recipe is paired with an easy and delicious sweet and sour sauce made with crushed pineapples as the base.
Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Sweet potato shepherd's pie with added vegetables is paleo, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free. This shepherd's pie is made with three layers: ground beef, mixed vegetables, and topped with mashed sweet potato.
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Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 onion - diced
- 2 carrots - peeled and chopped
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups butternut squash - fresh or frozen (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- salt and pepper - to taste
- 4 cups chopped sweet potato - skin removed
- 2 lbs extra lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Make Sweet Potatoes:
- Add the chopped sweet potato to a pot. Fill with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until sweet potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
- Drain the excess water. Add a few chunks of butter or coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mash until smooth and creamy. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
Puree Vegetables:
- Add the chopped vegetables to a food processor or blender.
- Blend until vegetables are small but not pureed. If you don't have a food processor you can chop them small by hand.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a bit of cooking oil and the vegetables. Season with salt nad pepper and sautee for 5-8 minutes. Pour them into a bowl and set aside.
Ground Beef Base:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, tomato paste, dried oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Mix everything together evenly, breaking the ground beef apart with a spatula.
- Add a bit of cooking oil to the frying pan. Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink.
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. I used avocado oil spray.
- Add the ground beef layer to the bottom of the dish. Spread evenly.
- Spread the chopped vegetable layer on top. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with sweet potato. Spread out smoothly with a spatula. Turn the oven to broil. Place the dish on the top rack and turn to broil for 10-15 minutes. Watch closely making sure the sweet potato doesn't burn.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.
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Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: -2IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition info is auto-calculated and meant to be an approximation only.
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