Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie Recipe For Dinner

Last Updated on December 2, 2022 by Ellen Christian

Sweet potato shepherd’s pie is everything you love about your comfort food favorite with a creamy sweet potato topping. Try this easy recipe today.

You are going to love this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe! Did you know sweet potatoes are high in fiber and the antioxidant beta-carotene? Sweet potatoes also have more vitamins than white potatoes. And, despite what you may think, sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. This makes them an amazing choice for anyone watching their weight or their sugar.

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie Recipe

When I grew up, we had the traditional version of Shepherd’s Pie regularly and it was one of my favorite meals. It’s still a comfort food for me today. But, if you are trying to follow the Paleo or Keto diet (or just eat fewer carbs), white potatoes really aren’t a great option. But, thankfully you can enjoy this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe any time you like. 

If you want to make this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe Whole 30 compliant, you will need to replace the butter and milk with something else. You can use ghee for the butter and coconut milk for the dairy milk. Other than that, you should not have a problem with the ingredients.

If you’d like to make this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie vegetarian, you can substitute a non-meat alternative like Beyond Meat or Gardein. You should be able to find them both in your local grocery store. As a non-vegetarian, we’ve tried the Gardein before and it’s pretty good.

So, if you enjoy your Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie with cheese, you can use Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or even Colby on top of this right before you bake it. Or, if you want a vegetarian version, you can try the Daiya shreds. We made an allergy-friendly broccoli au gratin with it that was really delicious.

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie Recipe variations

This Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe is so easy to modify depending on what you like and what you have on hand. If you want o to reduce the fat content, you can use ground lentils or ground turkey instead of the ground beef. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, leave them out. It’s OK.  If you’re lactose intolerant like my daughter, use ghee and coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk if you prefer.

Can you freeze Shepherd’s Pie?

Every now and then I have one of those days where I am exhausted when I get home from work. I just do not have the energy to make a healthy, homemade meal from scratch. On those days, I love being able to take something healthy out of the freezer for my family. Just make the recipe as the directions say to below, but before you bake it, freeze it. Make sure that you use a pan that can go from the freezer to the oven. And allow for extra cooking time since it will start out frozen rather than warm.

Can you use regular potatoes in this recipe?

Sure, if you don’t happen to have sweet potatoes on hand, you can use regular white potatoes in their place. 

What should I serve with this recipe?

This is really a complete meal since you have a protein, starch, and vegetable. But, since there aren’t a ton of mushrooms and peas in this recipe, you might want to add a tossed salad as a side dish. Or you could try my Aeolian salad for a nice change.

So, just a few more reasons that you should eat more sweet potatoes and try this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe:

• They are high in fiber and in potassium.
• One medium sweet potato with the skin has only about 103 calories.
• Sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index.
• They are high in beta-carotene.
• They are high in Vitamin A which is important for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin C which is great for your immune system. And, Vitamins C and E help promote good eye health.
• If you suffer from inflammation from arthritis or an immune system disorder, sweet potatoes contain choline which may be beneficial.

You’ll want to start by microwaving the sweet potato. It’s so much quicker than peeling and boiling it. Check out this post for a few tips. Or, watch the video:

If you love sweet potatoes, try my real simple sweet potato pie recipe.

• Cooking frozen bacon