Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

First of all, this meal is not technically a true “Shepherd’s Pie”! A true shepherd’s pie originates from England and is traditionally made with ground lamb. However, since in the states, ground beef is eaten more than lamb, this meal is usually referred to as a shepherd’s pie. (In England and other parts of the world, they’d call this ground beef version a “cottage pie” and the lamb version “shepherd’s pie.”

Although the name might be a bit different, a shepherd’s pie is essentially a casserole with cooked meat and vegetables in a flavorful gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, and sometimes cheese. This casserole gets baked in the oven until the the mashed potatoes are golden and slightly crispy on top.

Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie would actually call for ground lamb.  The difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie is the meat.  Cottage Pie uses ground beef, while Shepherd’s Pie uses ground lamb.

I called this recipe Shepherd’s Pie.  But, I wrote the recipe so that you could use ground beef or ground lamb.

I typically use ground beef because it is widely available.  But, for a special occasion, like St. Patricks day, I would use ground lamb.

INGREDIENTS
Pie Filling:

• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef, lamb or bison
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. chili powder (such as Simply Organic)
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary or dried herb of choice (Such as Simply Organic)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 oz. organic tomato paste (about 6 Tbsp.)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Sweet Potato Topping:

• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (such as Simply Organic)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (~5 cups cubed)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Then, In a skillet on medium heat, add the ground beef, chopped carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms and minced garlic.
3. And then, Cook on medium heat until carrots are soft, about 12-15 minutes. Begin making the topping while the meat filling cooks.
4. Once the carrots are soft, stir in tomato paste, water, seasonings, salt and pepper.
5. For the topping: Steam or bake (at 375℉) the sweet potatoes until fork tender. Then add all of the topping ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. NOTE: If using white potatoes, we recommend mashing them by hand rather than blending to prevent them from getting pasty.
6. Final step: Transfer the meat filling to a casserole dish (9 x 9 inch dish will work) or 10 inch cast iron skillet and top the meat filling with the sweet potato mash. Dash with sea salt and chili powder.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

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