• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Food Blog
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Me
  • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Join
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Hello and Welcome!
  • Work With Me
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Recipes » Casseroles

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Published: Oct 29, 2021 by Colleen 44 Comments

Sharing is caring!

849 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe
A slice of shepherd's pie on a black plate.

If you love shepherd's pie, you are really going to love this Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie with lean ground turkey. It's a healthier shepherd's pie, but it's every bit as delicious as the original.

Sweet potato shepherd's pie in a cast iron skillet.

Shepherd's pie (which some people spell as shepard's pie), is a classic Irish dish, usually made with a filling of cooked ground lamb and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and baked.

If you make it with ground beef, it is actually a cottage pie. This recipe has ground turkey, like this Mexican Shepherd's Pie and I'm just going to call it shepherd's pie.

What's to Love?

  • This sweet potato shepherd's pie is a delicious twist on the classic.
  • This lean ground turkey shepherd's pie topped with sweet potatoes is much healthier version.
  • It's a hearty and satisfying meal that's cooked and baked in one pan.
  • This healthy shepherd's pie recipe is every bit as easy to make as the regular version.
  • This recipe is perfect for using leftover sweet potatoes.
  • It's great for meal prep and make ahead, and it freezes well, too.
  • This recipe is gluten free and dairy free so everyone can enjoy it!

Ingredient Notes

  • Lean ground turkey Choose the package that's labeled "lean ground turkey", and not "ground turkey breast". The lean ground turkey is a mixture of breast and thigh meat and is juicier and more flavourful than ground turkey breast.
  • Sweet potatoes You will need one large sweet potato, or two medium. (which I know isn't very helpful because they come in all kinds of sizes. So I'll just say that you need enough for 6 cups of cubed sweet potato.
The main ingredients to make the recipe.
The Main Ingredients
  • Peas and Carrots You can save time by using frozen peas & carrots. I used frozen peas and fresh carrots. If you do use frozen carrots, add them along with the peas.
  • Celery and Onion Dice the onion finely. I like this little chopper for making short work of all the vegetable chopping.
  • Chicken Stock or turkey stock, if you have it. If you have homemade stock on hand, use it. Otherwise you can use canned, or bullion.
  • Cornstarch Cornstarch thickens the gravy without lumps and as a bonus, it means this recipe is gluten free.
  • Rosemary & Thyme These add delicious flavour and you can use fresh or dried.
All of the remaining ingredients that go into this recipe.
The rest of the ingredients

Here's How To Make It

  1. Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water, then drain.
  2. Mash them with a little olive oil until they're creamy and set aside.
The sweet potatoes cooking in boiling water, then being mashed.
Cooking and Mashing Sweet Potatoes
  1. While the potatoes are cooking, in an oven safe skillet, cook the vegetables (except peas) along with the garlic, until they begin to soften.
  2. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon.
Cooking the vegetables and the ground turkey.
Cooking the Vegetables and Ground Turkey
  1. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper.
  2. Stir until everything is combined.
The chicken stock being stirred in to the filling mixture.
Adding Chicken Stock to Make Gravy
  1. Stir in the peas
  2. Smooth the mashed sweet potatoes evenly over the filling.
Adding Peas and Sweet Potato Topping

Finally, bake in the oven, allow to cool slightly and serve!

Tips and Recipe FAQs

Can I make this recipe ahead?

Yes, you can assemble the whole dish up to a day ahead. Keep it refrigerated until you want to bake it.

How to reheat the shepherd's pie?

You can reheat it in the microwave for individual portions, or you can reheat the whole dish in the oven at 350° 15-20 minutes.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, this recipe freezes beautifully! There are a couple of ways to do it. First, you can freeze the whole pie without baking it, or, you can freeze it in individual portion sizes after it's baked and cooled. (It's a perfect recipe for meal prep).Use airtight freezer safe containers and use within 3 months.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Change the meat. Use ground beef, ground lamb or ground chicken instead of ground turkey.
  • Change the topping. Regular potatoes, mashed rutabaga, cauliflower mash, or even Parsnip Puree all are delicious substitutions for the sweet potato topping.
  • Add more vegetables You can add just about any vegetable to the shepherd's pie filling, including spinach, green beans, chopped bell peppers, mushrooms and corn.
  • Spice it up. Add some crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce to the filling.
  • Make it vegan. Use lentils instead of ground turkey, and switch the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
A close up of one serving of the dish on a black plate.

Serving Suggestions

Although shepherd's pie is a complete meal on it's own, you can also serve it with a vegetable side dish like Sautéed Green Beans, or a crisp salad. This fall salad would be perfect: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad With Apples.

Do You Love Sweet Potatoes?

More recipes to check out:

  • Miso Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Buckwheat Soup with Turkey, Sweet Potato & Kale
  • Sweet Potato Scallop
  • Moroccan Sweet Potato Soup with Chickpeas
  • Sweet Potato Mushroom Skillet
  • Sweet Potato Apple Turkey Bake

Recipe

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron pan with one slice removed.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie (With Ground Turkey)

If you love shepherd's pie, you are really going to love this Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie with lean ground turkey. It's a healthier shepherd's pie, but it's every bit as delicious as the original.
5 from 26 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Recipe Saved!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Irish, North American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Colleen Milne

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed (six cups)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 carrots chopped (one cup)
  • 2 celery ribs chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ cup chicken or turkey stock
  • 1 cup peas

Instructions

  • Place the sweet potato cubes in a pot and add enough water to cover them
  • Boil the sweet potatoes until they are fork tender, then drain and mash them with one tablespoon of olive oil.
  • In an oven safe skillet, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil
  • Add the carrots, onion, and celery and cook
  • Preheat oven to 400°
  • In an oven safe skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Add carrots, celery, and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes
  • Stir in the cornstarch, rosemary and thyme
  • Add the ground turkey, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook, breaking up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chicken stock and stir to combine completely
  • Stir in the peas and remove from heat
  • Using a spatula, smooth the mashed sweet potatoes over the filling evenly to cover.
  • Sprinkle with paprika (optional)
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes form a crust and the filling is bubbling
  • Allow the shepherd's pie to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Make Ahead: You can assemble the whole dish up to a day ahead. Keep it refrigerated until you want to bake it.
Reheating: You can reheat it in the microwave for individual portions, or you can reheat the whole dish in the oven at 350° 15-20 minutes.
To Freeze: There are a couple of ways to do it. First, you can freeze the whole pie without baking it, or, you can freeze it in individual portion sizes after it's baked and cooled. (It's a perfect recipe for meal prep).Use airtight freezer safe containers and use within 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 22485IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheFoodBlog or tag #thefoodblog!

More Casseroles

  • Spicy salmon sushi bake casserole in a glass baking dish.
    Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake
  • Cheese, broccoli, and potato casserole in black skillet.
    Ranch Chicken and Potato Casserole
  • Sweet Potato Apple Turkey Bake
    Sweet Potato Apple Turkey Bake
  • Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie
    Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Cathleen

    November 04, 2021 at 12:15 pm

    This shepherd's pie sounds amazing!! I have never made it with sweet potatoes before, but now I am intrigued!! Bookmarked to make over the weekend, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 07, 2021 at 9:12 am

      Cathleen, I would love to hear how it turns out. I know you'll love it!

      Reply
  2. Heather

    November 04, 2021 at 11:45 am

    ground turkey is the absolute best & sweet potatoes - not only are they both more nutritious but more flavourful!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 07, 2021 at 9:11 am

      Definitely tasty and nutritious, Heather. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Lisa

    November 03, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    Love shepherd's pie with sweet potatoes! It's not only lighter than regular potatoes, but it's a more festive color! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 04, 2021 at 9:15 am

      You're welcome, Lisa. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Sabrina

        November 04, 2021 at 11:37 am

        My family loved this. The sweet potato was so yummy on top of the turkey filling. Definitely a make again recipe.

      • Colleen

        November 07, 2021 at 9:11 am

        Sabrina, I'm super happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know!

  4. Cindy Mom, the Lunch Lady

    November 03, 2021 at 3:49 pm

    This is my ultimate version of shepherds pie! Since I don't care for ground beef, ground turkey is my go to. And who doesn't love mashed sweet potatoes?

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 04, 2021 at 9:14 am

      So happy that you love it, Cindy!

      Reply
  5. nancy

    November 03, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    I love this option with sweet potato that is a little healthier and makes you more full! Pinning this to make later!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 04, 2021 at 9:15 am

      You'll love it, Nancy!

      Reply
  6. Angie

    November 03, 2021 at 6:20 am

    I haven’t made this yet but am going to. What a great idea to use sweet potatoes for a shepherd’s pie!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 03, 2021 at 8:59 am

      Hi Angie. I hope to hear back how it went for you. I know you'll love it!

      Reply
  7. Vanessa

    November 02, 2021 at 8:34 pm

    I love this twist! Such a great Fall recipe too with the turkey and sweet potatoes! Yum!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 03, 2021 at 8:58 am

      Hi Vanessa. It's so yummy! I hope you give it a try!

      Reply
  8. Caroline

    November 02, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Love the idea of a sweet potato top - that bit more flavorful, to me, and better for you too.

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 03, 2021 at 8:57 am

      It's also delicious, Caroline!

      Reply
  9. Bernice

    November 01, 2021 at 10:05 pm

    Such a great idea. I love your lightened up version of this comforting classic. Pinned to try for next weekend!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:57 pm

      Enjoy, Bernice!

      Reply
  10. Gail Montero

    November 01, 2021 at 6:57 pm

    I love this yummy and healthier spin on shepherd's pie. I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes so this is right up my alley!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      You will love this version then, Gail. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Mirlene

    November 01, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    I love the idea of this version of sheperds pie. I will definitely switch to lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Mirlene, you definitely can use lean ground beef and it would still be delicious, but I think the sweet potatoes are really great with turkey.

      Reply
  12. Stephanie

    November 01, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    I love the idea of making a healthier version! Shepherd's Pie is such a great dinner with so many yummy things in it.

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Hi Stephanie! We really love this version, and I know you will, too!

      Reply
  13. Marta

    November 01, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    This is an amazing idea! Your instructions are so detailed, I can't wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Thanks Marta! I think you'll love it!

      Reply
  14. Jamie

    November 01, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    This was delicious! It has all the flavors of fall and my family loved it! We'll be making it for Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Jamie, I'm so happy that your family loved this recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  15. Kristen Wood

    November 01, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    I just pinned this to make for the holidays. It looks great...we can't wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      November 02, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      You're going to love it Kristen! Enjoy!

      Reply
Newer Comments »

Primary Sidebar

A slice of shepherd's pie on a black plate.
Colleen, the creator of The Food Blog.

Hi, I'm Colleen!  I’m glad you stopped by. I hope that you’re here because you love delicious, simple, mostly healthy recipes . Because that’s what I do and I want to share it with you.

More about me →

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Trending Now

  • Peach Cobbler with Almond Flour
    Gluten Free Peach Cobbler
    Cook Time1 Hours
  • Jars of grape jelly on a wooden counter.
    Homemade Grape Jelly
    Cook Time2 Hours 25 Minutes
  • A jar of pepper jelly on a wooden board.
    Pepper Jelly Recipe
    Cook Time22 Minutes
  • Quick pickled red cabbage in a white bowl.
    Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
    Cook Time1 Hours 15 Minutes

In Season Now

  • Fritters
    Baked Zucchini Fritters - Gluten Free
    Cook Time39 Minutes
  • Cayenne pepper sauce in a glass jar with a red and white lid.
    Cayenne Pepper Sauce
    Cook Time30 Minutes
  • Air fried zucchini slices in a black bowl.
    Air Fryer Zucchini
    Cook Time20 Minutes
  • Bright green parsley pesto in a white bowl, garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley.
    Parsley Pesto Recipe With Walnuts
    Cook Time10 Minutes
  • Jars of homemade unsweetened applesauce.
    Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe
    Cook Time1 Hours
  • Oven Fried Green Tomatoes on parchment paper on a table
    Oven Fried Green Tomatoes (Or Air Fried)
    Cook Time27 Minutes

Never Miss a Recipe!

Join to be notified of new recipes, and get cooking tips and kitchen tricks delivered straight to your inbox.

FEATURED IN

Footer

A slice of shepherd's pie on a black plate.

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work with me

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 The Food Blog

849 shares