Beef Shepherds Pie Sweet Potato (Printable)

Savory ground beef and veggies under a creamy sweet potato topping for a hearty meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sweet Potato Topping

01 - 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - ¼ cup milk
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Beef Filling

06 - 1 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 2 medium carrots, diced
10 - 2 celery stalks, diced
11 - 1.5 lbs ground beef
12 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
13 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1 tsp dried thyme
15 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
16 - 1 tsp salt
17 - ½ tsp black pepper
18 - 1 cup beef broth
19 - 1 cup frozen peas

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Place sweet potato chunks in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain well.
03 - Mash sweet potatoes with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened.
05 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
06 - Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
07 - Pour in beef broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in frozen peas and cook for 2 more minutes.
08 - Transfer the beef mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread evenly.
09 - Spoon the mashed sweet potato over the beef, spreading smoothly to cover.
10 - Bake for 20 minutes until the top is just starting to brown and filling is bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sweet potato topping adds this incredible depth that regular white potatoes just cant match, plus you get extra vitamin A.
  • Everything comes together in one pan with simple ingredients you can grab at any grocery store.
  • This recipe makes six generous servings, meaning tonights dinner becomes tomorrows lunch without any extra work.
02 -
  • Dont skip letting the beef filling cool slightly before topping with the potatoes, or youll end up with a soggy layer where they meet.
  • If the potato topping is too thick to spread easily, add another splash of warm milk rather than water.
  • The dish needs those 10 minutes of cooling time or the filling will run when you cut into it.
03 -
  • Rough up the surface of the sweet potato topping with a fork before baking for extra crispy golden bits.
  • Use ground lamb instead of beef for a more traditional British cottage pie vibe.

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