Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

By Lidey Heuck

Published March 7, 2024

Total Time: About 1½ hours
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, plus 15 minutes’ cooling
Rating: 4(189)
Notes: Read community notes

This recipe is a playful twist on traditional shepherd’s pie, swapping in sweet potatoes for the mashed potatoes and a Moroccan-inspired filling for the usual carrots and peas.With warming spices such as cumin and smoked paprika, along with ground lamb, chickpeas, and dates, the filling is both savory and a little sweet, and the perfect partner for the mashed sweet potato topping. Because sweet potatoes contain more water than Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, the topping will be softer here than in a traditional shepherd’s pie. It will firm up as it cools, but make sure to cook any excess moisture from the potatoes before mashing to ensure the mash is thick. If you have access to them, white or Japanese sweet potatoes tend to be drier and starchier than conventional “yams” and work particularly well here.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

1½pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks (about 2 large potatoes)
3tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1large yellow onion, chopped
1teaspoon ground cumin
½teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
3large garlic cloves, minced
1pound ground lamb (or beef)
1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
½cup pitted dates, chopped
3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
2tablespoons tomato paste
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1cup beef broth

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

612 calories; 33 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 866 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Step
1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until any remaining moisture has evaporated. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the butter and ½ teaspoon of the paprika; mix until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Step
2
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees and make the filling: In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and the remaining 1½ teaspoons paprika, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
See Also
Proof That Sweet Potato Recipes Are A Thanksgiving Necessity 17 Must-Try Sweet Potato Recipes to Include in Your Fall Menu Garlic & Ginger Sweet Potato Mash - Easy Vegan Recipe Easy Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Step
3
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the lamb. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, dates and parsley. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it’s incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook until no more flecks of flour are visible, about 1 minute. Add the broth and cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step
4
Transfer the filling to a 9-inch or other 2-quart baking dish with 2-inch sides. Dollop spoonfuls of the mashed sweet potatoes on top, covering the surface, then use a spatula to spread them into an even layer.
Step
5
Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling up around the edges of the pan. To brown the top slightly, broil on high for 2 minutes, watching carefully. Cool for 15 minutes, then serve, garnished with more parsley.

Ratings

out of 5

189

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Cooking Notes

Brad2 weeks ago

Sounds delicious.Any thoughts on a vegetarian version? Just leave out the lamb or some other suggestion, addition?

Husband of LeFrenchMonster2 weeks ago

I’ve done a more traditional shepherds pie with Impossible (or Beyond) ground fake beef, and mushroom bullion and it was spectacular. I bet the same would work here for a veggie version.

Pantry goblin2 weeks ago

Easy to make. The preparation of the filling and of the sweet potatoes takes just about the same amount of time. It was very tasty, but the recipe underplays the amount of salt you'll need. Of the potatoes it says "Season to taste with salt." but it doesn't say the same of the filling. Between the tomato paste and the dates and the onion, there's a lot of sweetness in the filling, and it needs salt to balance that and express the flavor of the spices.

Jared1 week ago

To make this vegetarian, replace lamb with lentils or minced mushrooms. Put 1.5 lbs of mushrooms in the food processor and then sauté till they release their moisture and start to caramelize. Then use as ground mead. They’ll give the dish plenty of umami and texture wise will be very like ground meat.And to make the sweet potato mash less watery, bake them instead of boiling them.