Updated Comfort Food: Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This hearty, comforting dish is the perfect dinner for cool Autumn evenings.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cooking fat, I used tallow
- 1 large onion
- 4-5 medium carrots, I used multicolored ones, just for fun
- 2 stalks celery
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 lbs (450 g) ground beef or lamb, not too fatty
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine
- 1 generous tbsp mustard, I used Dijon
- 1 large ripe tomato
- 1 generous tbsp ketchup
- few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 small bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 medium red potatoes
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream or sour cream
- 1-2 oz (30-60 g) of grated cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes and sweet potatoes. Cover with cold water in a sauce pan. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until done, for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, In a large skillet, heat the cooking fat over medium low
- Dice carrots, onions and celery uniformly (small dice)
- Chop or sliver garlic
- Add vegetables to the skillet and saute, occasionally stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft, golden and fragrant.
- Add ground meat at this time, breaking it down with a spatula.
- Add thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Saute with vegetables and ultimately brown, for about 10 minutes more.
- Add wine, and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen all the stuck bits. Stir well. Continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes longer, or until wine reduces in half.
- Add mustard, finely chopped ripe tomato and ketchup at this time. Stir everything very well and continue cooking, stirring frequently for about 5-6 more minutes, or until wine is almost completely absorbed.
- When potatoes are ready, drain the water carefully.
- Add about 1/4 cup cream or sour cream, and mash nicely. Check for salt and adjust if necessary.
- Add a small handful of fresh thyme leaves, reserving a little bit for garnish.
- If desire, add a handful of grated cheese and mash again.
- Transfer the meat filling into an ovenproof casserole dish or a cast iron skillet, level with a spatula.
- Fold the mashed potatoes out over the filling. Level with a moistened spatula, ensuring a good seal around the edges of the casserole.
- Make patterns on the potatoes with a fork, if desire. Sprinkle a small amount of fresh thyme leaves over the potatoes.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated to 400°F (200°C) oven for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are nicely golden, and browned on top.
- Let the pie stand for a few minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 490
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this shepherd’s pie use a mix of red and sweet potatoes instead of just one type?
The recipe uses 3 medium red potatoes and 1 large sweet potato mashed together with cream or sour cream. The sweet potato adds color and subtle sweetness to the topping, while the red potatoes provide a starchier, more traditional mash texture that holds up as a sturdy crust after 30 minutes at 400°F.
What does the red wine do in the meat filling?
The ½ cup red wine is added after the browned meat to deglaze the pan — the instructions say to scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen all stuck bits and cook for 4–5 minutes until the wine reduces by half. It adds acidity and body to the filling alongside the Dijon mustard, ripe tomato, and ketchup.
Why does the recipe start the potatoes in cold water rather than boiling water?
Starting diced potatoes in cold water and bringing them to a boil together ensures the outside and inside cook at the same rate, avoiding an overcooked exterior before the center is done — especially important given the small dice size needed for the 15-minute cook time. 
