My Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie is a light and healthy version of the classic, made with ground turkey instead of beef or lamb, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and lots of veggies. Naturally gluten-free and paleo.
Fancy a cozy, comforting casserole that doesn't break the calorie bank? I've got you covered, girl!
My Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie is a paleo and gluten-free version of the traditional Shepherd's Pie - more nutritious, and good news, it definitely still rhymes with delicious!
For the mash (my favorite part!) I used sweet potatoes instead of the traditional white potatoes. Even though I love me some potatoes once in a while, their ginger cousin is far more nutritious.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins A, C, E, and B6, fiber and manganese AND they have this sweet, rich taste that makes them irresistible.
Ground beef is normally used to make Shepherd's Pie in the US (in the UK, people also make it with lamb) but I swapped it for turkey.
To be honest, I think it would taste great with any kind of ground meat. I haven't tried ground chicken yet but I'm pretty sure it would work too.
This Turkey & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie serves 6 people but it makes great leftovers, perfect if you need to bring lunch at work or at school!
Enjoy 🙂
If you tried this Turkey & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
Clean Eating Turkey and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
An updated skinny version of the classic Shepherd's pie, made with ground turkey instead of beef or lamb, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and lots of veggies. Still as delicious (if not better!), but more nutritious! Naturally gluten-free and paleo.
Ingredients
Mashed sweet potatoes
- 4 medium/large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks (about 10.5 oz / 300 g each; 2.6 lbs / 1.2 kg total)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika
Filling
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 lb ground turkey 450 g
- 2 cups frozen veggies see notes
- 9 oz sliced mushrooms 250 g, about 3 ½ cups
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce sub with coconut aminos for paleo & Whole30
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken stock
- sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
-
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Add one teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes (test with a knife to make sure they are cooked through. The knife should come in very easily).
-
Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
-
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, stir and cook until fragrant and onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and break down in small bites using a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until turkey bites are browned on the outside, but not fully cooked inside.
-
Stir in frozen veggies and mushroom. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Stir well to combine and cook until turkey is cooked through about 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the filling evenly into a large baking dish, including the juice. Set aside while you finish the sweet potato mash.
-
Drain water from the pot, return the sweet potatoes to the pot and mash them using a potato masher. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon. Season with salt to taste.
-
Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly on top of the filling. Use a fork to draw furrows (to create peaks that will get browned!). Sprinkle with sweet paprika.
-
Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling and browned. If necessary, broil for least 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve. It makes great leftovers.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
About the veggies: you can use your favorite combo of frozen veggies. For the pictures, I used a mix of corn, peas and bell peppers. You can also use carrots or broccoli.
Jamie
Would it taste right with more veggies and no mushrooms?
Marie
Absolutely! 🙂
Susan
I'm going to have to compare this with the shepherd's pie recipe I've been using, to see which I like better. Yours looks very simple and tasty.
Marie
Yes, I tried to keep it as simple as possible. Thanks Susan 🙂
Kara
What size baking dish did you use for this?
Marie
About 9 x 13 inch! (22 x 33 cm)
Lorna
Just found your website, thanks to realize I've got gallbladder problems and need some low-fat recipes. I appreciate your doing what you do.
Purists, like Gordon Ramsay, point out that it's only "shepherd's" pie if it contains lamb, whereas beef is a "cottage" pie. He'd probably throw up his hands at ground poultry. Ha.
Marie
Hahah good thing Gordon is not around then! I hope you'll be able to find some recipes that suit you here 🙂
Monica
If I wanted to make double, how should I (can I?) freeze this? Thanks!
Marie
Yes you definitely can! Prepare everything until it's ready to go in the oven, cover tightly with foil and pop it in the freezer.
Michelle
If you freeze it, what are reheating instructions?
Marie
You can thaw it overnight or gently reheat it in the microwave. Ideally, I would freeze it before baking it, and then bake it when you're ready to eat. Otherwise, if you freeze it once cooked, freeze it in portions. It'll be easier to reheat.
Jennifer Kane
For a defrosted, pre-made, not yet baked casserole; How long and what temperature would you recommend for us to put in the oven?
Marie
If it's defrosted, you can follow the recipe as is: 30 minutes at 400F/200C degrees 🙂
Arielle
Can you use fresh veggies instead?
Marie
Yes, definitely!
Brooke
Have you tried freezing, if so, do you know about how long the defrost time is? Looks delicious and I'm very excited to try it out. Thanks!!
Marie
You can thaw it overnight or gently reheat it in the microwave. Ideally, I would freeze it before baking it, and then bake it when you’re ready to eat. Otherwise, if you freeze it once cooked, freeze it in portions. It’ll be easier to reheat.
Paige Burlingame
Do you leave the skin on the sweet potatoes?
Marie
Hi Paige! No they're peeled.
joan
Can I use regular paprika as I dont have sweet paprika?
Marie
If it's a mild paprika, then sure, yes!
Kristina
Are the nutrition facts for one serving or the entire dish ?
Marie
One serving, about 1/6th of the whole dish
Kelly
Hi! Just made this tonight and it was very good. We were all kind of skeptical as shepherd’s pie isn’t our favourite to begin with (the classic one with white potatoes).
I used fresh broccoli, carrots, and red peppers as well as frozen corn and peas. Omitted the mushrooms because we're not fans.
It took about 45 mins to prep with all my little ones running around and distracting me and then popped it in the oven.
It turned out great. Very good recipe and easy to follow. My only adjustment for next time would be to add a bit more tomato paste for some more flavour in the meat mixture. The sweet potatoes were awesome with the olive oil and paprika. My family did add some ketchup and enjoyed it but I enjoyed it as is.
With the comments about freezing above, I could definitely add this to my list of freezer meals to bring to new moms or sick friends.
Marie
Hi Kelly! I'm super happy to hear you all loved it and it's family approved! 🙂 Thank you!
Carolyn
WhT does the olive oil do for the potatoes? I’m trying to cut back on calories and fat, but not taste! I’m wondering if I can get by with one tablespoon of olive oil.
Marie
It's for taste and texture. The oil will make the mashed sweet potatoes smoother and adds a lovely flavor. You can try with one tablespoon, see how you like it and add another if needed.
Sheree
Thank you so much for this recipe! I added thyme and nutmeg to the filling and baked yams before peeling. This saves a lot of time since the game are very easy to peel after they are baked.
Marie
So glad to hear you loved it Sheree! And thanks for your suggestion, it's true that the peel comes off very easily once they're baked.
Laura
Thank you Marie for a really nice recipe !
After the onion and turkey were cooked I added additional seasoning: 1 bay leaf, freshly ground Italian seasoning and 1/8 tsp garlic powder, a small clove of crushed and minced garlic and 1 non-salt, organic chicken bouillon cube. I added 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery, and about 1 1/2 cups diced fresh zucchini (did not have mushrooms) to the meat while gently cooking. Lastly stirred in about 1 cup steamed peas to the meat.
Used only 2 teaspoons avocado oil to the mashed sweet potato. Very nice, clean, low fat recipe. Thank you !
Marie
This sounds delicious Laura, thanks for the update! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Carly
Hi Marie,
I would like to say thank you for such a simple and wholesome recipe. Recently, I began researching and nourishing my body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is an ideal recipe for the Earth element, and I surely felt better than ever while preparing, cooking, and enjoying this meal.
Bless you.
Marie
Thanks so much Carly! Very happy to hear 🙂
Rylie
Sooo good!! Picky husband approved!
Marie
Yay, victory!
Allie
LOVED THIS!! Seriously so good. I love shepherd's pie but this took it to a whole new level. Thank you! I also featured it in one of my blog posts about my favorite foods if you want to check it out at http://www.strivehealthcoaching.com/blog
Marie
Thanks so much Allie, super happy you loved it!
Janine
I made the mistake of cooking it before I froze. Bringing it to a new mom tomorrow but too much for two. Any advice on how to freeze half now?
Marie
It's ok, you can still freeze it and defrost it on a low-ish temperature (around 180C / 350F) in the oven or in the microwave! I would freeze it in portions for easy meals.
Sherilyn
Made this recipe tonight for dinner. Loved it. Will definitely make it again. Added some spices but otherwise made as is. Added cinnamon to the potatoes (in addition to the mild paprika), and some sage, thyme, and rosemary to the filling.
Marie
Lovely additions Sherilyn, thanks for sharing 🙂
Laura
This was delicious!!! For the 2c veggies I used fresh peas, red bell pepper and green bell pepper, plus frozen corn. I also used ~3 tbsp tomato paste instead of 1. I will make this again and again! It was so simple I was able to make it after work one night which is unheard of. Thank you!
Marie
Awesome! So glad to read it was easy enough for a busy weeknight meal!
Crissy
I havent tried this recipe but I plan to make it 4/14/19. I do like that the sodium is low especially because I live with ppl that can't have salt due to high blood pressure
Marie
Thanks Crissy, hope you'll love it!
Jen
This was fantastic!! Thanks for posting!
Marie
Thanks so much for sharing Jen! Happy you liked it.
Amanda
So yummy and cozy and perfect for fall/winter! Thanks!
Marie
Hi Amanda! So happy you liked it!
Amy Ryan
Made this for dinner tonight. One word. Amazing! I always follow a recipe to a t the first time I make it then make adjustments per our taste the next time. This needs no tweaking. It’s perfect. Nothing’s missing. It’s full of flavor. The only thing I did was omit the mushrooms (I love them but hubby doesn’t). I would give this 50 stars! I need more recipes like this!
Marie
Hi Amy! This makes me so happy! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Margaret
Great recipe! I used ground beef, as I didn’t have ground turkey on hand, and it turned out amazing. My boyfriend and I loved it and kept wanting to eat more. I love the sweet potatoes - they feel less heavy than the classic regular potato in this recipe. Thanks for sharing.