Shepard’s pie is such a classic recipe and total comfort food! I love making this Whole30 version topped with sweet potatoes and I honestly think it’s way better than using white potatoes. It’s also getting to be that time of year again when we’re so over the raw salads and are ready to dive into the sweet embrace of foods that are just a bit hardier.
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you on this one. It’s actually pretty simple to make, and it’s even better the next day so leftovers are great. It also freezes really well, so it’s the perfect meal to make ahead. I like to brown my ground beef and cook my veggies in the cast iron frying pan and then use that as a baking dish. It cooks up perfectly this way and fills the house with a delicious aroma. Did you know that cooking with cast iron can actually help increase your iron consumption? It’s true! I love using my cast iron frying pans as baking dishes and actually, they’re the only frying pans we have.
You can switch this recipe up however you like and use whatever veggies you have on hand, but if you’re doing a Whole30, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, and onions are some of my favourite veggies to use since corn and peas are out for the 30 days. You could also experiment and use some cauliflower mash in with the potatoes if you’re looking to cut back on some of the carbs.
Have you heard of the Whole30 before? If not learn all about it here!
Whole30 Shepards Pie
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Dinner
Description
This gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free Shepard’s Pie recipe is totally Whole30 compliant and the perfect comfort food. Top with white potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower mash, or even a mixture. Perfect to make ahead for a busy weeknight dinner option and freezes well too.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 2 carrots
- 1 green pepper
- 7–8 button mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup beef broth (or water)
- salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Potato Topping
- 3 sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add ground beef, onions, carrots, and peppers and stir frequently as they cook.
- While the meat mixture cooks, peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then steam until fork tender.
- Once the beef is browned and the veggies are starting to get tender, add the mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth and spices. Continue cooking until the carrots are soft.
- While to beef mixture continues to cook, mash or puree the cooked sweet potatoes with coconut oil, chili powder and salt.
- Once the veggies are cooked through, spread the sweet potato topping evening over the meat mixture.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes.