This Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a lighter, cozier twist on the classic—made with lean ground turkey and topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes.
Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes
This Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie, inspired from my classic Shepherd’s Pie is a lighter twist on the classic comfort dish, made with lean ground turkey, plenty of vegetables, and a creamy mashed sweet potato topping. It’s cozy and hearty yet still balanced enough for a weeknight dinner. The sweet potatoes add natural sweetness that pairs perfectly with the savory turkey filling, and the whole dish bakes together into a bubbly, golden casserole your family will love. For a meatless version try my Portobello Shepherd’s Pie and for a fun twist, try my Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Sweet Potato.
Why This Recipe Works
I created this recipe in the fall of 2012, around the time Superstorm Sandy hit, followed by a nor’easter. Thousands of people, including us, lost power for several days. This sweet potato shepherd’s pie recipe reminds me of that time and how grateful I am for all the little things we sometimes take for granted.
- Comfort food: Warm, nourishing, and satisfying
- Nutritious twist: Sweet potatoes provide more fiber and antioxidants than regular potatoes, and ground turkey is a leaner protein source than beef.
- Great for meal prep and leftovers: You can make it ahead and bake when you’re ready.
Ingredients You Will Need
Below is everything you’ll need to make this healthy turkey shepherd’s pie. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Mashed Sweet Potato Topping Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes: Peeled and dice
- Creamy Ingredients: 1% milk, chicken broth, and reduced-fat sour cream to make the potato topping creamy yet light.
- Peeled Garlic Cloves, Kosher Salt, and Black Pepper for flavor
Shepherd’s Pie Filling Ingredients:
- 93% Lean Ground Turkey: Ground chicken or beef will also work
- Vegetables: Celery, parsnip, mushrooms, frozen mixed vegetables (like peas, carrots, and corn)
- Aromatics: Diced onion and garlic
- All Purpose Flour thickens the filling, gluten-free will also work
- Low-sodium Chicken Broth creates the sauce
- Flavor: Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste add flavor
- Fresh Herbs: Chopped Rosemary or fresh thyme
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika
How to Make Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
This shepherd’s pie has two parts: boiling and mashing the sweet potatoes and making the turkey filling. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Make the mashed sweet potatoes: Boil the diced potatoes and whole garlic cloves in salted water. The garlic mellows as it cooks, so it’s not too strong. Once tender, drain them and return them to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a potato masher.
- Brown the turkey in a large skillet. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate once it’s cooked through.
- Cook the vegetables: Sauté the onion, then add the celery, parsnip, salt, and pepper. Once the celery’s soft, stir in the garlic and mushrooms. Add the flour, followed by the frozen vegetables, broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, rosemary, and ground turkey.
- Simmer the filling, covered, on low until thickened.
- Assemble the shepherd’s pie: Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Use a fork to scrape the tops of the potatoes, creating ridges, then sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake: In a preheated oven at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before eating.
Variations
- Individual Servings: Make them in six oven safe meal prep containers or small baking dishes.
- Swap sweet potatoes with russet or Yukon Gold potatoes. You could also use butternut squash.
- Dairy-free shepherd’s pie: Use rice, oat, or almond milk and dairy-free cream for the sweet potato topping.
- Broth options: Feel free to use chicken bone broth for extra protein.
- Switch up the protein: Use lean ground beef or lamb. This recipe would also be great with leftover Thanksgiving turkey or rotisserie chicken. Just skip the browning step and add it along with the frozen vegetables.
- No parsnips? Omit, or use more mixed veggies.
- Not a mushroom fan? Omit them and add more of another vegetable.
- Gluten-free shepherd’s pie: Use a gluten-free flour like Cup4Cup instead of AP flour, and make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free.
- Herbs: Swap rosemary for thyme or sage. If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried ones will work as well.
How to Make Ahead
This dish can be prepared ahead of time, then baked in the oven when you’re ready to eat. It also freezes and reheats well.
- To make ahead and refrigerate: You can assemble this sweet potato shepherd’s pie up to 2 days early, then bake as directed.
- To freeze, follow the instructions up to step 9, then freeze in a freezer-safe casserole dish or individual containers for up to 3 months. If your containers don’t have lids, cover them tightly with plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap). You may need to add a few extra minutes, so check it in the middle to confirm it’s warm.
More Sweet Potato Recipes You Will Love
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 individual pie
For the filling:
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1 parsnip, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, diced
- 10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 tbsp flour, or gluten-free flour like cup4cup
- 1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary, or fresh thyme
- kosher salt, and black pepper to taste
- paprika, for topping
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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For the sweet potatoes: Boil sweet potatoes and garlic in a pot of salted water until cooked and soft. Drain and mash with chicken broth, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper, to taste.
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For the filling: In a large skillet brown the ground turkey about 5 minutes; season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. When cooked, set aside on a plate.
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Add olive oil to the pan, then add the onion and sauté one minute. Add the celery, parsnip, salt and pepper to taste; cook about 12 minutes, until celery is soft.
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Add garlic and mushrooms; sauté another 3-4 minutes. Add the flour and pepper and mix well.
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Add frozen vegetables, chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, cooked turkey, and mix well. Simmer covered on low about 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Taste for sale and adjust as needed.
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Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.
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Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Use a fork to scrape the top of the potatoes to make ridges; sprinkle with paprika. (If making ahead you can freeze at this point**).
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Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes turn golden and the filling is heated through. Add more time, if cooking from refrigerator.
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Remove from oven and let it cool 10 minutes before serving.
Last Step:
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** If making ahead and freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When baking add more time as needed to heat through.
Serving: 1 individual pie, Calories: 250 kcal, Carbohydrates: 34 g, Protein: 16.5 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 43 mg, Sodium: 304 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 3 g
