I blame it on my Irish roots, but I could seriously eat some version of shepherd’s pie every single day. There’s just something about those crispy potatoes on top a bed of meat and veggies that speaks to me. So when I found out I couldn’t tolerate white potatoes very well anymore, I had to get creative. Enter, the sweet potato!

Besides giving the dish a lovely bright colour, they also add a rich flavour and some different vitamins than your standard white potato. Feel free to get creative with this recipe, I usually use whatever veggies I have on hand that need used up and a mix of whatever ground meat I fancy. I’m not big on the flavour of lamb but I know it’s good to diversify my proteins and so I mixed this version equal parts with ground beef. Ground chicken, turkey or pork would also work. I might even try ground organ meats for a bigger nutritional punch one day.

Shepherd’s pie (Serves 6-8)

• 2 pounds ground meat (I used 1:1 beef and lamb)
• ~ 1-2 cups diced veggies (here I used onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms)
• 3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed with ~ 1tbsp coconut oil (or ghee)

Preheat oven to 375F. Brown meat in a skillet and then transfer to a baking dish, covering the bottom of the dish evenly with meat mixture. Sautée veggies in same skillet until softened and then spread over meat base. Top with mashed sweet potatoes and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes or until top begins to brown. If you can tolerate dairy this is divine with some shredded or grated parmesan on top, but is also delicious on its own. Serve with some additional greens for a complete meal. I might try this with Japanese sweet potatoes next time I make it so that it has that white potato-look to it.

What’s your favourite way to make shepherd’s pie? Share your tips in the comments below. And let me know how you like this recipe if you end up making it!