Paleo Lamb Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potatoes
Shepherd's pie is the kind of deeply satisfying, cold-weather comfort food that can feel off-limits when you're avoiding grains, dairy, and legumes — but this version pulls it off beautifully without any of those ingredients. The filling is built on ground lamb, diced carrots, celery, and onion, all simmered with chicken broth, tomato paste, coconut aminos, and fresh rosemary and thyme until the sauce is rich and glossy. Arrowroot starch does the thickening work that flour would normally handle, keeping everything completely grain-free while still giving you that luscious, spoonable consistency. Instead of a buttery mashed potato crown, sweet potatoes are whipped smooth with full-fat coconut milk and olive oil into a topping that's naturally sweet, creamy, and totally dairy-free. The whole thing goes into a 400°F oven until the filling bubbles at the edges and the topping turns lightly golden — the kind of visual cue that makes it hard to wait the full five minutes before digging in. It serves six, so it's a solid choice for a family dinner or a week of satisfying leftovers that reheat like a dream.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the sweet potato topping
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ lbs ground lamb
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or ½ tsp dried rosemary)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Place the sweet potato chunks in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook until completely tender when pierced with a fork, about 15–18 minutes. Drain well.
- 2
Return the drained sweet potatoes to the saucepan. Add the 3 tbsp coconut milk, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mash with a potato masher or beat with a hand mixer until smooth and thick, with no lumps remaining. Set aside.
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