Vegetarian Paleo Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Total time1 hr 20 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time55 min

Vegetarian Paleo Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

A creamy sweet potato mash — enriched with coconut milk until it turns silky and lightly sweet — blankets a deeply savory filling loaded with diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Tomato paste and coconut aminos build a rich, umami-packed base that simmers down into a glossy, spoon-coating sauce, while fresh thyme and rosemary add an earthy, herbaceous backbone. Sweet peas are folded in right at the end for pops of color and a little garden-fresh sweetness before the whole skillet goes under the broiler-hot oven to bubble and set. The mash gets spread edge-to-edge and baked until the top turns golden and slightly crisp, sealing in all that hearty, comforting filling underneath. A scatter of fresh parsley finishes it off with a bright, herby lift. It's a cozy, one-skillet dinner that fits neatly into a vegetarian spread, no fuss required.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the sweet potato topping

2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
3 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Coconut Milk - 13.66 Fl. Oz.Goya Coconut Milk 13.5oz Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Classic Coconut Milk 13.5 fl oz A Taste of Thai Coconut Milk 13.5 Oz Ka-Me Coconut Milk
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2 tbsp olive oil, divided
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
2 lbs ground lamb (or ground beef)
Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp coconut aminos
1 cup chicken broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will be a little lighter in flavor than with chicken broth.
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or ½ tsp dried rosemary)
1 cup frozen peas
¾ tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper

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 large 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 18–20 minutes. Drain well and return to the saucepan.
2
Add the coconut milk, 1 tbsp of the olive oil (from the topping portion), 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper to the drained sweet potatoes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside.

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