Shepherd's Pie {Whole30}

Shepherd's pie is a meat pie made with ground meat cooked in a sauce then topped with potatoes and baked. It is wholesome, hearty and you can load it up with veggies that picky eaters won't know are there. It is perfect for meal prepping. Make a large pan for meals throughout the week. I love a dish that is easy to pull together and can span two or three meals.

Prepping the Potato Topping

Most Shepherd's pie recipes are topped with white potatoes. I love mixing up the type of potatoes I use. In this recipe I am using a combination of white (russet) potatoes and golden or white sweet potatoes. The combination of the sweetness from the sweet potatoes and the fluffiness from the russet potatoes makes a really delicious topping for the pie.

In traditional Shepherd's pie recipes, butter, cream and even cheese is added to the creamed potato topping. When I am on a round of Whole30 I just add Whole30 compliant mayo to my potatoes and that does the trick. You can also add nut milks, ghee and even coconut milk or cream to yours if you like.

Cooking the ground beef and veggies

This is a dish where you can hide tons of veggies. Every time I made it I like to add lots of chopped veggies to the ground meat. Here I added onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and parsley. Feel free to sneak any kind of veggies in there if you have picky eaters.

And of course I add a good amount of peas (peas are now allowed in whole 30) and carrots. My two older kids love peas and carrots. I swear I would add it to every dish I make if I could, just so that they are eating vegetables.

Assembling the Shepherd's Pie

The order of cooking is important for this dish. I potatoes first, then the meat. I do it this way, because I often make the pie right in the cast iron skillet that I am using to cook the meat. When the meat and vegetables are ready, I top it with the creamed potatoes and stick it in the oven. This is what I love most about using an oven safe skillet!

You can dress up the top of your pie with lines using a fork, scallops using the back of a spoon, make it smooth using a spatula or leave it rustic. Anything goes! I love that about this dish.

Baking the Shepherd's Pie

Before adding the pie to the oven I give it a generous dusting of paprika. Here I am using Penzey's Spanish Style Paprika. It's a little on the pricey side of the spice aisle but it is so worth it. The richness and depth of flavor is unlike any other paprika I've used.

In addition to a lovely flavor, the paprika adds a golden color to the finished dish. Look at how absolutely gorgeous this pie looks. Yum.

A slice of heaven

This dish is a winner in my home. The kids really love it. Even our one year old eats it up. I can eat this at any meal. A complete meal in one dish? Yes, please!

The Printable Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Printable Recipe Card

Shepherd's Pie {Whole30}

Althea Brown

Shepherd's pie is a meat pie made with ground meat and vegetables, topped with potatoes, then baked.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Whole30

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Generous Servings

Ingredients

  

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For the topping:

• 2 lbs of russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 lb of golden white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• Enough water to boil the potatoes
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
• ½ tablespoon of onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon of iodized sea salt
• ¼ cup of mayo

For the Filling:

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• ¼ cup of The New Primal's Classic Marinade and Cooking Sauce or The New Primal's Coconut Aminos
• 1 cup of tomatoes diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 cup of mushrooms diced
• 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots
• 1 tablespoon parsley fresh finely chopped or dried flakes
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• Cooking spray or other oil/grease for the baking dish

Instructions

 

Preparing the Potatoes:

• Add russet and sweet potatoes to a large stock pot on high heat. Then add enough water to cover the potatoes followed by ½ teaspoon of salt
• Next bring to a boil, then cover (with the lid slightly ajar)
• Boil until fork tender, then remove from the heat and drain the water
• Next, return the potatoes to the pot then crush with a potato masher or fork
• Then add ¼ teaspoon of salt, the granulated garlic, onion powder and mayo to the crushed potatoes, mix together well and set aside

Preparing the Meat Filling:

• Add the ground beef to a hot skillet on medium heat (no oil is needed for this step)
• Stir often to ensure even cooking and cook until all the pink color is gone from the meat
• Next add ½ teaspoon of salt, the onions, garlic, mushroom, tomatoes and parsley and sauté until the vegetables cook (about 3-5 minutes)
• Then add the classic marinade sauce or coconut aminos
• Continue to sauté, then add the frozen peas and carrots
• Cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the peas and carrots come up to temperature
• Then remove from the heat

Assembling the Shepherd's Pie:

• Preheat oven to 375 °F
• If you used an oven safe skillet for the meat filling, you can simply add the potato topping directly on top of the meat in the skillet
• Then smooth the potatoes over the meat filling making sure to cover all of the meat
• Next sprinkle with paprika and bake for 30 minutes

If you prefer adding to a separating baking dish follow these instructions:

• Spray a baking dish large enough for the pie, with cooking spray
• Add the beef filling to the dish, then add the potato topping and smooth until all of the meat filling is covered
• Decorate the potato filling with a fork or any way you choose
• Sprinkle the shepherd's pie with paprika then bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Loving my healthier Caribbean Whole30 Recipes? See the full list here!