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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.
Featured Comment
After making this dish regularly for years, I thought I’d finally leave a rating. It’s awesome! I always make it in a casserole dish. Tasty and filling but not heavy. Great for meal prep since the leftovers hold up excellently.
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
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes Brulee
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
This healthy Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground turkey, mixed vegetables, and a creamy mashed sweet potato topping for the perfect cozy, balanced dinner. It’s easy to assemble, family-friendly, and packed with flavor—plus it reheats beautifully. This recipe also includes make-ahead and freezing instructions, so you can prep it in advance or freeze leftovers for a quick meal on busy nights.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 individual pie
Equipment
- 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup 1% milk, or rice/oat milk for dairy-free
- 1/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
- 2 tbsp sour cream, reduced-fat or dairy-free cream
- kosher salt, and black pepper to taste
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add garlic and mushrooms; sauté another 3-4 minutes. Add the flour and pepper and mix well.
- 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 salt and adjust as needed.
- Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.
- 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**).
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes turn golden and the filling is heated through. Add more time, if cooking from refrigerator.
- Remove from oven and let it cool 10 minutes before serving.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Video
Notes
*Check labels for gluten free.
** If making ahead and freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When baking add more time as needed to heat through.
Nutrition
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
Can Greek yogurt be used instead of sour cream?
My new favorite comfort food! Everyone loves it.
♥
I made this delicious dish for my Thanksgiving dinner – I loved it and no stress in making. Now I even have leftovers.
This was really great. I only used onion, garlic, zucchini and an almost full pack of frozen veggies in the meat mixture and it was perfect like that. Instead of just rosemary I had a poultry blend set of herbs, so I added rosemary, thyme and sage. To the sweet potato I only added two big spoonfuls of Greek yogurt (didn’t have sour cream), salt, pepper and nutmeg. No need to add any milk or broth because sweet potatoes are much creamier naturally than regular potatoes are. I would have loved to add mushrooms but my husband doesn’t like them…
Hi, this sounds divine. Love your cookbooks and your recipes are great.
I always loved my Scottish Mother’s Shepherd’s Pie, but can’t wait to try this one.
So one question: Do you use the red colored sweet potatoes or the white ones or does it matter? Thanks so much!!!
I use orange but it won’t matter, enjoy!
I love this recipe. I make it in a pan and freeze half of it for later. It’s on my rotation. So satisfying. I use ground chicken.
Wonderful!
Loved this recipe. My husband had three servings lol!
Great!!
We loved this. Will definitely make it again. It was much more time consuming than I like but worth it. Like the recipe Gina has for the white potato one but we thought this one was the best.
Made this, it was phenominal! Defenitely a keeper and everyonw should try it! I was tempted to tweak it and use things more ‘chistmastmas-y’ with things like poultry seasoning lots of sage, and cranberries, but I actually made it exactly as is and I’m so glad I did!!! It perfect! I will admit to using carrot instead of parsnip, I had them and I need to use up the stuff I have in my fridge, and also my partner insisted he wanted cheese (low fat old chedder) on half at the end and put back in to broil. , which worked out nicely. Don’t skip the worcestershire sauce, it need it I used more like 3/4 tsp. Recipe needs a lot of salt (good for me as I’m low in sodium), but I found we still had to use it heavily (taste taste taste….recipe does say that) to enjoy all the yummy flavours. The mash comes out perfect, sweet and buttery with not butter. We’re both very light eaters, but we both finished a whole serving and already looking forward to the leftovers! Oh okay I lied, my partner hates peas so instead of mixed veggies I used just frozen corn so I did ‘change it’. Not got a clue how to post a picture…sorry new to the site….but I did get a pic and its just so good, you must try it!
Delish! And with the new WW change, I put this link into my app and it told me it was 2 points now!
My very picky daughter actually ate two servings! Huge win and will be part of our rotation.
This is so good and will be going into my regular rotation.
After making this dish regularly for years, I thought I’d finally leave a rating. It’s awesome! I always make it in a casserole dish. Tasty and filling but not heavy. Great for meal prep since the leftovers hold up excellently.
This has been on regular rotation at our house for several years! We prepare the filling in a large cast iron pan then put the entire thing in the oven with the sweet potato mash.
We always have enough for leftovers for the week & it only gets better each day!
Love this recipe! One question, for prepping ahead of time, if I prep it one day and want to bake it the next day, should I just keep it in the fridge overnight?
My daughter-in-law made this for us as I recover from a knee replacement. We LOVED it! I thought I would miss the white potato topping, but I didn’t at all!!
So much flavor and wonderful textures. I know I will make it many times!
This recipe is amazing! Like Thanksgiving on a plate! Thank you! Yum yum and the points are incredibly low for the generous serving size.
Very good. My husband and I decided we like the sweet potato much better than regular mashed. Added more tomato paste and Kitchen Bouquet seasoning sauce to up the flavor to our taste.
My hubby and I decided we will never go back to regular mashed potato topping.
I assume the garlic is mashed along with the sweet potatoes after boiling.
How strong tasting is the garlic taste in the mashed sweet potatoes?
Soooo good! And easy to make ahead if you have kids, then just stick it in the oven to heat up later
I had some leftover Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes and found this recipe and used them as a topper. Made 2 individual servings and then 4 in a casserole for later. Another great recipe. Thank you.
I used ground turkey breast with zucchini and red pepper instead of the mixed vegetables. It was delicious! Very tasty and moist. Thank you for this complete meal recipe.
Haven’t made it yet, but with the ingredients in there and so many options to change it up, I can’t wait to grab my ingredients and create ours! I have no doubt it will be delicious. Thanks for the inspiration!
Could this be made in smaller individual containers and frozen? Would you assemble and then bake?
Currently doing a Whole30, and decided to try this recipe out. loved it!!! As with a lot of recipes, I made a few substitutions due to what we had on hand. I didn’t have any frozen vegetables so I added in a shredded and squeezed zucchini. I also made a few other substitutions to be sure it was Whole30 compliant… such as kite Hill cream cheese and yogurt in the mashed potatoes along with a little ghee. I also omitted the flour and worcesteshire… but that didn’t make much of a difference. Topping with smoked paprika and garlic powder made it delisious, veggie packed and filling!!!
Delicious and new idea for me. I will make this again. I used carrots in place of parsnips, everything else as in the recipe. Another great dish from Skinnytaste.
This was much better than I expected (not typically a fan of ground turkey) and I wasn’t sure if the sweet potatoes would overpower the flavor. It was a definite winner, will be on the rotation for sure!
Very tasty. I had only carrots and used canned mushrooms and frozen peas and corn but the flavour was full and the individual servings provide all the “crispy” edges that I love!
Absolutely delicious! I used unsweetened almond milk and nonfat greek yogurt in place of the 1% milk and sour cream in the sweet potatoes, added an extra garlic clove to the sweet potatoes and filling, and a little extra tomato paste and worcestershire sauce to the filling. Also used ground venison instead of ground turkey.
This was delicious! The whole family enjoyed. I swapped sour cream for plain Greek yogurt and the milk for soy milk and it turned out great !
Delicious meal !! I added a can of drained diced tomatoes. As for the tomato paste and warcestire, I I’d recommend using 1 tablespoon of each, as 1 tsp really doesn’t do much. Make sure there isn’t too much liquid in your pan as you bake , since any excess bubbles to the top . When making the mashed potatoes, I just used the milk part & 3 tbsp of sour cream (no broth), was nice and creamy.
Delicious as always from Skinnytaste. But, I beg to differ on the 10 minute prep time. More like 30 minutes as it took me 20 minutes just to peel sweet potatoes and mash them with ingredients.
good point, I will update!
What size of individual dishes did you use?
Hm, I can’t recall the exact size.
I’ve never been a fan of Shepherd’s Pie, but this has changed my mind. So much so that I made this two days in a row after trying it! Delish!!
Made it exactly like the recipe. Very tasty! So much so…. we only got 4 servings! Not sure how many servings it would be for 250 calories 🙂
I made it with butternut squash as the topping and 99% fat free turkey because I wanted a REALLY low WW points option (on blue it was only 1 point!). It was pretty good. I’m sure it is better with the sweet potatoes, though. Not sure why milk is in the ingredients but not in the instructions…
Typo! Fixed now. 🙂
This is one of my very favorite fall-time lunches. It reheats so well and it’s so tasty!!
I don’t even know what to say, except that I’m sad I’ve lived for 33 years without this in my life. So unbelievably good! I didn’t have individual dishes so I just cooked it in my cast iron skillet, and it came out perfect!
Really liked this dish. Very different. I used 1/3 onion diced, 1 carrot diced, 2 stalk celery diced, along with 1/2 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup frozen corn , and 1/2 cup frozen green beans.
Substituted 2 T plain greek yogurt for sour cream and added dash nutmeg and cinnamon to sweet potatoes. Used one baking dish.
Easy and satisfying.
So an entirely different recipe???
I have to say, this is one of the best shepherd’s pie recipe’s I’ve ever had. This beats traditional shepherd’s pie a million to one.
What a fantastic way to eat healthy, but have comfort food, too!
Has anyone just tried making this in a casserole dish? I don’t have 6 individual containers to cook it in so I just wanted to be sure turkey grease wouldn’t pool in the bottom of a casserole dish if I tried that…
I made mine with shredded chicken and left out the mushrooms because I detest them. I highly recommend deleting the milk from the mashed potatoes. It makes it far too runny. I also recommend increasing the garlic.
If you are gluten free the flour needs to be gluten free as well.
I never leave comments…this was DELICIOUS!!! A friend happened to be over when I made this and he joined my husband and I for dinner. All 3 plates were wiped clean. It took a little bit of prep, but it was honestly pretty easy. I had no parsnip or frozen veggie other than peas, so I used carrots and omitted the mushroom. Still not too sweet. Thank you!!
When I told my husband that I was making this for dinner this week, he said “Yum!!!” I just love the heartiness and flavor of this recipe. FYI, I entered all of the ingredients into the WW recipe builder, and it came back as 5 Freestyle Points. Even better! Thanks so much for all of the fabulous recipes! I don’t know of anywhere else with so many delicious and healthy recipes. Your site is my go-to!
Gina,
I just made this for my husband and he asked me if you were on food network, I said no, he said, she should be. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Shepard’s when my mom used to make it but this version is great! We loved it!
Jaclyn
Aww, thanks Jaclyn!
What size glass dish should I use if I don’t have the individual dishes ?
I used a 7×11 and it was the perfect size
Loved this! I used 99% fat free ground turkey breast. I haven’t calculated it with FSP yet but it was delicious!
Can this be made in the instant pot. My family loves it and wondering if I can save time.
I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!
Please tell me where you got those bowls, I love them!
It was a cold and rainy night last night. My husband and I made this. We loved it! Very tasty and filling. Parsnips were expensive; so, we substituted with carrots.
Great!
I’m eating this as I type, and oh my goodness it’s delicious! I’m a big fan of shepherds pie anyway, and now I’m pleased to have a recipe that doesn’t come with as much guilt as a “regular” s.p.!
So grateful for this site – with the help of your recipes, Gina, I’ve lost almost 60 pounds. You’re amazing for this resource! <3
That is AWESOME! 🙂
Great recipe. However you left the milk completely out of the instructions. It didn’t really need it and was fine without. But I didn’t realize it until it was in the oven and the milk was still sitting out.
This recipe sounds great but I don’t know in what universe a cup and a half of shepherd’s pie is one serving. Certainly not in my house. am looking forward to making this recipe but I will double it and get 6 servings out of that. Also probably will use beef stock and use fat-free yogurt in the sweet potatoes instead of sour cream.
Hi! I was wondering if you were going to freeze this do you make everything ahead and bake it and cool then freeze? I am new to freezing dishes and trying this as I will have a baby here in a few months and would be nice to have something already made to reheat. Also, once frozen what are the reheating directions (time/temp/etc.). Thank you!
Bake and then freeze. I would cover with foil and bake at 350 until hot throughout.
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. There’s no
doubt that that you ought to publish more about this subject,
it might not be a taboo matter but generally folks don’t discuss these topics.
To the next! Kind regards!!
This was delicious! Made this an an alternative to Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s day because it was healthier. My husband and I both LOVED it!!! Thank you!
How many points would this be with smartpoints?
Milk is listed as an ingredient but recipe doesn't state what to Do with it!?
Is this made with sweet potatoes or yams? Pics look like yams -kclem1955
Most people (at least in the US) have never eaten a yam ==
http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweet-potatoes-101/difference-between-yam-and-sweet-potato/
I just made this and it tastes just amazing and it really, seriously filling. I substituted the sour cream for low fat cream cheese and I didn't add the milk to the potatoes as they were already quite 'loose' and I was afraid it would turn them too liquid. Thanks so much, this shall now become a regular (along with a few other of your recipes)
I make this all the time…I clearly love it! I usually swap out the sweet potatoes for mashed cauliflower and omit the parsnip. Thanks for the recipe its been in rotation in my household for a year now.
Save your self a LOT of time peeling and dicing sweet potatoes. Boil them whole in their skins until desired tenderness. Cool on a rack and skins just slide off. Thank you Grama <3
This recipe is the bomb! I don't even like shepherds pie:) I added some spices that my family likes but other than that I left it as is. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!!
Do you think I could use almond milk in place of the 2%?
thank you for sharing. This sounds like something the family will like.
Florence C
We made this for dinner with a few modifications to the veggies and herbs, and it was fantastic!
Hi,
I made this tonight and after I cooked it there was liquid on top and alot of liquid on bottom of pan. It was tasty, I added rosemary to the potatoes. How can i tweek to get less liquid.
I was just thinking the other day…how can I make a healthy, low cal pot pie? Thanks for answering my question with this delectable looking pot pie! Pinned!
I love The Cuisine Of Turkish And Peoples are Very Loving and This recipe Very Dainty Looking And very Delicious I cannot wait to mix this Recipe with my Own Hand..
Made this for dinner the other night and we loved it! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
My family gave me permission to make this again. Can't wait to have the leftovers when my husband makes it home from the latest Atlanta Snowmageddon. Drivers stranded on the interstate for 18-20 hours and counting…
Made this for dinner last night. I loved how the root vegetables added a subtle sweetness, and the addition of rosemary was lovely. Next time I don't think I'll bother with the tomato paste. It did turn out a little watery (and I did use flour). Overall a good recipe that I'd make again with some tweaking!
This recipe is AMAZING! I made it for Christmas dinner this past year and it was a serious hit. I am a Registered Dietitian and I will definitely promote this recipe to my clients 🙂
Would you freeze this prior to the first baking or bake then freeze?
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. Another winner! 🙂
My husband is trying to eat better – lower fat, lower-carb, more veggies – so I made this for him tonight. He HATES sweet potatoes. He LOVED this. Because of his hatred of sweet potatoes, I didn't use quite as much for the topping, but next time I'll use the full 1 1/2 pounds. I also used sage instead of rosemary because I had an abundance of sage. I'm gluten free and a tablespoon of rice flour worked perfectly to help thicken things up.
Just made the recipe (minus the milk) and it's so Nummy! Thanks so much for this healthy alternative.
You have milk listed in the ingredient list but not in the recipe. When I made it, I added it to the potatoes, but it seemed like too much.
This was simply amazing. Loved all the veggies. I used ground bison that I found on sale and it was great. I split it up into two glass dishes and have one in the freezer for another day. I am thinking it will be eaten much sooner than I expected 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was very good!! I didn't use individual pans, instead I used an 8×8" pan. It still came out great and I cooked for same amount of time. Definitely a keeper.
Actually, milk & garlic ingredients for mashed sweet potatoes are not listed to add in during directions.
Actually, the garlic for the potatoes IS listed. It's supposed to be in the water when you boil them.
Gina, you list a half cup of milk for mashed sweet potatoes, but it is not in the directions to add. Guessing it just goes in while mashing???
Reaaaaally tasty!! Thank you 🙂 I added 2 more tsp on Worcester sauce and used greek yoghurt instead of sour cream 🙂
Hey there! This looks amazing and is on our menu for the week. My issue is that I'm allergic to tomatoes, so can I just leave it out or is there something I could substitute it with?
Oh man, I just made this for my lunches this week…and it's SO GOOD. Thank you. 🙂
And one more thing – if I prefer throwing it all together in a casserole dish, what size would you think I'd need?
I'm planning on making this tonight, but had a question before I did so. My husband and I both love the flavor of beef, although if we're substituting turkey for a healthier alternative, do you think using beef broth instead of chicken would taste good to give us that beefy flavor?
I'm not entirely what the rule is when it comes to mixing different meats and broths…
BEST EVER!!! Everyone i know always asks me to make it!
Sooooooo delicious! Thanks Gina!
Such a great idea to make them in individual dishes. My bf won't eat mushrooms or sweet potatos but I looove them. A little extra work but no biggy. Anything to get him to eat healthier. 🙂 also, I left out the parsnips because I think they're gross. Thanks for another great recipe!
Did I miss something? The ingredients list for the potatoes says 1% milk, but the directions never tell you when to add it in. Are you suppose to add it when you mash with the broth and sour cream?
Does the milk get mixed into the potatoes with the sour cream and broth? I see it in the ingredients but not the instructions.
I loved this! I made it in one big dish so scooping out servings kind of destroyed the presentation. But despite comments that it looked like… a certain unfortunate bodily function – it was a big hit! Tons of flavor, really comforting and satisfying, and I love how healthy it is!
I made this last night and honestly no one liked it….including myself. We were pretty disappointed because I have made SEVERAL of Gina's recipes and they have been a big hit. I'm pretty good in the kitchen so I don't think it was anything I did… just one of those things I guess. I've never used parsnips before…so maybe that was it…or we could just be getting tired of turkey??? lol We did enjoy the mashed sweet potatoes on top though!
Made this last night, so great and low calories!
I made this recipe this week, and it is absolutley DELICIOUS! I've made several of your recipes, and this one ranks up there among my favorite choices. I had never used parsnips before, so I'm also enjoying adding a new vegetable to my cooking experiences!
Love your site & can't wait to try this and the santa fe turkey peppers!
For those asking about ovenproof serving dishes, I just got 4 with lids on amazon, colbolt blue – beautiful! About $35 w/ shipping. micro/oven/dishwasher safe. love them so much I might get four more!
Just finished eating this and very satisfied and happy with how it turned out! Thank you!
Hi Gina, I love your ideas!! I just found this website last week and I've already made 2 recipes and they were both GREAT!!! I am not a sweet potato fan, can I substitue with just regular potatoes instead?
Gina and others, this Shepard's Pie is awesome. My husband is not terribly fond of onions or mushrooms but he LOVED this pie. The only problem is sticking to a 1 cup serving! I added cinnamon to the sweet potato mash for additional flavor. Love all your recipes. Thank YOU.
I made a few changes to this–some out of necessity and some out of personal taste–but pretty much stuck to the original recipe and let me tell you, it's the BOMB! Few will be able to tell this is a lightened up dish. It's that good!
Gina,
I am on a gluten free diet and substitute potato flour for regular flour, and you definitely cannot tell!
mine's in the oven right now! smells good and i can't wait to dig in! 🙂
I made this dish this evening and it turned out great. It was a bit time consuming to do all the prep, so it is definitely something I would have to make on the weekend.
I just made this tonight with butternut squash instead of sweet potato and it was delicious. I messed up my first batch of squash because it didn't need all the milk and sour cream, but that was a minor hiccup and the dish came out great.
Can I make this Shepherd's Pie with turkey cooked and not ground turkey?
I just want to let you know that my 14-month-old daughter LOVES this! I'm making some for her right now. I seriously think it might be her favorite meal.
how many cups is one serving? because i am going to do it in a big dish..
Why the sour cream? What does it add to the potatoes? Necessary? So many questions!
Made this and it was delicious! Very flavorful and filling for something so light and veggie-full. I made a couple adjustments (used one big glass baking dish, no parsnip, used dry rosemary, deglazed the browning turkey w/ some wine) and it was so delicious! I also only had fat free sour cream and skim milk, so I used a little less milk and added a tbsp of butter–yummy. Thank you for another delicious recipe, Gina!
This is super yummy. I am doing this fitness challenge and this recipe is full of foods I can actually eat! Thank you soo much!
I made this the other night and it was a hit!!! I truly love your site and cook from it at least twice a week. I really appreciate that although you are health conscious yoru food does not lose the flavor. I hope you have a warm and happy holiday. Thanks again for the inspiration.
Delicious recipe! Another winner! Thank you Gina.
Wonderful Recipe. The whole family loved it.
so excited to try this!!!
Looks very nice. However I would say this about the name of the recipe. Shepherds look after sheep not turkeys, and shepherd's pie is always made with LAMB/MUTTON mince in the UK, so I would describe this as a COTTAGE pie which can be made with any other meat or meat substitute.
Great website, I've found some super recipes here. This one will be Pinned, along with Chicken Pot Pie soup.
Hi,
I'm making this for dinner tonight. I noticed in your ingredients for the mashed sweet potatoes, it includes 1% milk, but it doesn't say to add it in the directions?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Can't wait to try this! I love sweet potatoes – probably more than regular… I will omit the mushrooms though but it sounds delish… also love your message in the beginning of the post about being thankful for the necessities that we take for granted (water, electricity, heat etc.)… Hope things are getting better for you guys back east!
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! My husband saw me chopping all the veggies and asked "is this another of those Skinny recipes?"
We have been enjoying recipes from your site for a few months and I love knowing I'm giving my family delicious, healthy food.
Thanks and keep them coming!!
Victoria
I hope you're doing okay dealing with the after effects of Sandy! My whole family is on Long Island too, so I know how rough it's been there.
I made this for dinner tonight! It was really delicious. And my husband loved it too!
My husband came back for more and more! I made extra and put it in a 9X13 and it was delish!! I love the sweet potatoes with the meat, it was a great combination. Makes me happy to serve a healthy dinner that tasted great. Substituted greek yogurt for sour cream too!
Hi Gina! I'm making this dish as I type this. My kitchen smells sooo good! I do have a question for you, in your ingredients under "the potatoes" you have 1/2 cup 1% milk and1/4 cup fat free chicken broth listed. However you don't say to add the milk in your directions, I'm assuming it's just a typo? Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! My husband said it was a keeper. Love all of your recipes 🙂 Thanks for all of your time and effort to help us all to eat healthier !
This was delicious – no surprise, as are all of Gina's recipes. I used lean ground beef because it looked better at my grocery store. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I made it earlier in the day and refrigerated unbaked, then baked it in time for dinner. I sprinkled a little sharp cheddar on top to serve. Yummo, looking forward to leftovers.
Take care, East Coasters.
For us on the west coast, it seems the devastation and continuing challenges from Sandy are no longer talked about or covered in the media. Thank you for sharing your personal experience reminding us that the east coast is still dealing with this difficult situation. I hope you continue to stay positive and know that we are all praying and thinking of you and the many other people affected.
GREAT recipe too, by the way 🙂
For those of you who don't eat a lot of starch, I made mine with mashed butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and it was delicious! I followed the recipe directions almost exactly, so you can boil the peeled, cubed squash the same way you would the potatoes. I also made mine in a large casserole dish and it cooked perfectly in 20 minutes, but it was pretty full.
Thanks for the recipe and all the best to you and the East Coasters, Gina!
You read my mind I have been looking for a good shepherd's pie recipe! Can't wait to make this tonight!
I made this tonight. The only change I made was to throw in a bit more tomato paste and broth (I like it more saucy). This was really good. I especially liked the idea of putting the cloves of garlic in with the sweet potatoes while they boiled.
We really enjoyed it. Can't wait to have the left overs tomorrow!
This is going to dear camp with the husband this week.
For the sweet potato mash, the ingredients call for 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk, but in the directions it says to just add the chicken broth. I added both, and it was way too liquidy, so I had to drain some of the liquid. Was I just supposed to add the chicken broth?
I used both the broth and milk as called for and mine turned out perfect. I wonder if maybe you didn't use enough sweet potatoes? (I used 5 large ones)
Cooking and blogging aren't easy in the best of times. You're truly heroic to cook and blog during a power outage. I tried this recipe tonight–it was delicious!
I made this last night….fantastic!
Gina, this is absolutely delicious! We loved it! You are so good at developing flavors in your dishes. I am sorry for all you are going through. We will be praying for you all back east.
Oh my goodness… I just made this for the boyfriend and I and it was simply amazing! He said it is one of his all-time favorite dishes I have ever made. The parsnip and mushrooms are key flavors in the dish. Definitely a keeper! Thanks so much for sharing. I consistently make your recipes and you never fail to deliver!
I left out the garlic, onions and Worcestershire sauce because I have a very sensitive stomach to these ingredients as well as the sour cream (lactose-intolerant) and flour. It still came out beautifully!
Also, I don't have individual oven safe dishes so I used a 9×13 dish instead and baked it for the same amount of time. Perfecto!
Just made this withOUT the turkey meat. It came out pretty great….. Next time I might add a bit more of the tomato paste……..
Gina! This recipe looks amazing as always; we almost exclusively use your website. We're on the west coast, and we appreciate that you are still posting during this time (even though it would be totally understandable if you didn't!). Your recipes make our kitchen a better place. Hope you and your family stay safe and sound. -Hilary and Preet
I followed this recipe, but made substitutions for almost all the veggies based on what I had. Turnips, daikon radish, carrots, cauliflower, and scallions thanks to my CSA share and a frozen box of peas and pearl onions. Came out delicious! Loved to make use of my individual casserole dishes.
Wishing you and your family have power and life back to normal soon 🙂 It's been a nightmare-ish few weeks.
I'm trying to cut carbs to absolute minimum. Can this be made with winter squash instead of sweet taters?
Gina, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I love your attitude!!! Thank you for all you do for us!!! God Bless!
I live on the south shore of Long Island also we were lucky enough to be spared any real damage. Unfortunately some of our friends and neighbors weren't. I hop you get your power back on soon. Stay warm.
Gina- I just wanted to say thank you for all your wonderful posts even while you all are battling this crazy weather. I consistently make your recipes and they are always approachable and delicious! We are thinking about you and sending prayers and love from Texas!!
Cyd
Looks AMAZING, Gina!
xoxo
Love you and hope you have power back from the storm! xoxo Love you.
I made this tonight for supper and it was absolutely DECLICIOUS! My fiance loved it. Thanks for another great recipe!
My friend makes something very similar, but using ground beef and a bit of southwest salf-free chili powder combo with diced ripe and green bell peppers. Anoher option to consider…with turkey or beef.
I'm planning to use cubed left over turducken and home grown sweet taters!
Thanks for the great recipe!
I wonder if anyone else is having a problem printing. It suddenly is all coming out super huge regardless of choosing the smallest print? I love your recipes, and cant wait to try this!
So sorry to hear you are still without power. We just got ours back this past week so I can only imagine how it must be going so long without heat and hot water. Thankfully you have a generator to get you through. Funny, we just made Shepherds Pie the other night – such comfort food in these crazy times. I love your version using sweet potatoes on top.
This is definitely happening in my kitchen soon.
I hope you and your family are doing alright.
I'm trying to figure out how I could remove the dairy from this recipe without using soy sour cream. I can't stand that stuff. Is the sour cream needed as a thickening agent or just for flavor?
I made this tonight for dinner – one correction needed you don't indicate where to add the milk with the sweet potatoes. Assuming it is when they are mashed. I made this in one casserole dish. This was very good and would definitely make again.
I echo everybody that's posted above regarding all of the people that have been affected by the weather on the East Coast. I live in Brooklyn and I'm thankful that we were spared for the most part. I love your blog and I have tried many recipes, which have all turned out great.
I do have one question for you though, have you ever bought spring greens (from the cabbage family) and if so, could you let me know where you got them??
I have looked nearly everywhere and can't seem to find any! :/
Sarah
Keeping you and everyone affected by Sandy in our thoughts and prayers! Wish there was more we could do than just make donations! You are so sweet to help others! Stay safe!
Hi Gina, I love your blog and I really hope your power comes back on soon! stay warm, I was curious if I were to use ground turkey breast (no percentage of lean or fat) if that would change the nutritional info? thanks, make lots of your yummy warm dishes to keep warm!!
best wishes from Canada,
Kat
Hi Gina,
So sorry to hear about your situation. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. I always love your recipes! I am going to make this tonight, but I want to make it now and then reheat it later on. Should I follow directions as you suggest and then take it out and refrigerate it until I serve dinner tonight? Just reheat in the oven? Thanks!
Great recipe!!! and so sorry for your lack of electricity, but is so good to find someone positive like you, that looks at the bright side of this. I hope everything turns better soon!!!
Gina, Our prayers go out to all in the Northeast! I am worried about the elderly lady you spoke about.
What is she using as a heat source / how is she staying warm?
Does she have family that is taking care of her often?
Normally, I would immediately give to the American Red Cross, however I read Forbes Charity Navigator & learned that the CEO's annual salary is a little over $1M! I believe that people whom are in the charity profession should choose to give more of themselves & be rewarded by the higher power vs. taking the funds from the people whom need it most. If you agree with me, write to ABC News on their website to investigate charities salaries. Until this changes, I will give directly to those who need it. That said, please let me know what / how we can help the elderly lady. If we send money to you, can you purchase a generator for her or buy more food? God bless you!
@Gina, Smart thinking – My hubby, the Firefighter, absolutely HATES the Red Cross! Whenever they come to any disaster few ppl know that once the disaster is over they actually come back looking for money to offset what they offered during the emergency. When he was in the service & his father died they paid for his flight home, then took it out of his next paycheck; not caring that there was nothing left for him to live on for the rest of the mo. However, on a happier note, the Firefighters love the Salvation Army!
Good to know. I love how many people are helping out and driving from other states to help. Things are better for many of us, but their are still a lot of people who don't have power yet. Hoping they get it back soon.
Could it be made with canned sweet potatoes? If so, how many cans (size?)
Thanks for the recipe! I am a WW leader and love sharing your recipes! I can't believe you are still able to do all of this with everything going on! At least it takes your mind off what's going on. The devastation is just horrible. My brother lives (lived) in Long Beach and will have to relocate for a few months, though their damage wasn't as bad as others. Can't imagine what some people are going through. Will keep you in our thoughts!
I haven't been to your blog in a while Gina, but I totally forgot you live in the area hit hard by the storms. I hope that things improve for you and your family soon! If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.
Looks so good, yummy!! 🙂
http://marsqn.blogspot.com
So nice of you and your friend to take care of that woman…I'm sure she appreciated the food but also the company!
Gina, this looks yummy and so cozy for the cold weather! I made your chicken and cavatelli soup last night and it was a big hit. Can't wait to try this.
Every time I come here to look for a recipe, I'm amazed that you are still finding time to create and post new dishes, despite the horrible situation you are in. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and everyone impacted by the hurricane and snowstorm. Hang in there….
I love that soup, talk about comfort!! Thank you, it keeps me sane 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank goodness for warmer temps forecasted for this weekend! I hope you get power back soon.
So sorry that you still are without power Gina! My sister in law still doesn't have it either, so many people don't. It's just a nightmare what happened. We were so lucky thank God and I am truly grateful. Hope your power comes back real soon!! I will keep my fingers crossed.
This Shepards Pie looks great!
Delicious! I love making hearty things in the fall. I just made this fabulous rich soup again this year http://bohochiccafe.blogspot.com/2012/11/healthy-edition-north-woods-bean-soup.html
It sounds so delicious. It is a wholesome meal which contain much nutrition.
Ugh, I'm so sorry to hear that you're still without power and that you may be doing without for awhile longer. This shepard's pie is beautiful…what a great way to use sweet potatoes.
I can't wait to make this this weekend! I've never had shepherd's pie before, but I figure I like all the things in it, so it has to be good!
You're amazing, Gina! Thank you for sharing what is going on around you AND still continuing to provide us with the yummiest, healthy recipes. All I have to say to my husband is, "It's Gina's recipe" and there are no questions. So thankful for you! ~Kristen
: )
I'm glad you & your family are able to stay warm! We'll be praying for y'all.
I just discovered your website and have already tried 2 of the recipes. They were wonderful! I even used a new ingredient for me – spaghetti squash. Thank you for all you do!
I'm excited to try this recipe. I do have an 'inexperienced cook' question. When I boil the potatoes with the garlic, do I mince the garlic or just throw the cloves in whole? thanks! -kc
Now, why didn't I think of this! The one reason I never liked Shepard's Pie is because I don't like white potatoes. It never occurred to me to use sweet potatoes instead, which I love! Thanks for the recipe!
As for your power, hang in there. I lost power last week Monday, and we just got power back yesterday, over a week and a half later. I will keep you and yours in my prayers!
i'm so sorry to hear you are still without power. :-/ I hope you are keeping in good spirits. This shepards pie looks so yummy!
Hi, Gina! How long would I bake this in one dish as opposed to 6 individual dishes? I just don't want to have to go out and buy some, ya know what I mean? Could I just bake it in a 9 x 13 pan or something?
Our prayers and thoughts are with everyone in the destructive path of Sandy. Thanks for still sharing your great recipes (despite your hardship) I enjoy them so much! H
I'm sorry you and your neighbors are without power! I'm praying for y'all daily! xo
So sorry to hear of the hardships that you and those around you have been dealing with. Our prayers are with you. Bless you for being such a wonderful neighbor.
Prayers for you and the rest of those still suffering from Sandy! Thank you for continually updating despite your lack of power – it's always a bright spot in my day to see what awesome creation you posted.
Take care – and do you have recommendations on the best way to donate?
Oh gosh, that is heartbreaking…it's a good thing there are people out there like you who are willing to help others.
This pie looks amazing. I wonder how it would taste with a few cranberries thrown in…? You know, to complete the Thanksgiving meal! 🙂
I bet this could be altered to make it taste more like Thanksgiving. I would use sage instead of rosemary and probably alter a few things but sounds like a great idea!
THIS LOOKS AMAZING! It is definitely getting added t o next weeks meal plan! I'm super excited to try this recipe!
www.theflammilykitchen.blogspot.com
I have to commend you for staying here and giving us recipes when you and your family are going through that crisis! My thoughts are with you and the others still suffering from Sandy! Hope everything gets up and running soon! Oh and this looks absolutely delicious Gina!
Me too! Thanks Lyndsey
Hi Gina – keep safe & warm
Can you tell me if you list ounces in weight or volume when listing cheese?
Example: 6oz mozzarella in Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana
Thanks
weight
Where oh where did you find those great oven safe dishes?
I found them at Home Goods!
I was SO glad that somebody asked you where you got those dishes from, they are GORGEOUS! So I dragged my husband to Home Goods today not really expecting anything and I found 2! Not in the pretty blue like yours, but a reddy/orange one and a dark blue/purple one… and only 4 bucks each!! I've never been so happy to find a dish lol My husband has made fun of me all day 😉
Sarah
it's spelled: SHEPHERD
(get it? like someone who HERDs SHEEP)
Uh oh, got an anonymous grammar police on our hands! lol
My bad! LOL I have a lot going on this week!
I'm making it this week! Can't wait. Prayer for you and your neighbors.
Questa ricetta mi piacetantissimo, sembra davvero gustosa!!!!
Hi Gina,
I, too, am a south shore Long Islander and couldn't believe the amount of snow I saw as I walked outside my door this morning.
Thank you for reinventing an old favorite even while battling the elements.
Stay warm!
This looks so yummy for a cold day! I've made several of your recipes and have yet to be disappointed. Just wanted to let you know that we are thinking of you guys here in Ohio 🙂 Glad you at least have a generator, but I just can't imagine having to deal with another storm and then SNOW on top of it. Even growing up in Erie, PA where we always got everything from the Lake Effect we certainly never had to deal with anything like this. Prayers for everyone who is without.
Thanks Ann, this is new for all of us.
Gina – This is my favorite post ever. You spoke from the heart when you talked about the little things we take for granted. God bless and thank you for helping those in need.
Thank you, this is quite humbling!
This recipe looks great, but we don't eat mushrooms. What would be a good substitute?
You can leave them out, and just make 5 servings.
What a perfect winter meal 🙂
I love your recipies! My kids devour many of the main dishes and deserts which makes me very happy because they are very picky eaters.
I feel so helpless for all that have been so affected by these storms. I just want to go there and help in person. It's so frustrating to watch the news reports, especially the reports from Staten Island. Stay safe.
I feel the same exact way. Maybe there's an adopt a family where you can help one family? I'll look into it.
I totally agree! I've donated to The Red Cross, but want to personally do more. Gina, please let us know if you find anything.
I have lots of family still without power, and actually have a trip planned back east to visit starting this weekend. Hoping things start improving for everyone!
Sometimes ground turkey can be bland, but I love the addition of rosemary! And sweet potatoes instead of regular ones…genius!
Yeah, lots of flavor here! Hope u have power before your trip.
Just a random piece of advice. Make sure all electricity powered items are off until the power comes back on. So flip off the lights, unplug the computers, etc. If every light in house turns on at once, you can cause the transformer to blow, which can take extra weeks to fix (the power company will just put you on the back on list again).
Thanks, I feel like we are on the back of the list! We have a generator, so we are keeping everything off not to waste gas.
I'm so sorry to hear about all the hardship people are facing there on the East Coast. My thoughts are with you all. That is such a heart-breaking story. 🙁 It's so wonderful & inspiring that people like you are lending a helping hand and a warm hug to those in need. Thanks for the reminder to give thanks – even for all the little things we so often take for granted.
The recipe looks fab!! A must try for this fall/winter. I'm pinning it now :D.
I have to admit that this recipe isn't one that would automatically make me go "Ooooooohhh", but after reading through it, we just might have to try it!
Thanks for something new and different, Gina!
Different strokes for different folks 😉
I hope they get all the power issued resolved. It sounds horrible.
I am glad to be a supporter of www.operationbbqrelief.org (OBR)
This is a group of mainly competition BBQ teams like myself that go into areas of great tragedy to feed a hot meal to those in need of something other than a Pb&J. So far they have feed 40,000+ meals to Sandy victims. They are averaging about 10,000 meals a day and that number is increasing each time they get a donation.
I wish you all the best, and I hope Sandy stays in the media spotlight and the donation keep rolling in as long as needed.
Cheers,
Nate
Nate, that is a wonderful selfless organization, thanks for being a part of the Sandy relief.
This looks absolutely wonderful and I bought too many sweet potatoes for a recipe so this looks like a good way to use them!
So sorry to hear you're still without power and bless you for taking care of your neighbor like that.
I will be trying this!! My husband traveled from Southern Indiana to work on your power lines, I have not seen him since the Saturday before the storm, I am sure glad he is there to help. I hope they get you back online very soon.
Aww, I am so grateful for all the people who traveled here from out of state and are away from their family to help us.
Gina- we went 9 long cold days here in nj without power. . I was unable to cook after the first day due to having a well, so no water either. The clean-up was too much, and I had to ration the water so we could keep filling the tanks to flush the toilets. I am so impressed with your perseverance . Kristi- thanks to people like your husband our power has been restored!(actually our guys were from Georgia, but same idea) thank you so much to the workers who traveled to help, and the families that support them. We are so grateful.
Обичам турската кухня,……..все пак сме комшии:))Прекрасна рецепта!
YUM! I have to try this. Praying for you and all those affected by this horrible weather! Hope y'all get some power soon!!
This looks like a good recipe for Thanksgiving without the guilt! hope you get power back and a break from bad weather very soon.
Wondering the same thing as above… how long for large glass pyrex?
Also, I was just wondering what to do with my sweet potatoes and ground turkey. THANK YOU!
Same amount of time, keep an eye on it though to be sure.
This looks delicious! I absolutely LOVE your website …I use your recipes all the time! Sending prayers to you and your neighbors.
What is the cooking time if you make this in one large glass pyrex? Thanks! This looks really yummy!
Sure, that would work.
This looks delicious, especially for a cold snowy day like today (I also live on Long Island, but on the north shore)! I have all the ingredients except for the worcestershire, do you think I can replace it with low sodium soy sauce?
You sure can : )
I love how you made individual Shepards Pies – so cute! I've had a similar dish on my "to make" list for a while now from a recipe that I found in Clean Eating magazine but yours looks great too and just 6pts+! Yum
Oh MAN 🙁 I thought you might have gotten your power back ((HUGS)) My kids school lost power yesterday & we also lost power but Thank goodness it came back and now with this snow it's like it's never ending. At least I heard we are suppose to have a high of 60 degrees this weekend which hopefully will help in the effort of getting things done. Sending you BIG Hugs darling. I'm about to send this list to my hubs so I can make it tomorrow night 🙂
Thanks Ellie!
Our schools are still not opened until next Tuesday they are saying, but Pre-K will not be open which means my daughter will be home with me.
Stay warm Gina! Hope things get better on the East Coast soon. =)
This sounds so yummy. Since I usually just cook for myself, I love things that can be made in individual portions and frozen. Would you recommend putting them together and freezing before baking and then baking later or go ahead and bake them and then freeze for later?
Since everything is cooked, you can just bake it after.
My mom made these for me for quick meals at home as I'm also just cooking for myself. They freeze well and bake up very yummy. I did let it defrost first just to not have to run the hot oven for as long.