sweet potato shepherd’s pie.

by Janetha on January 26, 2011

hey guys! i hope you have all had a chance to enter my simply switches gift basket giveaway! if not, make sure you do ASAP.

you already saw my breakfast, i am about to give you the recipe for my lunch (i had leftovers) and my snack was the same as yesterday. i am making chicken piccata for dinner and ice cream for dessert. flavor yet to be determined. i did the 30 minute jackie warner circuit DVD for my moves today. now you know.

the reason i am rattling everything off so quickly is because i have a LOT to do before my trip and really, unfortunately, not much time for blogging.

i leave you with the recipe for my latest and greatest creation.. oh my gosh, this was incredible! yes, i am tooting my own horn here. this one is a winner. don’t let the sub par photos fool you. it’s a new staple in the meals & moves household! side note: whoever entered the giveaway and signed the simply switches guest book as “julia” and said you were there from meals & miles.. my blog name is meals & moves :)

onto the shepherd’s pie!

this is BFL friendly and will make your husband happy. if you have one, that is.

ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
splash of milk
cooking spray or olive oil
12 oz lean ground turkey or chicken
2-3 celery stalks, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled & diced or ~15 baby carrots, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
several dashes of worcestershire sauce
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1.5 cups steamed green beans
salt & pepper
asiago or parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

directions:

put potatoes in a large pot. cover with water and bring to a boil. boil until potatoes are fork-tender.

meanwhile, dice your celery, carrots & onion.

give your begging pup a carrot. it won’t hurt.

sauté celery, carrots & onion in a well oiled pan over medium-high heat. add a few dashes of worcestershire sauce for good luck.

add your ground turkey and cook thoroughly. don’t be afraid to use some salt and pepper, either. add more worcestershire sauce while you are at it.

add the tomato sauce and mix well to combine. make sure all your veggies are tender.. if they aren’t, keep cooking the mixture until they are.

mash your potatoes! add the splash of milk, salt and pepper so they taste perfect. the amount of the milk, salt and pepper is up to your taste buds.

have your favorite person (in my case, marshall) test out the ingredients to make sure they are all perfectly tasty.

time to assemble!

first, layer the meat mixture in an oven safe dish like so:

then, add your green beans:

next, add the mashed sweet potatoes:

finally, grate some cheese over the top:

voila!

cover it with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees.. or until the cheese is nice and bubbly and the pie is warmed throughout.

enjoy!

this recipe makes four very generous servings, here are the nutrition stats per serving:

well, i will be back tomorrow. i promise i am planning to tackle topic #4 of the 30 day question challenge! there’s just no tiiiime today!

Qs~

1. what is the last recipe you made and loved so much? it can be yours, it can be someone else’s.. leave a recipe link if you have one! if it is that good, i want to make it!

2. how far in advance do you pack for a trip? i am sooo the night before packer..

xo. janetha g.

Tagged as: jackie warner, recipe, sweet potato shepherd's pie

{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Callie @ Callieflower Kitchen January 26, 2011 at 8:14 pm

Mmm that shepherd’s pie looks awesome! I just made some really delicious pancakes, which I just posted about lol :) And I have nightmares about forgetting to pack things for a trip or showing up with no luggage, but I’m still a last minute girl too.

2 mary (what's cookin' with mary) January 26, 2011 at 8:15 pm

I think your shepard’s pie needs to be on my menu plan for next week!!

I am def a night before packer… and I dread it for days before.

The last thing I made that I really loved was what I made last night. I have to say… it’s EASY and QUICK… AND… wait for it… for the Crockpot! Yep. I’ve done it again. HAHA! Only kidding, but really… It was super yummy :D It says it serves 4-6, but I had a portion and then B ate about 85% of the rest… lol!! I had just enough to fill that small white bowl in the picure ;)

http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2011/01/thai-one-on-five-ingredient-crockpot.html

3 Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) January 26, 2011 at 8:16 pm

Dudeeeeee! That looks incredible delicious! I am bookmarking to try next week! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I am so bad about packing. We’re going on a mini-weekend trip to San Diego to see Thursday this weekend and I’m sure I’ll pack 5 minutes before we leave. I’ll probably forget something too. I suck at packing! I always end up buying something while I’m on vacation.

4 Maren January 26, 2011 at 8:21 pm

I’ve probably already said this, but Healthy Tipping Point’s Santa Fe Casserole is bomb.com! :) If you haven’t tried it, you MUST! It’s fabulous! I always double the recipe and I’ve even added chicken before!

5 Matt @ The Athlete's Plate January 26, 2011 at 8:24 pm

Mmm…

I totally need to make that!

6 mrmrscoop January 26, 2011 at 8:26 pm

Mmmm… this looks tasty!

7 Jessica @ How Sweet January 26, 2011 at 8:30 pm

I definitely want to try this – have never made shepherds pie!

8 dana @ my little celebration January 26, 2011 at 8:31 pm

Yerms. Looks tasty. Happy packing!

9 purplebirdblog January 26, 2011 at 8:34 pm

Bwahahahhahaha that somebody put Meals&Miles… toootally different blog! ;)

I love everything about your shepherd’s pie and wish my damn stomach didn’t hate cheese so much. Because that shiz looks crazygood.

I totally pack the night before.

I made this for dinner.
http://www.dairyfreebetty.com/2011/01/mushroom-kale-quinoa-risotto.html
And it was amazing. I used veggie broth instead of chicken and dill instead of savory, and I threw in some spinach too for good measure… it was faaaantastic.

10 Julia January 26, 2011 at 8:37 pm

::Hangs head in shame:: I promise I know the name of your blog. I was doing about 4 things at once and was typing too quickly. Forgive me please :)

11 Sarah January 26, 2011 at 8:38 pm

yum. i just starred this post in my reader so i remember to make this soon! :) i just made an awesome mac+cheese with roasted veggies that always satisfies my cheese cravings while still getting in lots of veg!

12 Mara @ What's For Dinner? January 26, 2011 at 8:49 pm

WOW that looks awesome. Totally going to make something similar next week!

13 K January 26, 2011 at 8:59 pm

Sweet Potato topped anything… I am in!

The last meal I was incredibly proud of was an Indian dish I made up after researching some recipes. I think it will be right up your high protein, lots of veg alley… then eat it with naan!

http://anywherethereisanairport.com/2011/01/21/indian-inspired-dinner-jealousy-ensues/

14 Rose January 26, 2011 at 9:02 pm

Recipe: Dehydrated pineapple. SO easy, and I think I ate half a pineapple while sitting here watching TV.

Packing: At least two nights before, so I can have a full day of routines to make sure I remember everything. I usually forget pajamas.

15 kissmybroccoli January 26, 2011 at 9:08 pm

Wow! That looks incredible! And it’s under 300 calories? Shut up! Bookmarked! ;)

Two weeks ago I made the best pancakes ever! Carrot pan-Cakes! Chocked full of raisins, nuts, and coconut and it kept me full for hours!

http://kissmybroccoli.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1735&action=edit

I am such a procrastinator! If not the night before…the day of! Haha

16 kissmybroccoli January 26, 2011 at 9:10 pm

Oh and dude! I meant to tell you! I bought that Jackie Warner DVD at SAMs last week and tried it out…AWESOME! She totally kicked my butt! And whenever she said, “Come on, hang in there!” I could swear she could see me sucking wind through the tv!

17 Allison @ Food For Healing January 26, 2011 at 9:17 pm

we leave saturday morning, and ive got some of my suitcase packed, its kind of just thrown together for now, ill organize friday night! eee so excited

18 Erica January 26, 2011 at 9:22 pm

ow ow – this looks so good. I love layered dishes. And you can never go wrong with sweet potatoes.

1. This crab soup was a BIG hit: http://www.itzyskitchen.com/2011/01/e-lightened-up-crab-bisque.html

2. Depends on the trip. A nice vacation- a couple days before hand. Work trip- usually the day before.

Good luck packing

19 Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) January 26, 2011 at 9:38 pm

i could HEAR the efficiency/matter of fact-ness in your voice in your opening paragraph! enjoy your trip my friend! :)

and i pack a day or so before on some stuff but am always last minute for what seems like tons of odds n ends.

cheezy noochey veggie bake was my last ‘winner’ of a savory recipe!

20 Tw January 26, 2011 at 9:56 pm

B/c I pack for kids….I have a guest bed that I lay things out on…2-4 days beforehand. That way I can go back and check for certain things. I used to have a TYPED baby list of essentials(yes its true).

Recipe: I made millet tonight….hmm fam is up in the air about it. I am going to add honey and cinnamon in the morning to see if its good.
My fave: pumpkin choc. chip bread!! I popped out of the freezer for the kids today. I did not eat one bite(BFLIFE) plus I have been sick with the coughing crud for a week. So that means NO cheats…

21 Teri [a foodie stays fit] January 26, 2011 at 9:58 pm

shepherd’s pie has never really been my thing. but THIS one sounds awesome. Good call on the sweet potatoes! I’ll have to try it.

I just posted a recipe that I’m pretty darn proud of it. So tasty. Protein Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Cookie. Do it. http://afoodiestaysfit.com/2011/01/protein-packed-pumpkin-pie-breakfast-cookie-oh-yes/

I’m totally a night-before packer.

Good luck getting everything done before your trip!

love ya!

22 Katy (The Singing Runner) January 26, 2011 at 10:24 pm

Looks amazing! I’ll have to play around and find a sub for the meat but I love sweet potatoes and this looks delicious! :D

I usually pack a few days in advance, but it’s the unpacking that I’m HORRIBLE at…. I definitely haven’t unpacked from the Disney 1/2 marathon, which was almost 3 weeks ago. :/

23 edenseats January 26, 2011 at 11:28 pm

Have a great time on your trip!
Not to toot my own horn (actually, eff that, I’m tooting it!), but I made the best coconut flour donuts today! I have to thank deb though for inspiring me to do them :)

And I’m terrible, I practically back when the plane is boarding!

24 MelissaNibbles January 27, 2011 at 2:32 am

I want the Jackie video so bad! I also want to make that dinner. I don’t have a husband, but maybe if I make it, I will get one?

25 Cathy K January 27, 2011 at 4:17 am

good luck with the packing! i’m the opposite – i start organizing like at least a week before…because i start with a HUGE pile which i then take items away from as the week progresses. always think i’ll need more than i do…hello, bikini is really the only important item, no?!
i made a lentil tomato soup from ED&BV this week – first recipe from that book! even the meat eating husband loved it!
don’t forget the sunscreen! :)

26 Katie January 27, 2011 at 4:44 am

I need a sweet casserole dish like you have there, that is really nice and I need your puppy ; ) sooooo cute!

Last thing I made that I loved, well actually it was turkey chili in the crockpot, my fiance always loves it too!

I pack the night before too and I also pack way toooooo much ; ) hey a girl has alot of needs, I have to overpack to be safe ; )

love u! xoxo

p.s. I tried entering the giveaway, must of done it wrong, and they said I was a spammer so now I cant get on and enter : ( its ok though, my dumb fault for messing it up somehow !

27 Lauren January 27, 2011 at 4:46 am

Love this recipe!!!! I’ve always wanted to use sweet potatoes for shepherds pie. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve even had shepherds pie the regular way.

28 lindsay January 27, 2011 at 5:02 am

sweet mother of joseph, thank you. My hubs will be lickin the casserole dish for sure!
I pack the day before, but I usually pack light. More room to buy stuff, haha!

29 Heather January 27, 2011 at 5:36 am

OMG, I love sweet potatoes and I love pie – perfect combo! I’m totally making this.

30 movesnmunchies January 27, 2011 at 5:51 am

TOTALLY KEEPING THIS RECIPE!!!

31 Heather January 27, 2011 at 5:55 am

see, i think that i’m a good packing planner…but what ALWAYS happens is i realize the night before that i haven’t done laundry, freak out, and then stay up WAY too late packing for an early flight. you’d think i’d learn, right?!

32 movesnmunchies January 27, 2011 at 6:26 am

wait what constitutes a large sweet tater??? ahah i think mine might be too small.. but not sure!

33 Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine January 27, 2011 at 6:32 am

Shepherd pie has been calling to me lately…when I bought a tea in a cafe yesterday I saw a vegetarian shepherd’s pie SANDWICH that looked amazing!! Can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes in anything, either :)

34 Eates-a-lot January 27, 2011 at 6:36 am

Ahhh – that looks amazing. I’m salivating.. at 8:36 in the morning.
thank you!

35 Blog is the New Black January 27, 2011 at 6:37 am

Just made Shep’s pie! Love it!

36 Naomi(onefitfoodie) January 27, 2011 at 7:01 am

omg my protein turkey meatloaf!!! i have made it twice in 2 weeks haha it was so good!!

that dish is awesomely delicious looking you have this amazing ability to throw ingredients in and have it come out SO good!! i loved your turkey garbanzo bake and still make it to this day!!

37 Kristin (Cook, Bake, Nibble) January 27, 2011 at 7:04 am

This recipe looks SUPER good! The latest thing I made and really loved was my lentil stew, recipe here:
http://cookbakenibble.com/2011/01/13/health-matters/

and I used to be SO good at packing like, a week before. Then I got lazy and well… we’re leaving tomorrow at three and I haven’t thought about packing! ;)

38 Freckled Foodie January 27, 2011 at 7:05 am

mmM! i bet my dad would love this! shephard’s pie is his favorite dish!

xo.

39 Patricia Braithwaite January 27, 2011 at 7:09 am

That recipe looks so good. I have made that before minus the sweet potatoes, but man oh man I am switching it up for sure. Of course I have tried a lot of your recipes and love them all. You really do need to write that cookbook.
Have fun onyour trip!

40 Ashley @ 365 things January 27, 2011 at 7:17 am

Ha! That balancing greenbean pic is so typical of men. It made me smile.

My best recipe is my beef stew. I can make a mean one, very mean.

I usually start packing about a week in advance and do a little each day. (Does that make me crazy?) I can’t back the bathroom stuff until the morning of, so that is always the last to be packed.

41 Kathie @ Frugal Fit and Fabulous January 27, 2011 at 7:29 am

oh that sounds so good!!! i will have to try it with my husband but he and the litte one are SUCH picky eatters I have a feeling they may not like it…Le Sigh…

As for packing…i’m way too OCD about stuff like that…i would start packing a few days to a week before…and i use checklists too. HA

42 withasideofhope January 27, 2011 at 7:47 am

That shepherd’s pie looks so incredible! I’ve never had it before. I definitely need to try making it!

I usually pack either two days before or the night before. I like to organize everything the night before so I don’t forget anything. :)

43 lowandbhold January 27, 2011 at 7:50 am

Looks amazing! I usually start packing at least a week before. I’m a crazy person.

44 natalie short January 27, 2011 at 8:03 am

i pack the night before. if i packed any sooner i would end up living out of suitcase at my own house.

ive bad this broccoli soooo much, i sometimes make it for a main course if i am eating alone. its really just a side item. the name is accurate, it seriously was the best broccoli of my life. http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

45 natalie short January 27, 2011 at 8:04 am: ive HAD this broccoli***

Reply

46 Candice January 27, 2011 at 8:08 am

JANETHA- this recipe just made my day! My mom used to make this ALL the time.. which I usually dread because it was always to salty, and Im not a mashed potato fan.. BUT sweet potatoes rock my world. So I think Ill give it a try with ground turkey.
Thanks!!
And I hope to see you at GPP soon!!

47 Laurie January 27, 2011 at 8:49 am

Janetha, that looks so good!! I can’t wait to try that! Thanks for the recipe!

48 Jessye January 27, 2011 at 8:51 am

I make a batch of these homemade black bean burgers every month or so to have for fast lunches and dinners on the run! I highly recommend them!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx

49 Bean Blog! January 27, 2011 at 8:56 am

trips – have to say i pack WAYYYY ahead of time, but end up packing a million things the day of!

Sheppards pie, yamstyle, yeah totally made james’ life right there.
I tried this recipe too : pan fry/wok some chicken breast strips, cut yams into strips like fries, add my “batter recipe” to them, add some garbanzo/chickpeas with some hickory smoke dressing, salad and a bit of cheese, and BAM wrap it all up into a sweet chicken p-ahita, get it, fajita, onto with a sweet potato ; ) oh im clever.

50 todayilovemylife January 27, 2011 at 9:36 am

Ok, you should see Huli try to eat carrots. It’s hilarious. Also, you have been my ultimate recipe inspiration lately. Thank you! I have kitchen block. Love you. That’s all. xoxo

51 Pure2raw twins January 27, 2011 at 9:47 am

Recent meal I ate and loved is our raw carrot cake http://www.pure2raw.com/2011/01/easy-flourless-vegan-eggfree-carrot-cake/ Love it!

I tend to pack the night before I leave ;) lol

52 eliza January 27, 2011 at 10:32 am

Yum! I have been making a super quick healthy and easy coleslaw by combing chopped cabbage and chopped carrots together. Then I add a little bit of honey, hot sauce, and oil to that. It is delicious served with seafood!

53 Stacy January 27, 2011 at 11:15 am

I am going to add this as a recipe to try. I never would have though to use sweet potatoes in sub of mashed potatoes–duh! It’s a fantastic idea!!!

54 cbrady3 January 27, 2011 at 11:30 am

Last night I went to a Vegan cooking class and got to make a chocolate apple upside-down cake. It was AMAZING and by a woman named Molly Brady. My last name!:)

55 Kate January 27, 2011 at 11:52 am

That looks delicious! So delicious, that I’ll probably be making it for dinner tonight! 2 recipes (both from CookingLight.com):

Maple Grilled Salmon: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001816349

Cocoa Fudge Cookies: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000226790

Thanks for all your posts. For the record, I had a toasted WW English Muffin with Cream Cheese and Jam last night. You posts were taunting me, and I finally just did it. After finishing, I immediately died, and I’m pretty sure that place I went was Heaven. :)

56 janetha January 27, 2011 at 11:53 am: haha YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply

57 Katie January 27, 2011 at 11:56 am

I’ve made this exact recipe before…did I get it from your recipe pages?? I can’t remember, but I DO remember that it was delicious AND made the husband verrry happy. :-)

58 janetha January 27, 2011 at 11:58 am: haha no because i just made it up in my head the other night! i just went off things i knew were already in shepherd’s pie though, so it’s pretty basic. that is too funny. it is soo good.

Reply

59 melissadishes January 27, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Dan is a night before or day of packer.
I am usually packing no later than 3 days before.

Last recipe I tried that I really loved was the spaghetti squash stir fry from Oxygen that I made and reviewed at the beginning of this week

60 Holly January 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm

I have never made a Shepherds Pie but you make it look pretty easy!

I totally understand having 10000 things to do before a trip — I think it happens to all of us!

61 Dawn (HealthySDLiving) January 27, 2011 at 1:27 pm

This looks amazing! I made a cauliflower shepherd’s pie once – I’ll have to try this for sure!!

62 One Healthy Apple January 27, 2011 at 2:00 pm

This looks so great! I would love to make an all veggie version of this and think it would be great!

I pack the night before and sometimes the morning of. It’s the excuse I give myself that it helps me remember everything!

63 Salah January 27, 2011 at 2:08 pm

that shepherds pie looks amazing!!!

64 Sarah (Running To Slow Things Down) January 27, 2011 at 2:21 pm

That looks amazing!! I can’t believe I never thought to use sweet potatoes in shepherds pie. :D

I am most definitely a “night before” packer. One time, I was even a “morning of” packer. That was definitely a little too insane. ;)

65 Errign January 27, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Um, drool over that recipe. On my to-make list!

I am definitely a night-before-packer – so much easier :)

66 Caree @ Fit-Mama January 27, 2011 at 2:52 pm

oohh I love shepherds pie!! and this looks awesome. I must try.

I am totally a last minute packer…sometimes even the morning of :/

67 K is for Karma January 27, 2011 at 3:04 pm

So….Confession…I didn’t have a sweet potato until this year.

No lie!

I’m officially obsessed, no worries :)

Your post made me decided to have one for dinner tonight — now it’s 4 PM and i’m already salivating over potential recipes….mmm!

68 Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather January 27, 2011 at 5:13 pm

The last thing I made and loved was your taco soup in the crockpot. I actually had leftovers for lunch today. It never disappoints!

Your shepherds pie sounds so good! Give me sweet potatoes and I’m a happy girl.

69 lynn @ the actor's diet January 27, 2011 at 5:22 pm

i tried making sweet potato shepherd’s pie once, an epic fail. yours looks a lot better!

70 BroccoliHut January 27, 2011 at 7:15 pm

Genius! Yet another excuse for me to eat more sweet potato:)

71 Liz January 30, 2012 at 8:16 pm

Made this tonight, SO good! I’ve never had Shepard’s Pie before but I know this recipe will be made again and again! Started reading your blog about 2 weeks ago and have been loving it so far, keep up the good work!

72 Alison February 11, 2012 at 9:26 pm