When you need a warm, comforting dish, try this paleo sweet potato shepherd’s pie. It’s tomato free so the recipe is AIP and Whole30 compliant, as well as gluten free and dairy free.

Sometimes I just crave a dish that’s warm and hearty.

However, most times that warm, hearty dish leads me to a long winter’s nap after I eat it.

That’s why I came up with this paleo sweet potato shepherd’s pie.

This low carb shepherd’s pie has all the ingredients I want in a healthy comfort food dish.

It’s got meat, vegetables, good fat, and tasty spices. You know, my three staples for any healthy meal.

You know what this recipe doesn’t have?

Tomatoes.

Or white potatoes.

These two are both in the nightshade family.

Those of us with sensitive bellies have a hard time digesting nightshades, so this is a nightshade-free recipe and it’s AIP compliant.

If you suffer from an autoimmune disease or have high levels of inflammation in your body, you may also benefit from avoiding nightshades since they can make your condition worse.

Luckily there are many workarounds in my paleo sweet potato shepherd’s pie.

Even if you have no reactions when you eat any kind of ingredient (lucky you!), you’re still going to enjoy all of the flavors of this healthy comfort food recipe.

Feel free to use your favorite meat. I’ve used both bison and ground beef, but lamb would also work well too.

We’re staying low carb by using sweet potatoes for a healthier topping.

I threw some fennel in here because I like the light, bright notes it brings to dishes.

And of course, this is a dairy free shepherd’s pie but it’s still plenty moist.

I blended some of the sauteed vegetables with some bone broth for a healthy sauce for the meat to cook in that brings all of the flavors together.

paleo sweet potato shepherd's pie in a skillet

I hope you enjoy this healthy comfort food recipe for tomato-free paleo sweet potato shepherd’s pie.

Paleo Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
{AIP, Whole30, Nightshade Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Topping

2 medium - large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup broth
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Shepherd’s Pie Filling

1 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
4 pieces of celery, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup broth
1 pound ground beef, bison, or lamb
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
Salt to taste

Instructions

Cook the sweet potatoes. You can use an InstantPot by splitting the potatoes lengthwise and putting them facedown in the pot, filled with 1 cup of water. Cook for 3 minutes and use manual release. Peel the skin off once cooled. Or peel, chop and throw sweet potatoes into boiling water until cooked through - about 15 minutes.
After the sweet potatoes cool, add them to a food processor with the coconut oil, 1/4 cup of broth, cinnamon, and salt. Quickly pulse into just blended. You don’t need a smooth puree, but you do want to mix it together until any big lumps are removed.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Sautee the carrots, onions, celery, and fennel. Add the oregano and thyme and salt to taste. After about 10 minutes or when the vegetables are cooked through, take half of the vegetable mixture and place in a blender with the broth. Pulse until combined and broken down.
Remove the other half of the sauteed vegetables from the pan and add the meat and cook through. Once the meat is cooked, remove any excess fat, and then add the pureed and sauteed vegetables back to the pan along with the coconut aminos and stir.
Place the sweet potato mash on top of the meat and vegetables in a smooth layer and place in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.