Springy Sheperd's Pie

This Shepherd's Pie is a take on the classic, cozy comfort food for those cool spring days!  It's mostly Whole30 compliant, dairy free and kid approved.  We use our hearty ground Knape beef mixture and top with creamy sweet potatoes or dairy free whipped potatoes, and baked until golden brown and bubbling.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 15minutes Servings: 8

Ingredients

beef mixture:

1 tbsp olive oil for cooking

1 1/2 lbs Knape grass fed ground beef

Sea salt and pepper (for seasoning beef)

2 cups frozen peas/carrots

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

3/4 cup beef broth

2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp fresh minced thyme or 1/4 tsp dried

1 tsp fresh minced rosemary or 1/4 dried

mashed potatoes:

3-4 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed OR 4-6 russet potatoes peeled and cubed

(2/3 cup milk if using russet potatoes)

3 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

prepare the potatoes:

Heat a 3 quart pot with water, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Add potato pieces to the boiling water, and cook until very soft. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the butter (and MILK if using white potatoes). Mash with a potato masher over very low heat, and add salt and pepper once smooth. If you want your potatoes really creamy, you can use an immersion blender at this point (I just put mine right in the pot.)

prepare beef mixture and assemble/bake pie:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

In a deep oven proof skillet* add tsp olive oil and add onion until softened about 2 minutes. Then add beef to skillet and sprinkle with sea salt. Brown beef over med/hi heat breaking up lumps with spoon. Add garlic, frozen peas and carrots, stir. Add the remaining ingredients for the beef mixture to the skillet, stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes or so to thicken the sauce and blend flavors. Spread all the mashed potatoes over the beef mixture and use a spoon or spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle with parsley, then place skillet on a large baking sheet (to catch any bubbling sauce) and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and top begins to turn light brown.Remove from oven, allow to sit about 10 minutes before serving hot. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*If you don't have an oven proof skillet, you can use a casserole dish instead to bake your shepherd's pie - cook beef mixture in a skillet and then transfer mixture to casserole dish once done cooking; spread mashed potatoes over the top and bake as instructed.