Sweet potato shepherd's pie with added vegetables is paleo, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free. This shepherd's pie is made with three layers: ground beef, mixed vegetables, and topped with mashed sweet potato.
Add the chopped sweet potato to a pot. Fill with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until sweet potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
Drain the excess water. Add a few chunks of butter or coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Mash until smooth and creamy. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
Puree Vegetables:
Add the chopped vegetables to a food processor or blender.
Blend until vegetables are small but not pureed. If you don't have a food processor you can chop them small by hand.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a bit of cooking oil and the vegetables. Season with salt nad pepper and sautee for 5-8 minutes. Pour them into a bowl and set aside.
Ground Beef Base:
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, tomato paste, dried oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Mix everything together evenly, breaking the ground beef apart with a spatula.
Add a bit of cooking oil to the frying pan. Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink.
Assembly:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. I used avocado oil spray.
Add the ground beef layer to the bottom of the dish. Spread evenly.
Spread the chopped vegetable layer on top. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with sweet potato. Spread out smoothly with a spatula. Turn the oven to broil. Place the dish on the top rack and turn to broil for 10-15 minutes. Watch closely making sure the sweet potato doesn't burn.
Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.