Switching Up Traditional Recipes – Yay or Nay? Shepherd’s Pie Edition
Hello my friends!!
Welcome to another week of delightful Fall recipe reviews!
I am still in recovery after my wisdom tooth extraction. Man oh man, it will be one month this week since the procedure, so I hope soon enough I’ll be able to chew food again!
So, this week’s review is certainly for a recipe that is decent enough for even folks who had oral surgery (I’d say at least a week or two into recovery) ;). Essentially, if you dice everything fine enough, you should have no issue consuming it. Plus, it’s a good way to get some more nutrients in you than just mashed potatoes and yogurt day after day!
Say hello to a different kind of Shepherd’s Pie–the Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie!
This recipe is by Real Food With Sarah, and you can find the recipe right -> here!
While this is called a Shepherd’s Pie, I do find it important to acknowledge that the terminology is not quite accurate if we’re looking at a traditional recipe. This would actually be called a Cottage Pie because it’s made using ground beef instead of the traditional lamb. Plus, using sweet potato? Now we’re really stirring the pot, haha!
In all honesty, this is a great take on this recipe. Plus, it’s a bit healthier, too!
Shepherd’s Pie Filling
As mentioned above, this certainly isn’t your traditional filling, so if you’re expecting that–I simply ask that you open your mind to something a little bit different. Regardless, what you should expect is a well seasoned mixture of meat and veggies that is going to taste every bit as comforting as you’d expect. I sincerely enjoyed this mixture. It had just the right mount of savory flavor combined with delightful aromatic seasoning. At the time I made this recipe, I only had dry rosemary and thyme. If you use fresh, then I can expect the flavor to be even more inviting!
Does this mixture get too thick? I’d say that it’s just the right consistency. It’s not too thick and certainly not too thin after mixing in the cornstarch slurry.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes In A Shepherd’s Pie?
I don’t often make mashed sweet potatoes, so this was certainly an experience for me. First of all, sweet potatoes take much longer to boil than a regular yellow potato. Once ready to mash, the consistency is certainly much different. I feel like sweet potatoes would still end up being more mushy than fluffy. Depending on how much mashed sweet potato you make, be mindful of how much liquid you’re also putting in. Just like regular mashed potato’s–everything you put in, do it little by little until it is fully incorporated.
And if you’re not dairy-free? Go ahead–add in the butter.
What you an expect from this mix is that it really isn’t going to be the same consistency as regular mashed potatoes. Mine ended up being more mushy than fluffy, but it was certainly well-seasoned.
Once the entire Shepherd’s Pie is baked in the oven, the moisture will cook out a bit, so you’ll not be left with a soupy mixture. Certainly no worries there.
Grey’s Grade: 4.5/5
Overall, I think this recipe is a fun spin on the traditional Shepherd’s (Cottage) Pie. It’s certainly a combination I had not thought to do mainly because I don’t often make mashed sweet potatoes. Plus, this is a very fun Fall-forward dish. I mean, the color alone! It’s a delight!
Flavor-wise? This Shepherd’s Pie certainly hit the marks for me. It was well seasoned–both the beef mixture and the potatoes. It was also a very good consistency. This was enjoyed by my husband and by me! As someone still struggling to chew after surgery, this really did hit the spot. I cannot stress that enough. The consistency was “soft” enough to consume comfortably.
Does it look good plated? Ahh…well, there’s a reason I don’t have that pictured. A pie like this does not often hold up its shape once plated and that is mainly due to the mixture on the bottom. Would a traditional pie hold up a little better? I’d vote yes. Mainly because I feel regular mashed potatoes, while fluffy, tend to hold their shape a bit more even once mashed.
If you’re looking for a different take on Shepherd’s Pie, then I do give this my thumbs up of approval. There is no doubt that this looks different, but the flavor? Oh, my friends–the flavor is there!
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