Author:
Kevin Curry
Healthy BBQ Shepherd’s Pie
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This is not your average Food Network shepherd’s pie recipe! The shepherd’s pie, while delicious, can be on the heavier side of comfort food so in this recipe, I’m switching things up. Even though classic shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, the most common form we see it in is with ground beef. For this dish, instead of ground beef, I’m using ground turkey and rather than mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes top the dish. It is usually seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, but here I replace that with a splash of barbecue sauce.
This shepherd’s pie is quick and easy, making it ideal for after workout meals. It freezes very well too which means you can portion it out into Tupperware and grab and go for work lunch. The frozen peas, onions, carrots, corn, and tomatoes provide a generous serving of veggies, while the lean protein of ground turkey helps keep you on track with your health and fitness goals. Should you not have tomatoes on hand, a small can of tomato paste can work just as well.
If you make the filling beforehand in an instant pot, it cuts the cooking time down. A potato masher can help speed up the process too my making the sweet potatoes smooth and creamy, but you can also throw it into a food processor if you don’t have one. Spoon the meat filling into a casserole dish, top with the mashed sweet potatoes and reduced fat cheddar cheese if using. Put it into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and serve piping hot.
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If you enjoyed my shepherd’s pie recipe, please shoot me a message or drop a comment in the comment section below. If you are looking for more healthy recipes to work into your meal plans, take a look at my other posts. I think it is important for food to both taste good and be good for you.
Healthy BBQ Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Substitution
Note
Ingredients for at least 5 servings:
- Topping
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (~300g each)
- 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp cinnamon*
- Filling
- 1.5 lb extra lean turkey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can (15oz) low sodium black beans (drained)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (diced)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2/3 cup red onion
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- Condiments & seasonings:
- 1 cup low sodium natural BBQ sauce
- 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cayenne*
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish
- Freshly chopped green onions
- 5/8 cup (1/8 cup each serving) reduced-fat cheddar cheese*
* – denotes an optional ingredient
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Rinse the sweet potatoes and place them in a large pot and add water until they are completely covered.
Step 3
Boil the sweet potatoes for about 25 minutes or until they are soft and can be pierced with a fork.
Step 4
Allow them to slightly cool, then chop the ends off the sweet potato and peel the skin off. Chop the flesh into pieces and place them in a bowl.
Step 5
Add Greek yogurt to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or mix using a hand blender/mixer. I recommend using a hand mixer if you have one so that the potatoes are whipped and fluffy. Set aside.
Step 6
Set a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, spray with coconut oil and sauté red onions with garlic. Cook until the red onions turn brown and translucent.
Step 7
Toss in lean ground turkey and chop and stir with a wooden spatula.
Step 8
Add the seasonings (except for the BBQ sauce and Dijon) and continue to stir.
Step 9
Then, add diced tomatoes and black beans. Stir quickly to ensure it is all mixed together. Then add frozen vegetables and carrots. Stir.
Step 10
Reduce heat to medium and pour in the BBQ sauce and Dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly, ensuring that the sauce is evenly spread throughout the mixture.
Step 11
Add the mixture to individual baking tins or a large casserole dish. Then, top with the whipped sweet potatoes. If you would like to add cheese, then evenly spread the cheese over each individual casserole or the large baking dish.
Step 12
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Once it has finished baking, garnish with freshly chopped green onions.
Step 13
Devour and watch your muscles to grow.
Approximate macros for 1 of 5 servings without cheddar cheese:
Healthy BBQ Shepherd’s Pie
Kevin Curry
Ingredients for at least 5 servings:
- Topping
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (~300g each)
- 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp cinnamon*
- Filling
- 1.5 lb extra lean turkey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can (15oz) low sodium black beans (drained)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (diced)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2/3 cup red onion
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- Condiments & seasonings:
- 1 cup low sodium natural BBQ sauce
- 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cayenne*
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish
- Freshly chopped green onions
- 5/8 cup (1/8 cup each serving) reduced-fat cheddar cheese*
* – denotes an optional ingredient
-
Set oven to 420F.
-
Rinse the sweet potatoes and place them in a large pot and add water until they are completely covered.
-
Boil the sweet potatoes for about 25 minutes or until they are soft and can be pierced with a fork.
-
Allow them to slightly cool, then chop the ends off the sweet potato and peel the skin off. Chop the flesh into pieces and place them in a bowl.
-
Add Greek yogurt to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or mix using a hand blender/mixer. I recommend using a hand mixer if you have one so that the potatoes are whipped and fluffy. Set aside.
-
Set a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, spray with coconut oil and sauté red onions with garlic. Cook until the red onions turn brown and translucent.
-
Toss in lean ground turkey and chop and stir with a wooden spatula.
-
Add the seasonings (except for the BBQ sauce and Dijon) and continue to stir.
-
Then, add diced tomatoes and black beans. Stir quickly to ensure it is all mixed together. Then add frozen vegetables and carrots. Stir.
-
Reduce heat to medium and pour in the BBQ sauce and Dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly, ensuring that the sauce is evenly spread throughout the mixture.
-
Add the mixture to individual baking tins or a large casserole dish. Then, top with the whipped sweet potatoes. If you would like to add cheese, then evenly spread the cheese over each individual casserole or the large baking dish.
-
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Once it has finished baking, garnish with freshly chopped green onions.
-
Devour and watch your muscles to grow.
Nutrition per serving
Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!
Sep 10 2023
My daughter made this for me. Incredibly savory and satisfying. It has such a melange of flavors that all work well together. Creamy sweet potatoes Yum. I’ll definitely make it myself.
Awesome, glad you like it.