This Cottage Pie With Sweet Potato is a cozy, sweet and savoury dish featuring tender beef layered with sweet potatoes, cheddar gratin and spices. It’s a hearty meal for busy weeknights or family gatherings.

Warm, hearty, and oh-so-satisfying, this Cottage Pie With Sweet Potato combines tender beef, sweet potatoes, sharp cheddar and a blend of spices for a comforting meal packed with flavour. This wholesome casserole is perfect for weeknight dinners or family gatherings, as it brings savoury and sweet flavours to every bite.

Sweet and Salty

Let’s break this down into two.

The sweet: Smooth mashed sweet potatoes give this meal a delicate and comforting touch. I’ve seasoned the potatoes lightly to make them shine.

The salty: The meat is spiced just enough to bring a bit of a kick of savoury and spice to the meal, contrasting the sweetness of the upper layer to perfection. The other touch of salt is this fine, sharp cheddar cheese layer on top of the mashed potatoes. It brings a lovely golden finish and extra crips layer to the dish.

The Spice Mix

A light Mexican flair seasons the meat with cumin powder, oregano, chile powder, or spicy paprika. You can also use sweet or smoky paprika. This mild touch of spice contrasts perfectly with the sweet potato.

Tips and Tricks

If you want the potatoes to cook rapidly, cut them into smaller pieces.
There are many types of sweet potatoes, some sweeter than others, some more unctuous for mashing, etc. Check this link for a more precise understanding of the preferred varieties.

Variations

A regular potato is added to the sweet potatoes to make them slightly firmer and reduce sweetness. But if you have a sweet tooth, you can solely use sweet potatoes.
You can use any broth to make the meat, such as beef or chicken.
The cheese used for the topping is optional. You could switch to a fresher cheese, like mozzarella, if you prefer a stringy effect.
If you like sweet and spicy food, it’s time to make those spices shine! Add chile powder to the meat or serve with your favourite hot sauce.
Green soybeans, also known as edamame, could easily be switched to sweet peas.
For a Dairy-Free Version, use olive oil and plant-based milk for the mashed potatoes.

Storage

Keep your cottage pie fresh by storing it in the fridge for up to three days using airtight plastic wrap. To freeze it, assemble it without baking and let it cool completely. Then, wrap it in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. The freezer tends to dry the potatoes, so it is better to bake the cottage pie with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months and defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Other Baked Casseroles

5 from 1 vote

Cottage Pie With Sweet Potato

By: Marie Breton

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, Fusion, Mexican

Servings people

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Oven 40

Total Time 1 15

Savour the comforting flavours of this Cottage Pie With Sweet Potato! With tender beef, creamy sweet potatoes, and a cheddar gratin. This wholesome dish is perfect for family dinners or special gatherings.

Equipment

1 large casserole or ovenproof recipient

Ingredients

The Minced Meat

600 g ground beef
250 ml chicken broth or beef broth
100 g green soybeans or sweet peas (frozen)
½ onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp paprika spicy or sweet
salt and pepper

Sweet Potato Mash

2 sweet potatoes peeled
1 potato peeled
150 ml milk
1 tbsp butter
¼ tsp nutmeg *optional
salt and pepper

Topping

50 g cheddar sharp
parsley *optional

Instructions

In a large pan or skillet, soften the onion in olive oil at medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes.
Season the ground beef, add the garlic and sear until cooked through.
Add the broth, cumin, paprika, oregano and let it simmer until the liquid is almost gone, about 10 minutes.
During that time, cut the sweet potatoes and potato into small cubes, add to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook until soft.
Once soft, discard the water, add the butter, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash them.
Once the broth is almost all evaporated from the meat, add the tomato paste and frozen green soybeans (or peas) for a minute or two (just enough to unfreeze).
Add the meat followed by the mashed potatoes in a casserole or other ovenproof container, and top with the cheddar.
Cook in the oven at 200°C (400F) for 40 minutes or until golden.
Sprinkle with paprika and parlsey, let it cool 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Serve with a green salad or roasted veggies.

Nutrition

Keywords: casserole, Cottage Pie, gluten-free casserole, ground beef and sweet potato bake, healthy beef casserole, minced beef, sweet potato

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2 Comments

Meg says:

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SUCH a great family dinner recipe! We love casseroles, and I love this one. I like how you combined the two kinds of potatoes; I’ve never done that before. Plus the nutmeg in there is perfect, as are the spices in the meat. Also, since so many casseroles are topped with cheese, it’s a great freedom to be able to use dairy-free milk in the topping for a dairy-free casserole. Thank you!

1. Marie Breton says:
  
  at
  
  Yes, this cottage pie is easy to turn into a dairy-free option! Enjoy!