Sometimes I lay awake at night, wondering if my deceased Irish ancestors are rolling in their graves because I put kale in my Shepherd’s Pie. Then I remember that they probably have no idea what kale is, so it’s likely all good.

When it comes to comfort food, Shepherd’s Pie ranks as one of the tops. A layer of creamy mashed potatoes on top of delightful mixture of ground meat and veggies in a rich gravy cannot help but warm your heart and fill your belly.

Traditionally Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground lamb and Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. For this recipe, we’re going to throw both of those out the window in lieu of ground turkey (although either one could easily be substituted in). I just prefer the flavor combination of ground turkey with a sweet potato topping. Let tradition be damned.

I’m calling this skillet paleo shepherd’s pie because most in most shepherd pie recipes, you brown the meat and vegtables in on pan, then transfer to a casserole dish to bake with the the layer of potatoes. Being as lazy as I am when it comes to washing dishes, I decided to forgo that step and layer the potatoes right on top of the skillet. The resulting taste and presentation were both phenomenal.

Using Japanese sweet potato will create a sweet, creamy topping while still maintaining a white color.

Cube the potatoes and bring them to a boil in a large pot of salted water.

Meanwhile, sauté carrots, onions, celery and garlic in some ghee.

Add the ground turkey along with thyme, cinnamon, mace, salt and pepper and brown the turkey until no longer pink.

Add tomato paste, arrowroot powder, and chicken stock and simmer until thickened.

Finally toss in some baby kale, because why not…

By now your potatoes should be tender. Drain them and mash with more ghee, coconut cream, parsley, salt and pepper.

Go ahead and dump those mashed potatoes right on top of the skillet.

Smooth the potatoes out into a uniform layer.

Using a fork, rough up the top of the potato layer before placing the skillet in a 400º oven for about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

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Skillet Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

4 tablespoons ghee divided
2 pounds ground turkey
3 Japanese sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
2 medium onions diced
5 carrots diced
3 ribs celery diced
6 garlic cloves minced
2 cups baby kale
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 cup chicken stock
sea salt
black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º
Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a low boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Drain the potatoes and return to pot along with 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the coconut creamand mash until smooth. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ground turkey, cinnamon, thyme, and mace. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink.
Pour in the chicken stock, tomato paste, and arrowroot powder. Simmer until sauce has thickened.
Finally add the baby kale and cook until wilted. Remove the skillet from heat.
Layer the mashed sweet potatoes on top of the meat mixture. Smooth evenly, then rough the top with a fork.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the topping is slightly brown. Enjoy!

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