• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Vegan Atlas

  • Home
  • Easy Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Casseroles & Skillets
    • Desserts & Sweets
    • Gluten-Free
    • Holiday Roundups
    • Jewish Vegan Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Salads & Sides
    • Sandwiches & Wraps
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Stir-Fries
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Tortilla Dishes
    • Veganize This!
  • Good Food Guides
  • Tips & Trends
  • Travel & Dining
  • About
  • Nava’s Books
  • Contact

Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

October 9, 2020 By Nava Atlas Leave a Comment

This comforting, hearty vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie is a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish, but you need not wait for a holiday to enjoy it. Shepherd’s pie is already pure comfort when made with white or golden potatoes, but it becomes even more blissful when topped with sweet potatoes.

Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

A filling of beefy ground (packaged or homemade), black beans, and corn with a subtle BBQ flavor provides a visual contrast with the beautiful orange topping. This could be just the thing for impressing your host or guests at your next Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!

Vegan beefy ground options: For the “meaty” filling, you have a choice of plant-based protein options. Use your favorite plant-based beefy ground product (or even crumbled vegan burgers), or make your own easily with whole foods. A list of options is in the Notes section of the recipe box.

Plant-Powered Protein cover smaller

Learn more about Plant-Powered Protein by Nava Atlas

Recipe is from Plant-Powered Protein: 12 Recipes for Using Today’s Amazing Meat Alternatives © 2020 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie made with plant-based ground

Yield: 8 to 10

Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This comforting, hearty vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie is a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish, but you need not wait for a holiday to enjoy it.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the topping

  • 4 medium or 3 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • ½ cup plain unsweetened plant-based milk
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

For the Filling

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • ½ medium bell pepper, any color, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 to 10 ounces plant-based beefy ground (see options in Notes)
  • 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
  • 1 ½ cups bottled barbecue sauce
  • 2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning or barbecue seasoning
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. To prepare the sweet potatoes: Prick the potatoes all over with a knife or fork. Cook on high in the microwave until soft, starting with 4 minutes per potato, then adding a minutes per potato until all are done. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 425.ºF. Wrap the potatoes in foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until soft. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins. You can do this step ahead of time.
  2. Combine the sweet potatoes in a shallow bowl with the vegan butter (if the potatoes are no longer hot melt the vegan butter in a saucepan or microwave it in a small bowl). Add the plant-based milk and mash until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy. Season with salt; add a pinch of nutmeg if desired, then cover and set aside until needed. 
  3. Preheat the oven to 375º F.
  4. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the bell pepper and garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden. 
  5. Add the beefy ground beans, corn, barbecue sauce, seasoning, parsley and pepper. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat or until everything is well blended and piping hot.
  6. Lightly oil a 2-quart (preferably round or oval) casserole dish or two deep-dish pie plates. Pour in the ground-and-bean mixture, then spread the sweet potato mixture evenly over the top with a silicone spatula. 
  7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden and slightly crusty. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares or wedges to serve — or just scoop out. It doesn’t have to be neat to taste great!

Notes

Plant Protein Options

  • 8 to 10 ounces plant-based beefy ground
  • 8 ounces beef-style vegan burgers, crumbled
  • Or … here are 4 ways to make your own plant-based beef-less ground (aka crumbles). I recommend the Walnut and Mushroom Taco Crumbles for this recipe, but any will work!

© Nava Atlas
Cuisine: Plant-based / Category: Veganize This!

If you like this luscious shepherd’s pie, you might also enjoy …

Vegan Shepherd's pie from Vegan Holiday Kitchen

Vegan Shepherd’s with Lentils and Mushrooms

Here are more vegan main dishes and ways to veganize classic recipes.

Filed Under: Easy Vegan Recipes, Main Dishes, Veganize This!

About Nava Atlas

Nava Atlas is the author of many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including 5-Ingredient Vegan, Plant Power, Wild About Greens, Vegan Holiday Kitchen, and many more. A longtime dedicated vegan, find out more about her on this site's About page.

Previous Post: « A Guide to Pine Nuts – with Tips, Ideas, & Recipes
Next Post: Mediterranean Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Filter by Categories
Appetizers & Snacks
Beverages
Breads and savory baked goods
Breakfast & Brunch
Casseroles & Skillets
Desserts & Sweets
Easy Vegan Recipes
Gluten-Free
Good Food Guides
Jewish Vegan Recipes
Main Dishes
Nava's Books
Pasta & Noodles
Pizza
Recipe Roundups
Salads & Sides
Sandwiches & Wraps
Sauces & Dressings
Soups & Stews
Stir-Fries
Tips & Trends
Tofu & Tempeh
Tortilla Dishes
Travel & Dining
Vegan Holiday Roundups
Veganize This!

More results...

  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • rss
  • youtube

Vegan Recipes & Tips Delivered to you weekly!

Recent Posts

Vegan Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream copy

Vegan Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream

vegan shrimp and grits recipe

Vegan Shrimp and Grits (with a Plant-Based Bacon Option)

Vegan Pad See Eew with plant protein

Vegan Pad See Ew with Plant-Based Protein

Bunch Leeks

A Guide to Leeks (including baby leeks, ramps, and Chinese leeks)

home fermenting and preserving

An Introduction to Home Fermenting, Dehydrating, & Preserving

Homemade Vegan Quinoa Burger

Easy Homemade Vegan Burgers: A Simple Recipe Template

Copyright © 2021 The Vegan Atlas · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in