Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie with Pecan Streusel

• Servings 7
• Time About 2 1/2 hours total (about 1 hour active)

Ingredients

Crust (9x13 white casserole, bottom crust)

• 3 3/4 cups (454g) flour
• 1 cup (1 block) (227g) cold butter, cubed (Kirkland grass-fed)
• 1 tsp (6g) fine salt (1/2 tsp if butter is salted)
• 9 Tbsp+ (135g+) ice water, more 1 Tbsp at a time as needed

Sweet potato topping

• 3 lb (~1360g) Japanese Murasaki sweet potatoes, scrubbed, whole
• 4 Tbsp (56g) butter
• 1/2 cup (120g) warm milk, plus a splash if stiff
• 1 tsp (6g) salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper

Beef filling

• 1.34 lb (607g) organic ground beef, 85/15
• 1 large (~300g) white onion, diced
• 3 (~250g) carrots, diced
• 3 cloves (~9g) garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (6g) salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme + 1/2 tsp rosemary + 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp (32g) tomato paste + 1 Tbsp (15g) Worcestershire
• 2 Tbsp (16g) flour
• 3/4 cup (180g) beef broth

Pecan streusel

• 1/2 cup (55g) pecans, chopped
• 2 Tbsp (16g) flour
• 1 Tbsp (12g) brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp (28g) butter, melted + pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Sweet potatoes: put them whole on the Instant Pot trivet with 1 cup (240g) water. High pressure 15 minutes, natural release 10 minutes.
2. Crust: cut the butter into the flour and salt until pea-size. Add ice water until the dough just holds when squeezed. Chill at least 30 minutes.
3. Scoop the warm potatoes from their skins. Whip with the butter, then the milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. They can cool while the dough chills.
4. Preheat to 400°F. Roll the dough into the 9x13 dish, prick it with a fork, line it with parchment, and add weights. Bake 15 minutes, remove the weights, and bake 5-8 minutes more until dry.
5. Filling: brown the beef with the onion and carrots, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and spices for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire, sprinkle in the flour, add the broth, and simmer 5 minutes until thick.
6. Lower the oven to 375°F. Spread the filling in the crust, then spread the sweet potatoes over it to the edges.
7. Bake 20 minutes. Mix the streusel, sprinkle it on, and bake 10 minutes more. Don't broil it.
8. Rest 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Levers and swaps

• Onion: White (used): savory balance; Yellow: nearly the same; Sweet: makes the dish too sweet with the sweet potatoes
• Sweet potatoes: Murasaki (used): drier, nuttier; Orange: wetter and sweeter, so use less milk; Half russet: more savory and classic
• Greens: Spinach or kale: stir in at the end; Green beans: 1-inch pieces, cook with the carrots; Frozen corn: sweeter, classic

From Travis's kitchen

Made on October 20, 2026, and it was a dinner success. The recipe was scaled to 7 servings. Murasaki sweet potatoes were used; they are dry, so milk was added as needed. There were no peas on hand; spinach or green beans were noted as a green substitute.

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