Sweet Potato Pie is a shepherd’s-style mince pie with a sweet potato mash topping instead of regular potato — naturally gluten-free and dairy-free without any fussy substitutions. The filling is a straightforward savoury mince with vegetables and herbs, and the sweet potato topping caramelises slightly in the oven for a golden finish. It reheats well, which makes it one of the more practical things you can cook on a Sunday for the week ahead.
Before you start
Two things determine whether this pie works on a weeknight. First, brown the mince in a hot, dry pan without crowding it — if you pile it all in at once, it steams instead of browns and you lose the depth that carries the whole dish. Work in batches if your pan is small. Second, keep a close eye on the sweet potatoes while they boil: pull them when a fork slides in with just a little resistance, not when they’re falling apart. Waterlogged sweet potato mash spreads unevenly and can make the topping sink into the filling during baking. Both steps add maybe five minutes total, and both are worth it.
Common problems and fixes
- Filling is too loose and watery under the topping: Let the filling simmer uncovered for an extra 5–8 minutes before you assemble the pie. The liquid needs to reduce until the mixture holds its shape when you drag a spoon through it.
- Sweet potato topping slides off when serving: The filling was probably still too hot when you spread the mash on top. Let the filling cool for 5 minutes in the dish before adding the topping — it gives the mash something stable to sit on.
- Top doesn’t brown: Most ovens need the dish on the upper-middle rack, not the centre. If it still looks pale after the recipe’s bake time, switch to the broiler for 2–3 minutes and watch it closely.
- Mince clumps in the filling: This usually means it wasn’t broken up early enough. As soon as the mince hits the pan, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break it into small pieces continuously for the first 2 minutes — don’t walk away.
- Dish bubbling over in the oven: Place a baking sheet on the rack below the pie dish before you turn the oven on. It catches any overflow and saves you scrubbing the oven floor later — skip the foil tent over the top, it just traps steam and softens the topping.
Keeping and reheating
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container. To reheat a full portion, use the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes — this keeps the topping from going gluey, which the microwave tends to do. If you’re reheating a single serving and time is short, the microwave works fine; cover loosely and heat in 90-second bursts, checking the centre reaches 165°F (74°C) if you used turkey or chicken mince, or 160°F (71°C) for beef or lamb. This pie freezes well for up to 3 months: portion it into individual servings before freezing so you can pull out exactly what you need. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating rather than going straight from frozen, which dries out the topping.
The Sweetest of Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Topping Ingredients
- 30 ml soy milk
Filling Ingredients
⅓ medium courgettes also called zucchini (Courgettes French / Zucchini Italian)
Instructions
- Peel sweet potatoes and then boil or put them in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes – you will know once cooked as they will become soft.
- Mash the sweet potato, and add the soya milk and Greek yogurt (add ½ teaspoon of chi coconut oil if you fancy).
- Put a pan on low heat, add the chi coconut oil to melt, then and add onions, chilli, and garlic. Sautees until browned, then add the turkey and the remaining vegetables chopped. Once the turkey has cooked through, add the fish sauce or chicken stock.
- Put the filling into the bottom of a casserole dish, followed by the sweet potato topping. Flatten with a fork, grated nutmeg, and sprinkle oregano over the top.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef or lamb?
Yes, and it works well — just make sure the mince reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before you assemble the pie. Ground poultry has less fat than beef or lamb, so add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan when browning to prevent it from drying out.
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes before boiling?
Peeling before boiling is the faster route — the skin slips off easily when cooked, but peeling raw takes less than a minute and means you’re not fishing hot potato pieces out of boiling water. Either way works; raw peeling is quicker overall.
Can I assemble this pie ahead of time and bake it later?
Yes — assemble it fully, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10 extra minutes to the bake time since you’re starting from cold, and check that the filling is bubbling at the edges before pulling it out.
My sweet potato mash looks too thick to spread — what do I do?
Add a splash of the potato cooking water, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until it loosens to a spreadable consistency. Using the starchy cooking water keeps the flavour clean and avoids thinning the mash too much.
Can I make this in individual portions instead of one large dish?
Individual ramekins or small oven-safe dishes work well and cut the bake time to roughly 15–18 minutes. This is also a practical option if you want to freeze portions separately — they go straight from freezer to fridge to oven without needing to cut a large pie.
More mince recipes to try
- Hearty Beef Pie Casserole
- Aussie Kangaroo Shepherd’s Pie
- Kumara Beef Hash Cakes
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
