The crisp fall weather calls for a hearty shepherd’s pie to warm you up on a chilly evening. This Lamb and Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie takes the classic comfort dish to a whole new level with a flavorful lamb filling, a medley of roasted root vegetables, and a creamy sweet potato crust infused with butter, sour cream, and orange zest. It’s rustic, rich, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Heather’s Notes

• This recipe elevates a traditional shepherd’s pie with a colorful twist by using roasted beets, carrots, and onions for depth and natural sweetness.
• The sweet potato and orange zest crust adds a bright, slightly tangy layer that complements the savory lamb filling beautifully.
• Using cubed lamb shoulder makes the filling hearty and authentic, with a richness that ground meat just can’t match.
• It’s a complete one-pan meal, loaded with protein, vegetables, and comfort in every bite.
• Perfect for make-ahead meal prep since it reheats wonderfully and tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Roasted Root Vegetables

• Beets – peeled, diced, and roasted until tender for earthy sweetness.
• Onions – caramelize slightly while roasting, adding flavor depth.
• Carrots – peeled and diced, roasted for natural sweetness.
• Fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, or parsley for brightness.

Sweet Potato Crust

• Sweet potato or yam – boiled and mashed for the topping.
• Butter – for creaminess.
• Sour cream – makes the crust fluffy and tangy.
• Orange zest – a citrusy lift that balances the savory filling.

Lamb Filling

• Butter – for sautéing vegetables.
• Mushrooms – earthy richness to enhance the lamb.
• Fresh sage – aromatic depth.
• Flour – thickens the filling.
• Cubed lamb shoulder – tender, meaty base of the dish.
• Red wine – deglazes the pan and adds robust flavor.
• Garlic – fragrant backbone to the sauce.
• Kosher salt & black pepper – to season.

Substitutions & Variations

• Vegetarian version: Swap the lamb for lentils and vegetable broth.
• No beets? Use parsnips or rutabaga for an earthy root veg swap.
• Wine-free option: Substitute beef or chicken stock for the red wine.
• Herb variations: Try fresh oregano or marjoram if sage isn’t on hand.
• Different crust: Regular russet mashed potatoes or even cauliflower mash work well.

See below for full printable recipe card and step-by-step instructions

How to Make Lamb & Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

1. Roast the Root Vegetables
   Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss beets, onions, and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 40–45 minutes.
2. Prepare the Sweet Potato Crust
   Bake sweet potatoes until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Remove and cool until easily handled. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash with butter, sour cream, orange zest, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cook the Lamb Filling
   In a heavy ovenproof skillet, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, garlic, sage, salt and pepper. Brown for about 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add to a bowl. In a medium bowl add the cubed lamb, flour, salt and pepper. Toss to coat each piece. Add to the skillet with remaining butter and sear until browned.
4. Deglaze the pan
   Deglaze with red wine, scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute. Add the slivered garlic, sage, mushrooms, roasted root vegetables, and browned lamb. Simmer until the lamb is tender and sauce has thickened.
5. Assemble the Pie
   Spread sweet potato mash over the top of the lamb mixture, smoothing evenly.
6. Bake to Finish
   Bake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes until the crust is golden and slightly crisp around the edges. Serve hot.

Tips for Storing

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
• Reheat individual servings in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
• Freeze unbaked assembled pie for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking.
• For best texture, avoid freezing the sweet potato topping separately.

FAQs

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Lamb & Roasted Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Heather

This lamb & roasted root vegetable shepherd's pie has a few steps, but it comes together easily and is so delectable and elegant.

5 from 1 Review

PREP TIME:20 minutes mins

COOK TIME:1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

TOTAL TIME:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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Roasted Root Vegetables

• 2 medium beets, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces
• ½ large yellow onion, peeled & cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 medium carrots, scrubbed, scraped & cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 sprigs fresh sage
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Mashed Yam Topping

• 1 large yam, scrubbed
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ orange, zested
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Lamb Filling

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 4 large mushrooms, cleaned and cut into bit sized pieces
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, coarsely chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tso kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 lb lamb shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup red wine, or chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, slivered
• 2 tsp fresh sage, minced

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Instructions

 

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• Preheat oven to 425º F.
• In a small baking dish add the beets, onion, carrots, sage sprigs, tablespoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper and pinch of pepper flakes. Toss gently to coat and roast for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (leave the oven on)
• Add the yams to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a knife. Remove and allow to cool just until you are able to handle them. Put the yam flesh in a medium bowl and add 2 teaspoons butter, sour cream, orange zest and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• While the vegetables are cooking, heat an oven proof skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon butter and add the mushrooms, sage and season with salt and pepper. Brown the mushrooms, about 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add to the roasted vegetables.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and pepper and toss the lamb pieces in the flour mixture, removing any excess flour. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining butter. Add the lamb in a single uncrowded layer and brown on each side. Remove to the roasted vegetable dish as they brown, repeat with remaining lamb.
• Add the wine and deglaze the pan scraping up the browned bits in the pan, about 1 minute. Add the slivered garlic and sage and add the roasted vegetables, mushrooms and lamb. Toss to coat in the red wine mixture and remove from the heat. Top with the yam mixture and bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top is starting to brown and the lamb mixture is bubbling around the edges. Remove and serve immediately.

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Notes

Disclaimer: I received a lamb shoulder from Border Springs Farm for the purpose of recipe development.  I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own. One person will be selected from a group of 7 food bloggers to receive an all expense paid trip to the Charleston Wine + Food Festival.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 1139mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5372IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg

*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.

course of this recipeCourse: Dinner

cuisine typeCuisine All Cuisines

keywords used in this recipeKeyword: lamb recipes, savory pie recipes

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It’s that time again.  Lambs & clams time, that is.  For the past 2 months I have been doing a post about either lamb or clams for the Charleston Wine + Food Festivals Lamb and Clams contest.  The person who wins the most votes over a 4 month period will get an all expense paid trip to the festival in March.  To say I am excited about this challenge would be an understatement.  I love a good challenge…and especially when it incorporates food.

This month’s challenge is Border Springs Farms Lamb Shoulder.

See the Other Entries for this Month:

• Taste Food Blog – Pomegranate Lacquered Lamb with Quinoa Pilaf & Spicy Hummus
• A Cook Blog – Cassoulet
• Mango Tomato – Lamb Tacos
• Eat Drink RI – Braised Lamb Shoulder
• One Vanilla Bean – Arepas with Shredded Lamb, Sofrito & Herb Oil

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Hi! I’m Heather

I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.

Learn More About Heather →