Venison Shepherd's Pie

Venison Shepherd's Pie

Rustic venison and root vegetable filling under a golden mashed potato crust.

• Meal Type: Dinner
• Dietary: Gluten-Free, Paleo
• Main Ingredient: Ground Venison
• Servings: 6
• Cost per Serving: $9.00
• Prep Time: 55 min

Ingredients

Venison Filling

• 1½ lb ground venison
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 medium parsnip, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup venison or beef bone broth
• 1 tsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Mashed Potato Crust

• 2 lb Yukon Gold or sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 tbsp ghee or olive oil (for paleo)
• ¼ cup warm bone broth or water
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Mashed Potato Crust

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 15–18 minutes until tender. Drain well.
2. Mash with ghee and warm bone broth until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

Make the Venison Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground venison for 6–7 minutes, breaking apart. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté onion, garlic, carrots, and parsnip for 5 minutes until softened.
4. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return venison to the skillet.
5. Add bone broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble and Bake

1. Spread mashed potato evenly over the venison filling. Use a fork to create texture on the surface.
2. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the potato topping is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
3. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Notes

Venison is exceptionally lean and high in iron, zinc, and B vitamins. This shepherd's pie is gluten-free and paleo-compliant when using sweet potato and ghee. Parsnip adds natural sweetness and fiber. Bone broth in the filling and topping adds collagen and depth of flavor.