Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe - My Shepherd's Pie casserole is made with ground beef, carrots, peas and onions in a flavor-packed gravy. Top with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The pie is baked to golden perfection and finished with fresh chopped parsley.
This is technically a "Cottage Pie" because it is made with ground beef instead of the traditional "Shepherd's Pie" which is made with ground lamb. You can definitely use ground lamb in this recipe if you prefer! You can also use ground turkey or even use a 50/50 blend.
Shepherd's Pie is the ultimate kid-friendly comfort food casserole perfect for the whole family. My recipe will serve about 6 people depending on everyone's appetite.
Ingredients You Need To Make Shepherd's Pie:
Ground Beef Pie Filling:
Olive Oil - We use a combination of butter and oil to cook the veggies in.
Butter - Salted or unsalted butter.
Carrots - One cup of freshly chopped carrots which is equivalent to about two carrots.
Onions - One cup chopped yellow, white or red onion.
Ground Beef - We use lean ground beef in our Shepherd's Pie. You can also use ground lamb or turkey.
Garlic - Fresh garlic is best in this recipe. We use two garlic cloves. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can use one teaspoon dried garlic.
Peas - You can use frozen or canned peas in this recipe. You'll need one cup.
Tomato Paste - Tomato paste is used in the ground beef mixture. This adds a nice robust flavor.
Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar.
Worcestershire Sauce - Adds a nice flavor to the ground beef mixture.
Balsamic Vinegar - Adds a delicious flavor to the ground beef.
All-Purpose Flour - We use flour to thicken the gravy while making the ground beef layer.
Chicken Broth - Chicken or beef broth both work great in this recipe.
Mashed Potato Layer:
Potatoes - You'll need four large russet potatoes to make the mashed potatoes.
Butter - I use unsalted butter in the mashed potatoes. You can use salted butter as well, just be sure to taste test before adding salt.
Milk - Milk will go into the mashed potatoes. I use whole milk in this recipe. You can also use half and half.
Cream Cheese - Adds a delicious creamy flavor to the mashed potatoes. You can also use sour cream.
Parmesan Cheese - I like to use freshly grated parmesan cheese but you can use your preference. This will go into the mashed potatoes and sprinkled on top of the pie before baking.
Seasonings - Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Parsley, Thyme. We use the listed seasonings in the ground beef layer and mashed potatoes.
How To Make Homemade Shepherd's Pie:
For The Ground Beef Layer:
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Add ground beef and garlic and cook until browned. Spoon off any excess grease.
Stir in peas, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with flour, thyme and parsley and stir to combine. Slowly pour in chicken broth and bring to a low simmer and cook until gravy thickens.
Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees.
For The Mashed Potatoes:
Place cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil and cook until potatoes are very tender.
Drain potatoes into colander and transfer back to the saucepan. Stir in butter, cream cheese, milk, salt, garlic powder, parsley and black pepper. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in half of the parmesan cheese.
Arrange Shepherd's Pie:
Add ground beef mixture to the bottom of a 4 quart dish. Top with creamy mashed potatoes and sprinkle top with remaining parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until top is golden.
Tools to have on hand:
Casserole Dish - You'll need a four quart casserole dish to bake the Shepherd's Pie in.
Skillet - We use a skillet to cook the ground beef and veggie mixture.
Saucepan or Dutch Oven - To make your mashed potatoes in.
Cutting Board and Chef Knife - For prepping your veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions:
In a traditional shepherd's pie, ground lamb is used. You can use ground lamb in this recipe if you want to. You can also use ground turkey. I sometimes like to use a 50/50 blend of ground turkey and beef.
Store leftovers completely cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
You can freeze shepherd's pie in an airtight freezer bag. I recommend cooling the pie off completely and freezing individual servings. That way you can easily thaw and reheat one serving at a time.
More Recipes like Shepherd's Pie:
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- White Chicken Lasagna Rolls
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Ground Beef Layer
- ½ tablespoon Butter
- ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Carrots chopped
- 1 cup Yellow Onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 ½ lb Ground Beef lean
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 cup Peas canned or frozen
- 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1 ½ cups Chicken or Beef Broth
Mashed Potatoes
- 4 large Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
- ½ Stick Butter (¼ cup)
- ½ cup Milk
- 2 tablespoon Cream Cheese or sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese divided
Instructions
For The Ground Beef Layer:
- Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Add ground beef and garlic and cook until browned. Spoon off any excess grease.
- Stir in peas, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with thyme, parsley, flour and stir to combine. Slowly pour in chicken broth and bring to a low simmer and cook until gravy thickens.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For The Mashed Potatoes:
- Place cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil and cook until potatoes are very tender.
- Drain potatoes into colander and transfer back to saucepan. Stir in butter, cream cheese, milk, salt, garlic powder, parsley and black pepper. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in half of the parmesan cheese.
Arrange Shepherd's Pie:
- Add ground beef mixture to the bottom of a 4 quart dish. Top with creamy mashed potatoes and sprinkle top with remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until top is golden. When done, let pie cool slightly before slicing and serving. Sprinkle top with fresh chopped or dried parsley.
Nutrition
Neil
Absolutely loved it! My family thinks we should have it again real soon.