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Shepherd’s Pie layers a savory ground beef and vegetable filling with creamy mashed potatoes and melted cheddar on top. It’s a simple, no-fuss casserole our family has loved for generations.
My Favorite Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
This easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe was definitely one of those “rotation meals” in our family growing up. My family actually called it “hamburger pie” and I actually didn’t realize everyone else called it “Shepherd’s pie” until after I was married. My mom would usually serve it if we had leftover mashed potatoes (and sometimes roast) from Sunday dinner, which made it an even easier weeknight dinner. It is one of those dinners that all my picky eaters will eat (which is saying something).
The version my mom made us growing up always had French-style green beans, and that’s still how I like to make it. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can really add whatever you want to the mix so your family will eat it. I have had versions with zucchini, corn, and even cauliflower. It’s a super simple recipe, but it’s one I’ve known for as long as I can remember and still love to this day. I would love to hear how your family enjoys Shepherd’s pie! Leave a comment below and share your family stories!
🩷Erica
Ingredients in Shepherd’s Pie
Potatoes: Russet potatoes, butter, milk, and salt make a topping that’s easy to spread. Leftover Homemade Mashed Potatoes work well, and prepared instant mashed potatoes are fine when you need a shortcut. Just keep them thick enough to sit on top of the filling.
Filling: Ground beef, onion, carrots, garlic, peas, French-style green beans, and a little olive oil. We’ve always added French-style green beans to ours, and I still love it that way. You can also use leftover roast in place of the ground beef, which is something my mom would do when we had some left from Sunday dinner. Frozen mixed vegetables can work too if you want an easy shortcut.
Sauce: Tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and flour make the gravy that holds the filling together. My dad likes his extra tomato-y, so if we know he’s coming over, we usually add another can of tomato sauce and cut back a little on the beef broth. You can also use tomato soup in place of the tomato sauce for a slightly sweeter, creamier version.
Seasonings: Thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Taste the filling before you assemble the casserole and adjust the seasoning if it needs it.
Cheese: Shredded cheddar goes over the mashed potatoes so it gets melted and golden on top.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
- Cook the potatoes until they’re fork-tender, then drain them well and mash with the butter, milk, and salt. You want them smooth and easy to spread, but not so thin that they sink into the filling.
- Cook the onion and carrots until the carrots begin to soften, then add the garlic and ground beef. Once the beef is browned, stir in the tomato sauce, flour, seasonings, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Let the filling simmer until the gravy thickens enough to coat the meat and vegetables, then stir in the peas and green beans.
- Spread the filling evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish and let it cool for a few minutes before adding the potatoes. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and gently spread them all the way to the edges. Running a fork over the potatoes gives you little ridges that brown nicely in the oven.
- Bake uncovered until the filling is hot and bubbly, then add the cheddar cheese for the last few minutes of baking. Let the Shepherd’s Pie rest for about 10 minutes before serving so the layers have a chance to set.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can assemble Shepherd’s Pie ahead of time, cover it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. If it goes into the oven cold, plan on a little extra baking time so the center heats all the way through.
Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm a larger amount in the oven until heated through.
Shepherd’s Pie can also be frozen, although the mashed potato topping may be a little softer after thawing. Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze it before or after baking. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat or bake uncovered so any extra moisture can evaporate.
Read More: 35+ Easy Dinner Ideas
What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie is pretty much a full meal on its own, so I usually keep the sides simple. A green salad, roasted vegetables, or a slice of crusty bread is plenty.
And yes, I’m one of those people who likes something extra on top. Ketchup is the classic choice around my house, but ranch dressing (the good homemade ranch, not the bottled) or even sriracha works too. Here are a few more side options:
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Video
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, about large 4 potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup milk, plus more as needed
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 15 ounces green beans, French-style, drained
Instructions
For the potatoes:
- Peel and dice potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes well. Add the butter, milk, and salt, then mash until smooth. Cover and set aside.
For the Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, flour, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until combined.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened. Stir in the frozen peas and green beans and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Spread the beef filling evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling and gently spread them to the edges. Run a fork over the potatoes to create ridges.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the potatoes and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let the Shepherd’s Pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- Leftover mashed potatoes or prepared instant potatoes can be used for an easy shortcut.
- For traditional Shepherd’s Pie, substitute ground lamb for the ground beef.
- Frozen mixed vegetables can be used in place of the peas and green beans.
- For a slightly sweeter tomato flavor, condensed tomato soup can be substituted for the tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We loved it! My husband likes peas & carrots, so added thawed frozen peas and carrots too. I used half ground lamb/half ground beef for a more traditional flavor but not to be overwhelmed bythe lamb.
Love all these ideas! I actually will sometimes shred a carrot in with the meat too, just to sneak in some extra veggies. 😆 Glad you liked it!
I had not made this for many years but when I found the little lots in America last year I dcided to make my own, I leave out the beans and cheese. I did try to find them here in Australia but not seeing them anywhere, so I made smaller dishes of my own and put them in the freezer for when I wanted something quick. Just 8 minutes in the microwave and they are ready to eat. I did do a few bigger ones for when my hubby wanted some as well. Absolutely love having something for emergencies.
Love the idea of smaller dishes!
I add an egg to the potatoes as it makes them a bit stiffer and they hold up better. I also use tomato soup not tomato sauce, too acidic for the dish. Beans do not need to be added to the burger be as you just made them mushy. Just layer. This is an easy dish. Don’t complicate it!!
I make a version of this with tomato soup and my family loves it I also use instant potatoes and sliced cheese to make it quick and easy. I like your recipes thanks for doing what you do
i don’t know why but green beans taste Absolutely at their best in Shepherd’s Pie. perfect.
great recipe thanks
Great! thank you so much 🙂
Hi! 🙂 This is going to be my first time making this, can frozen veggies be used in this recipe?
Absolutely!!
I hadn’t made this in forever and so glad I found your version! I had never added cheese. Delicious!
I LOVE making it with spicy Italian sausage – such amazing amped up flavors! Thanks for this easy family recipe!
I like using individual ramekins for the recipe. Such a fun idea to separate out portions.
Yummy! The perfect fall family meal. Comforting, filling and healthy!
This is almost exactly how I make mine, except I like using tomato paste so I can control how ‘tomatoey’ it tastes. I had no idea other people made it this way, I thought I made it up, lol!
How many people does this recipe feed? What size pan should I use? Thank you!
It serves 5-6 depending on how big of eaters you have! You can use a 9×13 glass dish or a large dutch-oven type dish or casserole
I tried the recipe and thought it as excellent! It served four people nicely. I think next time I would almost double the mashed potatoes though! However, I thought the potatoes tasted just perfect! Thanks for the post!
Outstanding!!! Thank you.
We love most every single recipe we’ve tried from your website (Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce is one of our absolute family favorites!!!), but this one missed the mark on the sauce in my opinion. I thought I would try it the way the recipe says but wish I had used my mom’s favorite way of making it which is with a can of tomato soup instead of the tomato sauce. You should try it sometime and see if you like it too. Anyway, just a suggestion 🙂
I am so sorry the sauce missed the mark for you guys! A can of tomato soup is a great idea. That is how we make our sloppy Joes so it makes sense that it would taste great in Hamburger Pie! We will try it next time! Thanks so much for the suggestion and I hope you keep trying more of our recipes!
This is Cottage Pie, because it’s made with beef 🙂 Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb (hence the name), though it’s only recently I’ve discovered that most of America doesn’t realise the difference lol! But your family were more right with hamburger pie hehe, it’s definitely not Shepherd’s Pie if there isn’t any lamb involved! 🙂
I am glad you said something! I had no idea! My family will always call it hamburger pie.. just so there is no confusion haha
I love me some Shepard’s pie cant wait to try this!!
We love this recipe! …A favorite dish at our home too!
I just sent you an email, Julie!