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Plate of shepherds pie with a fork removing a corner bite.
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5 from 18 votes

Easy Shepherd's Pie

This easy Shepherd’s Pie has a savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes and melted cheddar cheese.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pie, Pie Crust
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 527kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Equipment

  • 9x13 inch pan

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.
    Cutting board with peeled and cut potatoes with a knife.
  • 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.
    Large pot with boiling potato pieces in water.
  • Drain the potatoes well. Add the butter, milk, and salt, then mash until smooth. Cover and set aside.
    Mashing up potatoes in a large pot with a potato masher.

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.
    Skillet with cooked onion and carrot.
  • 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.
    Skillet with browned ground beef and carrots and onions.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce, flour, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until combined.
    Tomato sauce, ground beef, carrots and onion in a skillet.
  • 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.
    Shepherds pie filling in a skillet including ground beef, tomato sauce, French style green beans, peas, carrots and onion.
  • 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.
    Using a spatula to spread mashed potatoes on top of shepherds pie ground beef mixture.
  • 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.
    Sprinkling shredded cheddar cheese on top of baked shepherds pie in a casserole dish.

Video

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

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 1469mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4525IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 5mg