Ground beef or lamb with veggies in a rich gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection, you’re going to love this Easy Shepherd’s Pie! It’s the perfect all in one meal.

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Classic Shepherd’s Pie
Classic shepherd’s pie actually calls for ground lamb, so if you use ground beef, you’d actually be making cottage pie since cottage pie uses ground beef. If you think about it, the name makes sense because lamb is sheep and a shepherd is a person who tends to the sheep, hence the name.
For this recipe, you can make it with either ground beef or ground lamb. Ground beef is widely available making this a quick and easy weeknight meal, but if it’s for a special occasion, I’d recommend using ground lamb.
How To Make Easy Shepherd’s Pie
If you’re using ground beef, you’ll be using simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy shepherd’s pie:
- Ground meat- As stated above, you can either use ground beef or ground meat. For a healthier alternative, you could also use ground turkey.
- Flour- You can use flour of any kind or buckwheat for a gluten free option.
- Veggies- You’ll need peas, corn, and carrots for this recipe. I used canned veggies. If you use fresh, you will need to cook the carrots until they are soft before continuing the recipe.
- Mashed potatoes- I used instant mashed potatoes to make this recipe quicker, but you could make homemade mashed potatoes as well. Let the mashed potatoes cool to room temperature before using.
- Onion- Use whatever onion you prefer, but be sure to finely dice it.
- Beef broth- You’ll use beef broth to make the gravy. If you don’t have any, you can mix 6 bullion cubes with 6 cups of water to make your own.
- Spices- To season your shepherd’s pie, you’ll want to use sea salt and ground pepper.
- Parsley- Garnish your pie with fresh parsley if you choose.
The best part about this homemade shepherd’s pie is that it is so easy to make, but comes out hearty and filling. Follow the steps below for a delicious dinner.
- First, preheat your oven to 400?. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set it to the side.
- Grab a skillet and cook your ground meat over medium heat for about 10-minutes or until it is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once your ground meat is cooked, sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.
- Cook your diced onion for about 5-minutes. Then, add the can of peas, carrots, corn, and beef broth.
- Bring your ingredients to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 10-minutes.
- Evenly pour your ground meat mixture into your prepared 9x13 casserole dish.
- Next, scoop the mashed potatoes on top and spread them across the beef evenly.
- Bake the pie in the oven for 30-minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Shepherd’s Pie and FAQs:
- Flour helps to absorb the grease from the ground meat, and it helps thicken the gravy. You could opt to just drain your meat instead.
- You could use leftover mashed potatoes for this recipe. Just be sure to set them on the counter so they come to room temperature.
- Top with shredded cheese for a cheesy twist.
FAQs
For this recipe, you will cook your ground beef over medium heat. Then, you will bake the whole pie at 400?.
To make this delicious shepherd’s pie, it will take you about an hour all together. You’ll need 30-minutes of preparation and 30-minutes of cook time.
Yes. Cornstarch is another option but if you need to avoid flour and corn because of allergies, feel free to use arrowroot or rice starch.
Absolutely! Simply cook your ground meat, assemble the pie in your casserole dish, cover it with plastic wrap and store the pie in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Then, bake the shepherd’s pie following the direction above.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and store it in the freezer for up to 2-months. Reheat the pie in the oven at 350? for 20-30 minutes or until warm.
What To Serve With Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie has all the main food groups whipped up into one dish, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a tasty side. There are a lot of great options for sides when it comes to shepherd’s pie! Try Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Corn Salad, Slow Cooker Baked Beans, Roasted Green Bean Salad, Beet Salad or Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.
For more Irish food inspired recipes, click here.
Easy Shepard's Pie Recipe
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Easy Shepard's Pie
In an hour or less you can have a delicious classic dish for the whole family. Shepard’s Pie is one of those cozy traditional meals you just must make at least once in the colder months to keep you warm!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (or lamb)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour of any kind (all-purpose or buckwheat for a GF option)
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 can of diced peas and carrots
- 1 can corn
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 cups mashed potatoes, room temperature
- Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a large pan cook your ground beef on medium heat until cooked through with salt and pepper; about 10 minutes, and then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and stir. You can strain your beef instead of using the flour if you wish.
- Cook the onion for 5 minutes, then add in the can of peas and carrots, corn, and beef broth, bringing it to a simmer then reduce the heat to low for about 10 minutes.
- Using a 9x13 casserole dish that is greased, evenly place the beef mixture on the bottom.
- Scoop your mashed potatoes on top and spread them across the beef creating a nice even layer.
- Place your casserole dish in the oven for 30 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
This recipe was created to use up frozen or canned vegetables - but fresh vegetables are delicious in place of canned. We made this recipe as a great way to use canned vegetables before their expiration!
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 387Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 82mgSodium 1282mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 30g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
Bob
Can't wait to see the next recipe, let me guess, pork fried rice made with chicken?