Posted Feb 27, 2023, Updated Jun 10, 2024 This is the best shepherd’s pie recipe you will ever make or eat! A flavorful ground beef and vegetable layer is topped with a creamy cheese mashed potato layer for dinner perfection! It’s great recipe to use up leftover mashed potatoes – or make it completely from scratch! Homemade with simple ingredients, this shepherd’s pie is an entire meal in one pie dish! It’s a hearty, delicious meal your entire family will love!
Shepherd’s Pie: Ingredients & Substitutions
Yukon Gold Potatoes. This recipe includes directions on how to make the potato layer from scratch, or you can use 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes. You can use red potatoes in place of Yukon gold. Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well, too. Whole Milk. half and half or heavy cream are great substitutions for whole milk. Ground Beef. you can use ground turkey, if desired. Yellow onion. Choose your favorite variety of onion, white and red work well too. Vegetables (carrots, green pepper, celery, peas, corn). Choose your favorite veggies! I included our favorites, but you can add or subtract any other vegetables to your liking. Beef Stock. Chicken stock can be used in place of beef stock (especially if substituting turkey). Honey. granulated sugar can be used in place of honey.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe is fairly simple to make. Using leftover mashed potatoes cuts out the need to make the potato layer, which definitely cuts down the prep time. Don’t forget to watch the video!
Make the Mashed Potato Layer
If you’re not using leftover mashed potatoes, begin this recipe by making the potato layer. Start by peeling and quartering the potatoes – then put them in a 5-quart pot. Then add cold water to the pot until the potatoes are covered by 1” water and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, uncover and boil until the potatoes are cooked and fork-tender (about 25 minutes). *Note if you want the potatoes to cook faster, cut them smaller. When the potatoes are fork-tender, return them to the pot. Then, mash with a potato masher and add milk, butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder and continue mashing until smooth. Cover the mashed potatoes and set them aside.
Make the Ground Beef Layer
To cut down prep time, I like to make the ground beef layer of this shepherd’s pie while the potatoes are cooking.
In a small bowl combine tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, honey, salt, pepper and paprika and stir to combine. Set aside.
Then, add ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and green pepper to a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
Once the ingredients are combined, cover & cook over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through, stirring often.
Then, add the tomato sauce mixture, peas and corn and stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Uncovering the mixture at this step helps thicken it up!
Assemble the Shepherd’s Pie
Once both layers are cooked, transfer the beef mixture to the prepared pie dish or baking dish. Then, carefully spread the mashed potatoes in an even layer over the beef mixture. If desired, sprinkle cheese on top of the potatoes and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Then, let the shepherd’s pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve
Served the shepherd’s pie warm with a garnish of fresh parsley (if desired). When I make this recipe I serve it alone as an entire meal. However, you can serve it with a side salad (like this burrata salad or spinach salad), or a loaf of homemade bread (like this no knead bread or homemade french bread), or these dinner rolls!
Store
Store leftover shepherd’s pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also just cover the pie dish with plastic wrap to keep it fresh. Or you can make it in a baking dish that has a lid!
Freeze
This is a great freezer-friendly recipe. You can freeze the entire shepherd’s pie after baking then just reheat it in the oven (this is a great way to give a meal to a friend). Or you can freeze individual portions. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
