Reader Request: Shepherd's Pie

This easy Shepherd’s Pie makes a cozy and delicious dinner that’s ready in around 30 minutes making it the perfect weeknight dinner!

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Shepherd’s Pie

I’m sad to say, I didn't grow up eating a Shepherd's Pie. But it's the flavors of the savory meat, vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes that bring me to that cozy, happy place of the stick-to-your-bones food we ate when I was a kid.

I love that this easy Shepherds Pie recipe only takes around forty minutes (with at least half of that as down time while it bakes). I went out of my way to make sure there was the right ratio of filling to potatoes. I’ve come across a lot of other Shepherd’s Pie recipes that were super heavy on the potatoes, and it was always a little much for me. This makes a cozy and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Tips for making this Shepherd’s Pie recipe

• I used a frozen veggie mix of corn, carrots, peas, green beans and lima beans, but you could always used whatever frozen veggies you prefer.
• This recipe makes a smaller pan, around 8x8 or 9x9. If you need more you can always double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.
• I use the tips of a fork to rough up the potatoes a tad before topping with paprika and baking. It helps form a nice crust.

Frequently asked questions about making this Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

• Can you prepare Shepherd’s Pie in advance? Yes- I’d prepare everything up until baking and then bake before serving. You may need to bake it a little longer since you’ll want to refrigerate it if you’re assembling in advance.
• Can I reheat Shepherd’s Pie? Yes- I reheat this in the microwave.
• How long does Shepherd’s Pie last? 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator.
• Is Shepherd’s Pie traditionally made with lamb? Yes- one might also call this cottage pie as traditional Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. But I tried to keep it as simple as possible with ingredients that we usually have in our pantries, refrigerators and freezers.
• What if I don’t cook with alcohol? No problem, just replace the wine with additional beef broth.

Make it a meal!

A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:

• Easy Garlic Green Beans
• Summer Bounty Strawberry Salad
• Grandma's Best Banana Cake
• Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake

Helpful tools:

1. Large saute pan
2. Wooden spoon
3. Chef's knife
4. Cutting board
5. Measuring cups
6. Measuring spoons
7. 9" x 9" baking pan

Video Tutorial for making Shepherd's Pie

5 from 1 vote

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Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

This easy Shepherd’s Pie makes a cozy and delicious dinner that’s ready in around 30 minutes making it the perfect weeknight dinner!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: Shepherd's Pie

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Jessy Freimann, The Life Jolie

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 ½ cups of frozen mixed vegetables
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 14 ounce can of beef broth
• 1 tsp. of salt
• ¼ tsp. of pepper
• ¼ tsp. of Herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• 5 cups of diced potatoes peeled and boiled until fork tender
• 4 Tbsp. of butter
• 1 tsp. of salt
• ¼ tsp. of pepper
• ¾ tsp. of garlic powder
• ¼ cup of milk
• Paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Once it's brown, drain the oil and set the meat aside.

2. Add onion, garlic and mixed vegetables to the pan. Saute for 10 minutes and then sprinkle with cornstarch and mix it well.

3. Add wine, broth, salt, pepper, Herbes de Provence and Worcestershire Sauce and your meat and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

4. While the beef simmers, mix up all mashed potato ingredients (except for the Paprika) until well combined and not lumpy.

5. If your skillet isn't oven safe transfer the meat mixture to a pan that is. 

6. Carefully cover the beef with a layer of mashed potatoes. Used a fork to rough up the top a bit and sprinkle lightly with paprika (hold it high so that it distributes evenly). 
   

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
   

If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3

Try some other dinners using ground beef:

• Ground Beef Baked Oven Tacos
• Easy Instant Pot Chili
• Classic Hamburger Stew

You can find a full index of my recipes here.

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