This Easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe has a savory filling made with frozen veggies and ground beef or lamb, with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes baked on top. It’s a comfort food classic streamlined for busy weeknights!
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Frozen veggies make this shepherd’s pie easy-peasy!
Shepherd’s Pie, a rich, savory casserole of ground meat and vegetables baked with mashed potatoes on top, was one of my favorite dinners as a kid (mostly for the potatoes).
Today I love it even more for the hearty filling—and I love this version for the quick prep time!
- Easy to Make. I use bag of frozen peas and carrots instead of chopping the veggies. And if you make the mashed potatoes ahead (or use leftovers), you can have it in the oven even faster.
- Use Lamb or Beef. Technically speaking, what I grew up eating was cottage pie, since the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie is the kind of meat used. Shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb, while cottage pie uses ground beef. You can use either for this recipe!
- A Comfort Food Favorite. This recipe is my take on traditional shepherd’s pie, and it’s anything but stodgy. This shepherd’s pie with gravy is scrumptious. Plus, as recipes like Ground Beef and Potatoes and Instant Pot Pot Roast demonstrate, meat and potatoes can be pretty darn fantastic!
5 Star Review
“I’ve tried many shepherd’s pie recipes over the years, but this one is by far my favorite. It’s easy to follow, the ingredients are readily available.”
— Lindsey —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Mashed Potato Topping. If you don’t have Russet potatoes on hand, swapping Yukon gold potatoes is the best substitute. Prefer a sweet potato shepherd’s pie? Experiment with swapping sweet potatoes instead. You also can use leftovers from the Best Mashed Potatoes ever or Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Just add an egg yolk.
- Ground Beef. A classic shepherd’s pie recipe is typically made with ground lamb, but beef is more common in the States. You can also use ground turkey if you’d like. (Looking for a way to make this vegetarian? Check out my Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie.)
- Onion + Garlic. Powerful flavor builders.
- Tomato Paste. Instead of an easy shepherd’s pie with tomato sauce, we’re using tomato paste. It adds rich, concentrated tomato flavor to the meat mixture.
- Beef Broth. Savory, and deeply flavorful, the beef broth adds liquid to the base of the dish. You can swap the beef broth for chicken broth if you prefer. For an Irish shepherd’s pie, swap the beef broth for Guinness.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Adds wonderful umami flavor.
- Fresh Thyme + Bay Leaf. Earthy, herby additions that cut through the richness.
- Frozen Vegetables. Three cheers for an easy shepherd’s pie with frozen vegetables! I used a bag of frozen peas and carrots for convenience.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie (The Easy Way!)
Prepare Potatoes (photo 1). Cut, boil, and drain the potatoes, then mash them. Stir in the butter.
Prepare the Milk and Egg (photo 2). Whisk them together until combined.
Stir into Potatoes (photo 3). Gently until combined.
Start the Filling (photo 4). Sauté the aromatics, then add the garlic and tomato paste.
Add the Meat (photo 5). Start to brown it, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Add the broth, Worcestershire, and herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the gravy.
Add the Veggies (photo 6). No need to thaw them first.
Transfer to Baking Dish (photo 7). Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of a baking dish coated with nonstick spray.
Add Potatoes and Bake (photo 8). Add the topping, spreading it into an even layer. Bake the shepherd’s pie at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Make It Dairy-Free. Use a vegan butter substitute, dairy free milk, and vegan Parmesan.
- Make It Gluten-Free. To make this a gluten free recipe for shepherd’s pie, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour like this one.
- Swap in Sweet Potatoes. You can easily swap this mashed potato topping for Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes (no need to add the egg).
- Use Mashed Cauliflower. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes is another option for topping this easy shepherd’s pie.
- Make It Cheesy. Add shredded cheddar cheese over the mashed potatoes to make your shepherd’s pie cheesy. Mmmmmm.
What to Serve with Easy Shepherd’s Pie
- Salad. For a lighter side dish option, try my Beet Salad Recipe or this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- Vegetable Sides. Roasted Green Beans and Sautéed Brussels Sprouts are easy side dishes for pairing with your shepherd’s pie.
- Bread. Want something a little heartier? Drop Biscuits or Homemade Dinner Rolls, will help you soak up the last bits of gravy at the bottom of your bowl.
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 (to 8) servings
Video
An easy shepherd's pie recipe with savory ground beef or ground lamb filling, frozen veggies, and creamy mashed potatoes baked on top.
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Ingredients
For the Mashed Potato Topping:
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter diced
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup milk or half-and-half
- 1 large egg yolk
For the Meat Filling:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground lamb
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup less sodium beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 (10- to 12-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots no need to thaw
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes for the topping: Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a medium saucepan. Add enough cool water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Cover the pot and bring to boil over high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, uncover, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle, steady simmer, until potatoes are fork tender, about 12 to 16 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. If the potatoes are very moist, heat the saucepan over low, shaking it occasionally, until any liquid on the surface of the potatoes has cooked off, about 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
- Mix the topping together: With a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash the potatoes well. Scatter the butter pieces over the top. Add the Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir a few times, until the butter is mostly melted.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the milk and egg yolk.
- Add to the potatoes. Stir to combine. The potatoes should be rich and fluffy.
- Make the filling: Coat a 9×9, 8×10, or 11×7 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Place rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 400℉. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once it is hot and shimmering, add the onion and cook until it is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stirring continuously, cook 30 seconds.
- Add the beef (or lamb), salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. If there is excess grease in the pan, carefully drain it off (this should not be a problem if your beef is around 93% lean).
- Sprinkle the flour over the top, and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaf. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on browned bits. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover the pan and let simmer gently until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- Stir in the peas and carrots.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared dish, spreading it into an even layer.
- Add the mashed potatoes by spoonfuls over the top, starting around the edges to create a “seal” (this will prevent the filling from bubbling up). With a spatula, gently spread the potatoes into an even layer.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, then place the dish on top (this will catch any parts of the filling that bubble over). Bake the shepherd's pie uncovered on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm shepherd’s pie in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 24gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 98mgPotassium: 1030mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2735IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 4mg
This recipe was quick and easy as well as delicious. Followed the recipe and instructed since it was my first time making it. Next time I’ll probably add diced tomatoes to the meat filling as well.
Flavor was good; once I poured in the broth, it never thickened up, I even cooked it an additional six minutes and put it more flour. It doesn’t taste bad; I’m just not sure what I did wrong. Any ideas?
Thanks for your input!
I made this for dinner the other night following the directions pretty much exactly. I used ground venison and omitted the garlic due to dietary restrictions. After baking for 25 minutes I put some butter on top of the potatoes and broiled the shepherds pie until the potatoes were golden brown.
Everyone in the family loved this recipe! In fact, my 90 yr old FIL said it was the best Shepherd’s Pie he ever tasted! That’s saying something as he is Pa Dutch and my husband’s family probably ate Shepherd’s Pie weekly growing up! Thank you for a fantastic recipe that even impressed a 90 yr old crotchety Dutchman!
My boyfriend and I are OBSESSED with this recipe! Made it the other night for our family and it was such a hit! Just actually had some re-heated for lunch today. Will be making this again!!
So great to hear! Thank you Kate!
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