Super Shepherd’s Pie
Super Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food recipe! A savory casserole of ground beef and vegetables simmered in a rich gravy, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes.
Casseroles or dinner pies are a great way to feed the family. Two other budget friendly meals you will want to try are Baked Spaghetti Pie and Classic Tuna Casserole.
Ingredients
- Ground beef – use extra lean ground beef. I have found that regular ground beef is too fatty. Minced lamb can be used for a more traditional recipe.
- Vegetables – fresh and frozen vegetables are used in this recipe. Canned vegetables will bake up too mushy.
- Potatoes – Yukon gold are my favorite for making mashed potatoes.
- Butter – butter is added to the mashed potatoes giving them an extra creamy flavor.
- Milk – whole milk is added to the mashed potatoes. For a richer and creamier layer of mashed potatoes you can use cream.
- Thyme – this herb adds a subtle hint of flavor. If you do not like thyme, simply leave it out.
- Tomato paste – tomato paste compliments the ground beef for an extra punch of flavor.
- Beef gravy mix – prepared as per packet directions. In addition to adding more savory flavor, the gravy will ensure the Super Shepherd’s pie is saucy, not dry.
Variations and substitutions
- Using ground turkey in shepherd’s pie is a healthy alternative to ground beef.
- Try some different vegetables like celery, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms.
- Instead of using regular mashed potatoes, this recipe tastes incredible topped with my garlic mashed potatoes.
- Top with melted cheddar cheese.
Add additional flavoring with:
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Lamb is not readily available here in Canada, so I have always made with recipe with lean ground beef. Growing up we simply called it Shepherds Pie, not Cottage Pie as some people will point out is incorrect. Call it what you like, it is a hearty, delicious recipe that my family loves!
Traditional Shepherd’s pie came from England and was made with minced lamb. The American version commonly referred to as Cottage Pie uses ground beef. Ground beef is more readily available in North America and has become the more popular version of this classic recipe.
How to make Shepherd’s Pie
Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil in salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain.
Add the butter and milk. Mash with potato masher until fluffy, set aside.
Using a large heavy skillet add ground beef, salt and pepper. Fully cook the meat and set aside.
Using the same skillet drain fat from skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until tender.
Stir in the green beans, corn and peas. Simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
Prepare the gravy mix as per package directions.
Mix together the gravy, ground beef and vegetables. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme, then spread into a 2 quart casserole dish.
Top with the mashed potato mixture. Cover and bake at 350º fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes.
Optional – Add shredded cheddar cheese. Remove from oven, sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
Can you freeze Shepherd’s Pie?
Super Shepherd’s Pie freezes very well for up to 3 months. Cover with plastic wrap, and store in airtight container. Thaw and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Best ever ground beef recipes
From soup to meatloaf to burgers, ground beef is a budget friendly meat that I love to use in so many hearty recipes!
This post was originally published June 27, 2015. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update April 28, 2021.
Super Shepherd’s Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds extra lean ground beef
- 7 medium potatoes 6-7 cups raw, chopped
- 3 carrots chopped 2 1/2 cups raw, chopped
- 1 onion chopped about 1 cup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup corn frozen or fresh
- 1 cup green beans frozen or fresh
- 1 cup peas frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 packet beef gravy mix prepared as per instructions
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil in salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain.
- Add the butter and milk. Mash with potato masher until fluffy. Set aside.
- Using a large heavy skillet add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned. Set aside.
- Using the same skillet drain fat from skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until tender.
- Stir in the green beans, corn and peas. Simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the gravy mix as per package directions.
- Mix together the gravy, ground beef and vegetables. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme. Spread mixture into 2 quart casserole dish.
- Top with the mashed potatoes. Cover and bake at 350º fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes.
- Optional – add shredded cheddar cheese. Remove from oven, sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until has melted.
Nutrition
I wish people would comment on the dish and not the recipe name. I can’t believe how many people are quick to point out that sheep come from shepherds and blah blah blah. Thanks for the history lesson. Who cares? Kraft Dinner is not dinner, it’s mac & cheese- albeit a terrible one. People need to get over it. I’m testing out this recipe today, let you know how it goes! Thanks for sharing!
I’ll bet many of our Gramma’s made the same recipe and each one of them called it something different 🙂
Wow, how negative! Geez!
Lauren, this is a wonderful Shepherd pie. We had seconds and this recipe is what I will cook from now on. I didn’t have green beans so used frozen red and green bell peppers. I can’t wait to make it for friends coming for dinner after Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thank you for sharing your delicious recipe.
Hi Marjorie, thrilled you tried my recipe. This is one of my family’s favs!
Firstly, Shepherd’s Pie should only be called that if it’s made with with LAMB. Secondly, it is BRITISH cousins not American as incorrectly stated in the heading.
Also, if one applies the same logic as this particular cook, then it is okay to make Pecan Pie with walnuts, Beef Wellington with pork, Peach Cobbler with apricots, and Apple Pie with pears….!!!!!
absolutely correct shepard’s pie is with ground lamb and cottage is with ground beef. I am Irish from Ireland
Yes!!!! This is cottage pie, not shepherds pie. I don’t know why, but it drives me bonkers when people call it shepherds pie.
It’s different to everyone. We call it meat potato pie.
I don’t think it’s meant to be a criticism, rather education. Shepard pie is made with lamb. What’s the problem? We live and we learn!
We substituted packet gravy with kfc gravy and it was even better. We also put pastry in because it’s not a pie without pastry and you can pry that from my cold DEAD CHINESE HANDS. Also we didn’t put the tomato paste or thyme in because it sucked. in
I’m new to cooking and was wondering what the best stove top setting would be to cook the onions carrots and garlic? Also the beans corn and peas. Thanks in advance!
I usually cook onions carrots and garlic over medium heat. Cook the onions and carrots a bit before adding garlic as it doesn’t need as much time to saute and you don’t want to burn the garlic or it becomes bitter tasting.
The comparison between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie ignores a couple of basic rules on language itself. A word in one country may have a different meaning in another country although they speak the same “root” language. What’s a hood in America is a Bonnet in the UK and both words are correct only in the location in which they are used. There are many other varietals of the English Language. Austrailia has many varietals, South Africa has many varietals. The second rule is the rule of dictionary meaning which, in English, means that any word in common usage and widely used by everyone in the area in which it is used is, in fact, a legitimate word. Shepherd’s Pie, therefore, is a regional dish and has regional names, and second, whatever local uses a word has are, by definition, correct as long as there is widespread LOCAL agreement as to what the word means.