Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (with Ground Beef)

This shepherd's pie with ground beef (aka Cottage Pie) is filled with savory ground beef, chock full of veggies, all tucked under a layer of fluffy mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown and bubbling.

Cozy recipes like my slow cooker turkey chili, beef chili, or my sweet and sour chicken meatballs influenced me to retest and reshoot this recipe for this site, as all of these bring big smiles to many faces, and I know this one will too.

Shepherd's Pie Tips and Key Reminders

1. Add a little cornstarch or all purpose flour when making the meat for the filling. From my experience making this recipe a bunch of times before posting it here, it really helps to thicken it up and keep it from falling apart when assembled and baked.
2. When choosing potatoes, I like to recommend Russet potatoes as these are a standard potato that has a good amount of starch, will boil easily and consistently make a creamy mashed potato.
3. Broil the mashed potatoes for 2-3 minutes when you bake the dish to give the potatoes a little bit of a golden color. You can also sprinkle a little paprika on top before baking like I did for color.
4. If you choose to go more low carb, make mashed sweet potato instead of traditional russet mashed potatoes. Or, if you want to double up on recipes, make my garlic herb red bliss mashed potatoes to go on top of the shepherd's pie filling.

The Main Ingredients

1. Ground Beef: This recipe is technically considered a "cottage pie," but if you prefer to make the original recipe, opt for ground lamb instead. When choosing ground beef, I like to buy grass fed ground beef for it's marbling and flavor profile.
2. Mirepoix: A classic combination of chopped veggies such as carrot, celery, and onion.
3. Corn: Corn has a subtle sweetness when added to this dish. If you want to omit the corn and throw in peas, you have the option to do so.
4. Worcestershire Sauce: A classic sauce to add to thick stews, braised meats, and is a great and staple ingredient in shepherd's pie.
5. Tapioca Flour: I typically use arrowroot or all purpose flour to thicken stews and soups. If you have neither of these, simply use cornstarch.
6. Vegetable stock: just one quarter of a cup of stock is all we need to get the ground meat and veggies nice and thick before layering with the potatoes.
7. Salt and Pepper: The salt and pepper marry with other ingredients to help bring out more flavor of the vegetables and the meat.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

1. Russet Potatoes: I swear by using russet potatoes for mashed potatoes. They're starchy, hearty, and just tastes delicious. Other potatoes that work are sweet potatoes and red bliss.
2. Butter: I used salted butter for this, but also added just an additional pinch of salt after I whipped the potatoes.
3. Half and half: You can virtually use any type of milk here from whole milk to half and half (my preference) or even almond milk. The milk paired with the butter helps make these mashed potatoes irresistibly creamy.
4. Garlic powder: I like using granulated garlic in my mash, it's easier and gives just enough flavor.

Shepherd's Pie Swaps and Substitutions

• If you'd like to use ground lamb instead of the ground beef, there are a few things to consider. The flavor and fattiness of ground lamb is higher and gamier than beef, so make sure that you drain the fat when you make the ground lamb so that the flavor doesn't become too overpowering or very greasy.
• Lamb and beef can go pound per pound, but you might want to consider using a little less ground lamb because of the fat content and flavor profile. Just shy of a pound would suffice.

How to make ground beef shepherd's pie

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375º and bring a large pot of water to a boil (in preparation for the mashed potatoes). In a large sauté pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until fragrant and the onions become translucent.

Step 2: To the same pan, and in the ground beef and let it brown. Continue to cook the ground beef and add in the corn. 

Sprinkle the flour or starch and stir to combine, and let thicken.

Step 3: Meanwhile, take the boiled potatoes out of the boiling water and mash using a hand mixer. Add in half and half and butter and continue to mix. Pour in a tablespoon of garlic powder, and mix together using a spatula. Set aside.

Step 4: Pour beef mixture into a cast iron skillet or oven-safe casserole dish and evenly distribute so there is an even layer of meat.

Step 5: Add a few dollops of mashed potatoes on top, then smooth out with a spatula. 

Step 6: Sprinkle some paprika on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the mashed potatoes is a golden brown and slightly crisp.  Serve immediately.

Shepherd's Pie FAQs

Try these other delicious comforting dinner recipes:

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Morgan Peaceman

This shepherd's pie recipe is filled with tender ground beef, sautéed vegetables, and topped with silky and buttery mashed potatoes.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine English, irish

Servings 8 servings

Calories 336 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  1 large pot
• ▢
  1 hand mixer
• ▢
  1 mixing bowl
• ▢
  1 oven safe baking dish
• ▢
  1 large frying pan
• ▢
  measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Mashed Potatoes

• ▢ 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
• ▢ ¼ cup half and half
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic powder

For the Meat Filling

• ▢ 1.5 lbs ground beef or ground lamb
• ▢ 1 cup corn
• ▢ ½ cup carrots finely chopped (3 large stalks)
• ▢ ½ medium onion finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup celery finely chopped (2 large stalks)
• ▢ 3 tablespoon tapioca or arrowroot starch/flour or sub with cornstarch or regular flour
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable stock or sub with chicken or beef stock
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Onion Salt
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

For the Mashed Potatoes

• Fill a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
• Peel the russet potatoes and roughly chop.
• Add the potatoes into the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Strain and add to a mixing bowl
• To the mixing bowl, add the butter, half and half, and mix with a hand mixer.
• Add in the garlic powder, then fold together with a spatula. Mix until the garlic powder is incorporated then set aside.

For the Meat Filling/Assembly

• In a large skillet or frying pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until fragrant and the onions become translucent.
• To the same pan, and in the ground beef and let it brown. Continue to cook the ground beef and add in the corn.
• Pour in the water or stock and stir in the flour to thicken the meat mixture.
• Let simmer on low to thicken, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 375º. Pour the meat mixture into a cast iron skillet or oven-safe casserole dish and evenly distribute so there is an even layer of meat.
• Add a few dollops of mashed potatoes on top, then smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle some paprika on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the mashed potatoes is a golden brown and slightly crisp.  Serve immediately.

Notes

Add a little cornstarch or all purpose flour when making the meat for the filling. From my experience making this recipe a bunch of times before posting it here, it really helps to thicken it up and keep it from falling apart when assembled and baked.

When choosing potatoes, I like to recommend Russet potatoes as these are a standard potato that has a good amount of starch, will boil easily and consistently make a creamy mashed potato.

Broil the mashed potatoes for 2-3 minutes when you bake the dish to give the potatoes a little bit of a golden color. You can also sprinkle a little paprika on top before baking like I did for color.

If you choose to go more low carb, make mashed sweet potato instead of traditional russet mashed potatoes. Or, if you want to double up on recipes, make my garlic herb red bliss mashed potatoes to go on top of the shepherd's pie filling.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 17gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 301mgPotassium: 596mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1671IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!