Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
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With a scrumptious cheesy mashed potato topping, this easy shepherds pie recipe is a hearty and tasty one-dish meal the whole family is going to love.
I’ve spent the last two weeks perfecting this easy shepherd’s pie recipe. I had a few ideas for it and the first one I tried out, only a fourth of it got eaten. I made some tweaks and tried again the very next night. My son said “shepherd’s pie again?” and looked a little leary. Two helpings later he was smiling and telling me how good it was. The dish was practically licked clean with not a crumb left.
That is when I knew I had a winner! I mean, how could it not be when it includes a flavorful ground beef and vegetable pie, covered with a deliciously cheesy and creamy mashed potato topping? This easy shepherd’s pie recipe is quick to prep and then all you have to do is wait for it to bake in the oven. In less than an hour, this pure comfort food will be ready to serve to your hungry family for dinner!
I’ll get to the recipe in a minute but first I wanted to share something with you.
I know this is more of a cottage pie since it has ground beef and traditional shepherd’s pie has lamb, but where I live lamb doesn’t make an appearance too often and we always call this shepherd’s pie. Just call it whatever cranks your tractor and we’ll both be happy farmers.
Now let’s make shepherd’s pie!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cooked ground beef
- French onion soup
- Sour cream
- Dry Italian seasoning
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Leftover mashed potatoes
- Frozen mixed vegetables (I’m using the , , , and corn mix)
- Brown gravy mix
How To Make My Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Place frozen vegetables in a medium saucepot and cover with water.
Put over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil.
Remove from heat and drain. Place veggies in a bowl to the side.
In that same saucepot, because there is no reason to dirty up another one, place the French onion soup, gravy mix, and dry Italian seasoning.
Stir that together well and cook over medium-high heat until well blended and heated through, about 5 minutes or so.
Or until you get tired of fooling with it 🙂
A lot of things in my kitchen are done on that kind of timescale “Until I get tired of fooling with it…”
Stir in your veggies and beef.
Mix this together well.
In a large bowl, place the leftover mashed potatoes, cheese, and sour cream.
Stir well to combine.
Spread the ground beef mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish and top with mashed potatoes.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the mashed potato.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for thirty minutes until the top is .
I told you this was an easy shepherd’s pie recipe. Enjoy!
Storage
Store pie leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply reheat in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- An instant potato packet will technically work in this easy shepherd’s pie recipe. Personally, I don’t ever use instant mashed potatoes to make actual potatoes. I use them as soup thickeners and crusts in casseroles, but that is because my mother always made homemade mashed potatoes so instant potatoes taste off to me. HOWEVER, if you like ’em, go for it and I’ll stand on the sidelines and cheer you all the way. Your kitchen = your rules, and don’t let anyone else tell you different! Another option for this, if you don’t want to do mashed potatoes, is to get a box of stovetop stuffing mix. Mix that up according to the package directions and just use it as a topping. I’d leave out the cheese but you can certainly include that if you like.
- Don’t try to substitute the packet of dry brown gravy mix for canned gravy or actual gravy. This mix is actually going to act as a thickener for us and also lend a lot of great flavors to boot!
- When it comes to the veggies for shepherd’s pie, get the mixed veggies with itty bitty cubed carrots. Some of them have big sliced carrots and these take ten forevers to cook so we want to avoid those.
- If you don’t eat meat, substitute the ground meat for more vegetables or lentils.
- On the other hand, feel free to substitute the or lamb for .
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this shepherd’s pie ahead of time?
Shepherd’s pie is a great make-ahead dinner. Assemble all of the ingredients but don’t place the dish in the oven. Once cooled, either cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or place it in the freezer. If refrigerating, just make sure you take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before baking.
You may also enjoy these other recipes:
Sweet Potato Dumplings; Heaven on a plate!
Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe Sooo Easy
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe Freezer Friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked ground beef can use more if you like
- 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
- 2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 bag bag frozen vegetable mix 12 ounces and small carrots
- 1 can French onion soup 10 ounces
- 1 packet beef gravy mix .87 ounces
Instructions
- In a large saucepot, place the frozen vegetables. Cover with water and place over medium-high heat until they just come to a boil. Drain veggies and set aside.1 bag bag frozen vegetable mix
- In the same saucepot, combine the French onion soup, dry gravy mix, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and place over medium-high heat, stirring often, until just heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked ground beef and drained vegetables.1 pound cooked ground beef, 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning, 1 bag bag frozen vegetable mix, 1 can French onion soup, 1 packet beef gravy mix
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, sour cream, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir well to combine.2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream
- Pour the ground beef filling into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and spread to cover. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
“The happiest people don’t worry too much about whether life is fair or not,
they just get on with it.”
Christy,
Do you think this would still be good substituting tomato sauce for the French onion soup? I’ve had Shepherd’s pie before that had a tomatoe-y sauce and I really liked it. I’ll probably try it that way anyway, but just wondered if you thought it would work. 🙂
Thanks!
I have never tried it but I think it should work. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!!
I just really like your site. Have a question on the shepards pie, it calls for french onion soup, I am allergic to onions ( and a lot of other things so can’t do mushroom either). Can you recommend a good substitute.
Hi Christy,
Saw your recipe for Shepard’s Pie. Mine is pretty similar, but I put my meat & potato mixture in a pie shell. Top with lots of cheese and heat up in the oven long enough to heat through and melt all the cheese on top. Then I just slice it like a piece of pie.
If you haven’t tried it without pastry, you’re missing out !
Actually, I meant “with pastry” – not without !
Thank you, Christy! Your sheppard’s pie, infused with your heart’s message above, was shared w/ my family last night (after i web-searched for recipes w/ ground beef & veggies). Both were inspiring and set the stage for a connecting, positive meal together. Thank you!
Christy,
You made my day with what you shared above about being planted on fertile ground and just needing to bloom. I am out of work right now and have not been able to find a job for months. I try to be positive however I am mostly discouraged. I needed to see what you posted so I thank you for helping me feel better today.
This recipe was delicious. I made it tonight for our dinner. My 22 year old son had 2 plates…(he is a very fussy eater!) Christy your recipes are amazing! Thank you for publishing them. By the way I used instant potatoes and they tasted wonderful mixed with the cheese and sour cream. I didn’t have any leftover mashed and I was “too lazy” to make real ones. 🙂
I am so glad to hear that everyone liked it Laura!!
That sounds like a yummy way to make shepherd’s pie. The way I learned is a little different. In a cast iron Dutch oven pan I saute hamburger with sliced onion, add a little salt and pepper. Then add about a cup of flour , mix that in and add enough milk to make a nice hamburger gravy, maybe a cup or two. Sometimes I add drained green beans to the hamburger. I then cover the burger with about 3-4 cups shredded cheddar. Then top with homemade mashed potatoes…spread the potatoes to seal the top. Bake for about 40 minutes on 350′ serve with big spoon and flip the spoon so the meat is on top. We like Ortega salsa suprema served with it too.
Hi I used your recipe with mixed veggies because those were the ingredients I had on hand. I was nervous about the gravy but i came out great. Similar to beef stroganoff? Also do you drain your beef? I did a little. Thanks! I plan on using yours Christy next time! Also, the message about blooming where you are planted was encouraging. Thanks