Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (+video) also known as the cottage pie, is a classic combination of meat, potatoes, and vegetables baked in an all-in-one delicious casserole! Loaded with a mixture of ground beef, peas, and carrots, topped with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes, this delightful casserole comes together in minutes, making dinner a snap!

This recipe for Easy Shepherd’s Pie Casserole…

As grocery prices continue to rise, simple and affordable ingredients like potatoes and ground beef make it easier to put a hearty meal on the table. This Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe will do just that. It’s a comforting, budget-friendly dish the whole family will love.

This is an easy recipe to follow, and requires a few steps to make, but it’s all worth it.

It calls for ground beef, a package of frozen mixed vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes!

This recipe for Shepherd’s Pie makes an all in one meal that is hearty, filling and very satisfying. Everyone will love this dish.

Here’s a Great Tip! If you happen to make mashed potatoes for dinner one night, then make extra! You can take the “leftover mashies” and use them for this shepherd’s pie casserole recipe, and have your meal already planned for the next day.

What is a Shepherd’s Pie?

The shepherd’s pie is an original recipe that came from the United Kingdom and Ireland, and it was made with lamb as the meat. Plus, it was originally called the “cottage pie.” 

Our Shepherd’s Pie recipe is made with ground beef simply because it is economically cost-effective.

This recipe is like our Italian hearty casserole version known as: best rice ball casserole stuffed with meat and peas, only it’s made with rice instead of mashed potatoes.

But Shepherd’s Pie is a little different. There are 2 layers in this casserole. The bottom layer is the meat and vegetable mixture and the top layer is the mashed potatoes.

And, it is so delicious and filling, just serve it with a simple fresh green salad on the side, and maybe some cheesy mini biscuits, and dinner is done!

Ingredients You Will Need:

Today, we’re making our Shepherd’s Pie with ground beef. For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• FOR THE MASHED POTATOES:
• 4 large potatoes (or 5 to 6 medium-sized) cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup milk, and extra as needed
• 5 Tbsp. butter – divided
• 4 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• FOR MEAT MIXTURE:
• 1 onion – chopped
• 2 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 pound (16 ounces) of ground lean beef (about 90% lean)
• 3/4 tsp. Himalayan salt – and extra to taste
• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
• 1/4 cup white wine (or red wine)
• 3 Tbsp. of tomato sauce or tomato paste (anyone you have on hand)
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• fresh parsley – chopped, for garnish

How to Make Our Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe?

Our recipe requires only a few easy steps, and it is not difficult at all. Here are our step-by-step photos and easy directions to follow. You can see what’s involved with this recipe before you start. As a reminder, our full recipe card is located at the bottom.

1. First, make the mashed potatoes, add the butter and both cheeses, then taste them, and season with salt to your preference. Then set them aside.

2. Next, cook the onion and garlic with olive oil in a large skillet.

3. Add ground beef and seasonings. Crumble and cook the meat until browned, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and black pepper.

4. Pour in the wine, and simmer until it reduces.

5. Add the frozen peas and carrots, tomato sauce, fresh parsley, and cornstarch. Simmer until the meat is reduced and the mixture is thick. Taste, and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

*Helpful Tip: If you don’t have tomato sauce on hand, you can use tomato paste instead.

6. Transfer the meat and veggies mixture to a casserole dish. Taste the mixture, and add additional salt if needed.

7. Spoon on top with creamy mashed potatoes, and spread to cover the entire meat mixture.

8. Scatter on top with grated cheese, and slices of butter.

9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is golden on top and bubbling around the sides. Remove and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with some fresh parsley on top. Then serve.

Serves 6 to 8

WATCH our VIDEO! How to make Shepherd’s Pie? (1-minute)

Variations and Great Tips…

• You can try this recipe with ground turkey, chicken, or veal instead of beef.
• Also, if you need a larger casserole dish to increase the number of servings, then you can increase the ground beef to 1.5 pounds, and increase the potatoes as well.
• Keep in mind, the size of the casserole dish will determine how thick the layers will turn out.
• If you decide to bake it in a smaller baking dish, and the mashed potatoes are full to the top. We recommend placing the baking dish onto a baking sheet, in case of the potatoes overflow while baking.
• Always “taste” the food you cook. Give a taste to the mashies, and the meat mixture before transferring them into the baking dish and adjusting the seasoning, if needed.
• Can We Freeze this Casserole? Not recommended, since the mashed potatoes contain milk and will turn out too watery, when thawed, and may not hold up.

A Hearty Dinner

Our Shepherd’s Pie Casserole will make an easy and delicious dinner.

It’s filling and satisfying – best of all, it is pure comfort food. Make it ahead the day before, chill it, then bake it in the oven. An ideal dish to make for family and friends.

Try our recipe, …and Bon Appetit!

More Delicious Dinners Recipes

• Rice and Chicken Casserole
• Spinach Parmesan Rice Casserole
• Best Rice Ball Casserole Stuffed with Meat and Peas
• How to Make Lasagna with No-Boil Noodles (4 Easy Steps)
• Loaded Beef Quesadilla (+Video)

If you try our recipe for Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe, let us know and leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you. It helps everyone who reads them. Snap a photo! ..Share it on Instagram or on Pinterest. We’d love to share them.

Thanks for stopping by… Have a great day!

Happy Cooking! 🙂

xo anna and liz