September 24, 2024

Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie

Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort food with ground beef and vegetables in gravy topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. I hadn’t made this recipe in years so I made a homemade gravy instead of using tomato soup. It was a big hit in our house! First the ground beef and onions are browned. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and the broth ingredients. Add your vegetables to the meat mixutre. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes. Top with cheesy mashed potatoes and then bake until the potatoes are golden and everything is bubbly. An updated take on a classic shepherd’s pie recipe.

Shepherd’s pie versus cottage pie:

In preparing for this blog I learned that my version of shepherd’s pie is really considered to be cottage pie. I guess you learn something new every day lol. Authentic shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb whereas cottage pie is made with ground beef. From what I have read, ground beef is more commonly used in the United States to make shepherd’s pie. Personally I really like this dish prepared with ground beef. I will continue to call this version Shepherd’s Pie because I think most everyone else calls it that too.

Ingredients needed to make Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie:

For the meat mixture:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb lean (90%) ground beef (or ground lamb)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (chop it up)
1 tbsp dried parsley (may substitute fresh)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup red wine (pinot noir or cabernet savignon). You could substitute 1/2 cup beef or vegetable broth with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar if you don’t have wine.
1 tbsp low sodium worcestershire sauce
1 medium carrot, finely diced (you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of frozen vegetables if desired for the carrot, peas and corn)
1/4 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen french style green beans
1 bay leaf

Mashed potatoes for topping:

4 medium russet potatoes, cut in 1 to 1-1/2 inch cubes (can use 2 large potatoes)
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup heavy cream (or half cream and half whole milk) + a few more tablespoons if potatoes are too dry
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan or white cheddar cheese
Paprika and dried parsley to sprinkle on top of potatoes

How to make Shepherd’s Pie:

Meat mixture:

Place olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high then add your onions. Cook until the onions are transluscent, stirring occasionally.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon into small chunks.
Add dried parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt and pepper. Stir spices into the meat mixture and cook the beef until it is browned, stirring occasionally.

Add flour and tomato paste and stir in until it is well combined and no longer clumpy.
Add worcestershire sauce, beef broth, carrots, corn, peas, beans, and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Stir mixture occastionally.

Set the meat mixture aside and remove the bay leaf. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and start making your mashed potatoes.

For the mashed potato topping:

Place enough salted water in a medium saucepan to cover the potatoes and then bring it to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes so they can cook more quickly.
Boil the potatoes on medium high heat until they are fork-tender for about 10-15 minutes. When potatoes are done, drain the water and place the potatoes back in the pot to cool for about 1-2 minutes.

Add butter, cream, cream cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Mash or whip the potatoes with a hand mixer. If needed you can add more cream a tablespoon at a time if they need more moisture.
Add the parmesan or white cheddar cheese and stir in to the potatoes.

Assemble the shepherd’s pie:

Spoon the meat mixture into an 8×8 glass baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly with a large spoon. Dollop the potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and spread them evenly. Make fork marks over the top of the potatoes and then sprinkle a little paprika and dried parsley on top.

Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Casserole should be bubbly and mashed potatoes a golden brown.
Let the casserole cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Storage of Shepherd’s Pie:

You can easily make this dish ahead of time and freeze it to bake later in a freezer safe container.
Store your casserole covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and reheat it in the microwave, air fryer oven or conventional oven.

Other recipes to try:

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lighter Beef Stroganoff

Best Spinach Lasagna