Description
A hearty and comforting Beef Shepherd's Pie recipe featuring creamy mashed potatoes atop a savory beef and vegetable filling, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a satisfying family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Mashed Potatoes
- 1-½ pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- ⅓ cup whole milk, more as needed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces button or crimini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced fine
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced fine
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (or lamb)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 1-¼ cup beef broth, or more as needed
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes: Add the peeled and diced potatoes to a medium pot filled with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot. Add milk, butter, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and well combined. Adjust seasoning and add more milk if needed.
- Cook the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425ºF and position a rack in the upper part of the oven. Heat olive oil in an 8 to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook until all liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add onion, carrots, salt, and pepper, and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the beef: Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat if necessary, leaving about one tablespoon in the pan.
- Add seasonings and thicken: Stir in minced garlic, potato starch, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and dried thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in beef broth, scraping up browned bits, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finish the filling: Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in frozen peas to combine.
- Assemble the pie: Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over the beef filling, covering it entirely. Use a fork or spoon to create texture on the surface if desired to aid crisping. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, transfer the mixture to an 8-inch baking dish before topping.
- Bake: Place the skillet or dish on the upper rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling.
- Rest and serve: Allow the shepherd’s pie to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to let it set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Drain excess fat from the ground beef or lamb if it releases a lot during cooking, leaving about a tablespoon for flavor.
- If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, cook the filling in any skillet and transfer to an 8-inch baking dish before adding the mashed topping.
- This recipe can be doubled and baked in a larger cast iron skillet or a 9x13 inch baking dish for more servings.
- For freezing, bake the pie in a freezer-safe dish and cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat by baking until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
