Easy Shepherd's Pie
A savory ground beef filling with peas, carrots and fresh herbs, baked under a golden mashed potato topping. Store-bought mashed potatoes keep it easy enough for a weeknight, and the filling comes together in one skillet!
Servings 4 people
Calories 533kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 lb. ground beef or ground lamb
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves)
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 ounces (about 5 tablespoons) tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb. frozen peas and carrots
- 4 to 5 cups mashed potatoes (or enough to cover the top of your dish) (I use 2 containers of refrigerated store-bought mashed potatoes, 24 ounces each)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spray a 2-quart dish (about an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish) with cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the ground beef, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the fat.
- Stir in the tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, carrots and peas. Cook and stir over low heat just until everything is combined.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, working from the edges toward the center.
- Optional: drag a fork across the potatoes to create ridges, or use the back of a spoon to create swoops through the potatoes. Cover the dish with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F, remove the foil, and return the dish to the oven for about 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes start to brown.
- Let the pie rest for 10 to 15 minutes before garnishing with parsley and serving.
Video
Notes
- Beef or lamb: Shepherd's pie is traditionally made with ground lamb, and the beef version is called cottage pie. The recipe works the same either way.
- Don't skip the tomato paste and Worcestershire. They're what give the filling its savory depth and keep it from tasting flat.
- Let cold potatoes warm up. Straight from the fridge they'll tear the filling. A splash of milk or a little butter loosens stiff store-bought potatoes.
- Frozen vegetables go in frozen. No need to thaw the peas and carrots. They finish cooking during the covered bake.
- Spray the foil. Bare foil sticks to the potato topping and pulls it up when you remove it.
- Ridge the top if you like. Dragging a fork across the potatoes or using the back of a spoon to create swoops gives the browning something to catch on during the uncovered finish.
- Rest before serving. Ten to fifteen minutes lets the layers set so portions hold their shape.
- Storage. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven to bring the topping back.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1278mg | Potassium: 1566mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11229IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 6mg