This easy Shepherd’s Pie makes a cozy and delicious dinner that’s ready in around 30 minutes making it the perfect weeknight dinner!
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Shepherd’s Pie
I’m sad to say, I didn't grow up eating a Shepherd's Pie. But it's the flavors of the savory meat, vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes that bring me to that cozy, happy place of the stick-to-your-bones food we ate when I was a kid.
I love that this easy Shepherds Pie recipe only takes around forty minutes (with at least half of that as down time while it bakes). I went out of my way to make sure there was the right ratio of filling to potatoes. I’ve come across a lot of other Shepherd’s Pie recipes that were super heavy on the potatoes, and it was always a little much for me. This makes a cozy and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Tips for making this Shepherd’s Pie recipe
- I used a frozen veggie mix of corn, carrots, peas, green beans and lima beans, but you could always used whatever frozen veggies you prefer.
- This recipe makes a smaller pan, around 8x8 or 9x9. If you need more you can always double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.
- I use the tips of a fork to rough up the potatoes a tad before topping with paprika and baking. It helps form a nice crust.
Frequently asked questions about making this Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- Can you prepare Shepherd’s Pie in advance? Yes- I’d prepare everything up until baking and then bake before serving. You may need to bake it a little longer since you’ll want to refrigerate it if you’re assembling in advance.
- Can I reheat Shepherd’s Pie? Yes- I reheat this in the microwave.
- How long does Shepherd’s Pie last? 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator.
- Is Shepherd’s Pie traditionally made with lamb? Yes- one might also call this cottage pie as traditional Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. But I tried to keep it as simple as possible with ingredients that we usually have in our pantries, refrigerators and freezers.
- What if I don’t cook with alcohol? No problem, just replace the wine with additional beef broth.
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:
- Easy Garlic Green Beans
- Summer Bounty Strawberry Salad
- Grandma's Best Banana Cake
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake
Helpful tools:
- Large saute pan
- Wooden spoon
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 9" x 9" baking pan
Video Tutorial for making Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups of frozen mixed vegetables
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 14 ounce can of beef broth
- 1 tsp. of salt
- ¼ tsp. of pepper
- ¼ tsp. of Herbes de Provence
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 5 cups of diced potatoes peeled and boiled until fork tender
- 4 Tbsp. of butter
- 1 tsp. of salt
- ¼ tsp. of pepper
- ¾ tsp. of garlic powder
- ¼ cup of milk
- Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Once it's brown, drain the oil and set the meat aside.
- Add onion, garlic and mixed vegetables to the pan. Saute for 10 minutes and then sprinkle with cornstarch and mix it well.
- Add wine, broth, salt, pepper, Herbes de Provence and Worcestershire Sauce and your meat and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- While the beef simmers, mix up all mashed potato ingredients (except for the Paprika) until well combined and not lumpy.
- If your skillet isn't oven safe transfer the meat mixture to a pan that is.
- Carefully cover the beef with a layer of mashed potatoes. Used a fork to rough up the top a bit and sprinkle lightly with paprika (hold it high so that it distributes evenly).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3
Try some other dinners using ground beef:
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