Description
This classic Beef Shepherd's Pie features a hearty ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes, baked until golden and bubbling. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal perfect for family dinners.
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
- Boil Potatoes: Add peeled and diced potatoes to a medium pot with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
- Mash Potatoes: Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Add milk, unsalted butter, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mash using a potato masher until smooth but still creamy. Adjust seasoning and milk as needed.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425ºF and place the oven rack in the upper section.
- Cook Vegetables: Heat olive oil in an 8-10 inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook until liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add onion, carrot, salt, and pepper, cooking until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Cook Beef: Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spoon.
- Add Flavorings: Stir in minced garlic, potato starch, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer Filling: Pour in beef broth, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning, and stir in frozen peas.
- Assemble Pie: Spoon mashed potatoes evenly over the beef mixture, spreading to cover entirely. Use a fork or spoon to create texture if desired. If the skillet is not oven-safe, transfer filling to an 8-inch baking dish before adding potatoes.
- Bake: Place skillet or baking dish in the preheated oven on the upper rack and bake for 15 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.
- Rest and Serve: Let the shepherd’s pie sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to set.
Notes
- Drain excess fat from ground beef or lamb during cooking, leaving about one tablespoon for flavor.
- This dish can be prepared and baked entirely in an oven-safe cast iron skillet or transferred to an 8-inch baking dish if needed.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9x13 baking dish to feed a larger crowd or for leftovers.
- To freeze: Bake in a freezer-safe dish, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
