Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

This Skillet Shepherd’s Pie is loaded with flavorful beef and veggies then topped with fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes, then baked to perfection!

Shepherd’s pie is the epitome of simple and homely comfort food. It’s an easy and quite basic dish to put together, that’s been around for a very long time and there are probably hundreds of variations of it.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHEPHERD’S PIE AND COTTAGE PIE

Shepherd’s pie is also commonly referred to as cottage pie and there is a difference. Cottage pie is usually made with beef and Shepherd’s pie is usually made with lamb.

You’re probably wondering why I’m calling this Shepherd’s pie when it should be called cottage pie. It’s because I’ve always known it as Shepherd’s pie. Even in restaurants here, it’s always called Shepherd’s pie not cottage pie.

Another interesting fact to note about Shepherd’s pie is that Scotland usually makes these pies with a pastry instead of mashed potatoes, which actually sounds great and I will definitely have to try this soon.

SHEPHERD’S PIE – A CLASSIC

But let’s talk about my recipe for a bit because the best compliment a cook gets is when the food is gone quickly and that’s what happened when we made this. It was gone within minutes. As mentioned, I used ground beef for the pie and lots of frozen veggies.

I decided to go with a mix here of peas, carrots, green beans, and corn. You can actually find this mix in the frozen food section. I then flavored this with Worcestershire sauce, a package of dry onion soup mix and beef broth.

The end result was incredibly tasty and flavorful, just make sure you don’t add too much salt as the onion soup mix already has some sodium in it.

TIPS FOR MAKING SHEPHERD’S PIE

Shepherd’s pie is easy enough to make, but you can simplify your life even further by buying some shortcuts. If you use frozen veggies, you’re saving chopping time. Choose a bag of mixed vegetables from the freezer.

While you can use store bought mashed potatoes, homemade is always better, so focus your efforts on this. You can boil the potatoes while you’re making the beef mixture. This way you’ll end up with creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes.

Brown the beef in the same skillet you’ll be serving from. This will ensure maximum flavor in your pie.

CRAVING MORE SKILLET RECIPES? TRY THESE:

• Fiesta Chicken Skillet Cobbler
• Skillet White Chicken Lasagna
• Skillet Pizza Dip

Skillet Shepherd's Pie

This Skillet Shepherd's Pie is loaded with flavorful beef and veggies then topped with fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes, then baked to perfection!

4.94 from 86 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cottage pie, shepherd's pie, skillet shepherd's pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

For Meat Mixture

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 lb ground beef lean
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.9 oz onion soup mix I used Knorr, 55g pkg
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 cups frozen veggies I used mix of peas, carrots, green beans and corn

For Mashed Potatoes

• 6 large potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
• 4 tbsp butter softened
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp white pepper or to taste
• 1 tbsp parsley fresh, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

love what you see?Follow @jocooks on Pinterest!

Instructions

• Boil the potatoes: Start by first cooking the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the meat mixture.
• Prepare the meat mixture: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet, season it with the salt and pepper and cook it for abut 5 minutes or until it's no longer pink, breaking it up as you go along.
• Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add the pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, beef broth and stir. Stir in the frozen veggies and cook for a couple more minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven 350 F degrees.
• Prepare the mashed potatoes: Drain the potatoes then add them to a large bowl. Add in the butter and using a potato masher, mash until smooth. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, salt pepper and mash a bit a more until smooth.
• Finish assembling the shepherd's pie: Spread the potatoes over the meat and smooth with a spoon. Take a fork and rough up the top a bit and garnish with a bit of parsley.
• Bake: Place the skillet on a baking sheet, then place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown on top.
• Garnish with more parsley and pepper and serve warm.

Video

Notes

1. How do I store leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
2. Can I freeze this: Yes you can! After baking, let the skillet cool to room temperature. Transfer the shepherd's pie to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also cover the skillet tightly with foil, or plastic wrap, just make sure it's tightly covered.
3. Can I use store bought mashed potatoes: Yes, you can. Store bought mashed potatoes can be used or leftover mashed potatoes.
4. Can I use fresh veggies: Yes, of course. I used frozen veggies to save time, but feel free to use fresh veggies, such as carrots, peas and corn.
5. I don't have onion soup mix, what can I use instead: You can make your own onion soup mix by combining: 3 tbsp minced onion flakes, 2 tbsp beef bouillon powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp parsley flakes, 1/8 tsp ground celery seeds, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1165mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 52.4% | Vitamin C: 9.3% | Calcium: 10% | Iron: 14.4%

tried this recipe? rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!