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Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort casserole dish that combines cooked ground beef, vegetables, and is topped with mashed potatoes that are then baked in the oven. Every bite is filled with meat, vegetables, and potatoes. It is the perfect comfort dish to serve. 

Shepherd’s Pie

When it is cold outside I always turn to those comfort dishes that I grew up with! Shepherd’s pie is one of them! I remember going to grandma’s house as a little girl and watching her make shepherd’s pie for dinner. It was full of so much flavor and always just made me feel good, little did I know that was what “comfort food” meant back then. 

Over the years I have continued to make grandma’s shepherd’s pie recipe. It always takes me back to watching her make it there at the counter. I am so excited to share with you Grandma’s Shepherds pie recipe today! 

What is traditional shepherd’s pie made of?

Shepherd’s pie usually consists of a layer of cooked meat, vegetables, and then is topped with mashed potatoes. It is a casserole that is cooked in the oven. It is usually topped with cheese. 

How to make Shepherd’s Pie

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In a large skillet, cook beef on medium-high heat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces. Drain off fat. 

• Add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Add in frozen vegetables and cook until heated through about 5 minutes.

• Pour into a greased 9×9 glass pan or oval casserole dish. 

• Top with mashed potatoes. 

• Evenly sprinkle cheese over the top. 

• Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to bubble around the edges. Broil for a couple of minutes to get a more brown, bubbly cheese. Top with chopped parsley or chives and serve. 

• Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tips Tricks and FAQs

• The amount of mashed potatoes depends on the size of your dish. The dish I used, a larger oval dish, took about 5 cups of prepared mashed potatoes. 
• If you prefer you can use homemade mashed potatoes. This Instant Pot Mashed potato recipe is so easy to make! 
• If you can’t find a bag of mixed peas and carrots in the freezer section, you can get a bag of each and just use half of it. 
• If you want the more traditional recipe of Shepherd’s Pie, use ground lamb, or half lamb and half beef. You can also substitute the potatoes with cooked rice or refrigerated biscuits.

Storage

Store your leftover Shepherd’s Pie in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also leave it in the pan you cooked it in and cover that with plastic. 

Freezer

Assemble your shepherd’s pie according to the directions and let it cool. Wrap in plastic and then in foil. Place in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

To thaw, place overnight in the fridge before baking. 

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make Shepherd’s Pie up to 2 days in advance. Just assemble, let cool, and then cover and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, pull it out of the fridge as the oven preheats. 

Do I need to thaw the frozen vegetables?

 Nope! The vegetables do not need to be thawed ahead of time. They will be cooked through when added to the skillet. 

What are some sauces I could add? 

You can add Beef gravy, steak sauce, yum yum sauce, or ketchup to give this dish more flavor if you prefer. 

What additional ingredients could be added? 

If you want even more flavor you can add oregano, paprika (you can also sprinkle some on top for a nice presentation), Italian seasoning, chili powder, or rosemary. Add a little ketchup or tomato paste to the meat. 

What is another variation of Shepherd’s Pie?

Make it a Mexican dish: instead of the listed seasonings, add ¼ cup taco seasoning and ½ cup water to the meat and sauté a few minutes until it thickens a bit. Top with pepper jack cheese instead of the cheddar.

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