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Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie is a cozy, family-friendly dinner made with seasoned lean ground beef, tender vegetables, and a layer of creamy mashed potatoes baked until golden. It’s simple, filling, and perfect for busy weeknights.
This healthier shepherd’s pie uses lean ground beef and plenty of vegetables to keep it balanced and satisfying. Perfect for St. Patrick’s day, chilly evenings, Sunday dinners, or when you need a crowd-pleaser at your next gathering. This dish is my favorite Irish-inspired dish to make during the easter holidays. You can also lighten it further by using mashed cauliflower or substituting sweet potatoes for extra fiber and nutrients.
If you prefer a lighter version, try my sweet potato shepherd’s pie, or for a vegetarian option, try my vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
Cottage Pie vs Shepherd’s Pie
Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is made with ground beef. In many homes, the names are used interchangeably, especially in the U.S.
Since this recipe uses ground beef, it’s technically a cottage pie. But most people still call it shepherd’s pie, which is why you’ll often see both names used.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
Classic Shepherd’s Pie
Here’s a quick visual below of what you’ll need for this easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: These creamy potatoes make the fluffiest topping.
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Greek yogurt or sour cream: For a tangy, smooth texture.
- Milk and Chicken broth
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth to the filling.
- Veggies: frozen peas, celery, and carrots
- Garlic: Because garlic makes everything better.
- Ground beef: The heart of the dish, you may use ground turkey if you like.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the filling.
- Dried thyme: Fresh will work as well.
- Tomato passata: Rich tomato goodness to round out the filling. You can also use tomato sauce
Recipe Tips for the Best Shepherd’s Pie
- Brown the beef well: This adds so much more flavor.
- Don’t skip seasoning: Taste the filling before adding the mashed potatoes and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Let it cool slightly before serving: This helps it set and makes slicing easier.
- Use warm mashed potatoes; they spread more easily over the beef layer.
- Create texture on top: Drag a fork across the potatoes before baking so the ridges turn golden.
How to make Shepherd’s pie
Ready to dig in? Here’s how to make this shepherd’s pie masterpiece. Full recipe details are below in the recipe card!
Step 1: Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes until they soften.
Step 2: Add the ground beef and cook until browned all the way through. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Sprinkle with cornstarch, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken broth, tomato passata, and peas, and let simmer until thickened for 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Make the potatoes in a pot and then mash them together.
Step 5: Layer the beef mixture in an oven-safe dish and top with mashed potatoes, and bake in a preheated oven of 450F for 30-35 minutes.
Step 6: Broil the top for a couple of minutes until golden brown and crispy. Let it cool a bit to settle and then serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Assemble the dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the baking time if it’s going in cold.
Shepherd’s pie can be part of a balanced meal when made with lean ground beef and plenty of vegetables. Using lighter mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash can reduce calories while keeping it filling.
Yes! You can cook the beef filling in the slow cooker and mash the potatoes separately.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Classic options include peas, carrots, and corn. You can also add green beans or diced mushrooms to bulk it up.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Variations
- Vegetarian Version: Swap out the beef for lentils or your favorite plant-based protein.
- Spicy Kick: Add some chili flakes to the filling for a bit of heat.
- Sweet Potato Topping: Use mashed sweet potatoes for a twist on the classic.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese over the mashed potatoes before baking for a golden, cheesy top.
- Herb Mix: Add rosemary or oregano to the filling for different flavor profiles.
Substitutions
Here are a few ideas for substitutions if you would like to make this recipe your own.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free yogurt and a non-dairy milk (like almond or oat milk) for a dairy-free version.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, just ensure your cornstarch is certified gluten-free.
- Low-Carb: Try cauliflower mash instead of potatoes for a lower-carb version. You can use this cauliflower mash recipe instead and use a bit less garlic.
- Ground Turkey or Chicken: Replace the beef with lean ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
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Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rating below.
Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Topping
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, about 7-8 medium potatoes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 milk of choice, or as needed
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef, used halal
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cup tomato passata
- 1 cup frozen peas, no need to thaw
Instructions
- Start with the mashed potatoes topping. Peel and chop the 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes into big chunks. Place them into a large soup pot, covered with water. and stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the filling. Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the 1 sweet onion, 2 sticks celery, 2 medium carrots and 3-4 cloves garlic for 5 minutes.
- Add the 1 pound lean ground beef and cook, mincing the meat with the wooden spoon.
- Once the meat starts to brown, sprinkle it with the 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and season with Kosher salt and pepper. About 3-5 minutes.
- Add the 2/3 cup chicken broth, 2/3 cup tomato passata and 1 cup frozen peas. Stir well to combine and simmer the sauce until it begins to thicken, around 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to a 13 x 9 oven-safe dish and preheat the oven to 450F.
- To make the mashed potatoes, drain the cooked potatoes and mash with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, or sour cream, and 1/2 milk of choice. Season, if needed.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture into the dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly. Broil for 2-4 minutes to give a nice charred top.
Notes
- Technically a cottage pie since it is made with ground beef instead of ground lamb.
- Don’t rush the browning process – Let the meat cook until it’s nice and brown for extra flavor.
- For an extra creamy topping, add a splash more milk if the mashed potatoes seem too thick.
- Don’t forget the broiling step – A little char on the top makes the pie extra special!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Shepherds pie = lamb (hence the name).
It’s called cottage pie if it’s made with beef.
Yes. I totally agree. By mistake. Thanks for pointing it out to me. Much love.
When to add the peas? Thanks!
Very very good! I love your recipes, this was very tasty, we loved it, but, I have a couple of comments. You don’t say what size baking dish , which would be very helpful especially for people that don’t cook a lot. I used a 13 x 9 and it was pretty much perfect. Also, in the picture you show cheese on top, which to me , when I look at the recipe, I expect it to be right in the recipe, you show it as an addition. My personal preference would be to show it as part of the recipe and if you don’t want it, leave it out. not only does it look prettier, but it tastes so much better. I think it should be an added ingredient into the recipe and leave it out if you don’t want it. My last comment is the amount of sodium is way too high for today’s healthy food recipes. I still love your recipes and this was great. I just adjusted it a bit. Thanks for all you do.
Hi Karen. So glad you loved it. I actually didn’t add cheese, but you are right about the 13 x 9 size. I will make a note of it. It’s the perfect size to use. Mine broke and I had to go with a smaller size dish, so the sauce flowed over the potatoes and made it look like cheese. I love the idea, though. I suggest adding some during the last 15 minutes.
This is super amazing
Thank you