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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish » Meat

    Shepherd's Pie

    Published: Mar 15, 2016 · Updated: Feb 7, 2024 · Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Shepherd's Pie with a veggie-filled meat sauce covered with cheesy mashed potatoes. Great way to use up leftovers for a tasty comfort food dish

    white bowl of shepherd's pie

    Growing up, we weren't really a family of casserole eaters. Not until I got to college did I really start eating casseroles (namely, poppy-seed chicken casserole and cheesy chicken broccoli & rice casserole).

    The second I had shepherd's pie, I knew we would become good friends.

    You don't get much better than a veggie-filled meat sauce covered with mashed potatoes.

    blue dutch oven with casserole covered in mashed potatoes

    Well, that is until you realize that it's not a complicated dish to make. I also love making this because you can control the ingredients to nourish your body full of goodness.

    Think lots and lots of veggies for lots & lots of nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, plus lean ground beef for protein, vitamin B12 and iron, as well as potatoes for potassium, more fiber and to up the delicious factor.

    blue pot of shepherd's pie with black spoon and a small white bowl with casserole

    I also add cheese to the potatoes because why wouldn't I?! Cheese + potatoes is always a good idea.

    To make this shepherd’s pie, you’ll need to boil potatoes while you sauté the veggies & cook the ground beef. Because I wrongly assumed that I had extra potatoes in my apartment, I used half parsnips and half potatoes for the topping in this casserole. So. Delish.

    dutch oven with shepherd's pie and some removed

    I’m so glad I had them leftover from the Guinness Stew I made last week. They gave a new element of flavor that went really well in this dish.

    You could also use half cauliflower if you wanted to do that. Either way, you’ll need 1 pound of potatoes or combination of parsnips & potatoes or combination of cauliflower & potatoes.

    My favorite tip for making this dish a breeze is to use an oven safe skillet or dutch/french oven (something that can hold at least 8 cups) for cooking your meat and veggies. Then you’ll just cover everything with the mashed potatoes and bake. No need to dirty a casserole dish.

    Yay for less dirty dishes and effort. Even more yay when you get to dig into this tasty dish!

    blue pot of shepherd's pie with black spoon and a small white bowl with casserole

    Shepherd’s Pie

    Shepherd's Pie with a veggie-filled meat sauce covered with cheesy mashed potatoes. Great way to use up leftovers for a tasty comfort food dish
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    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 cup diced carrots about 2 carrots
    • 1 ¼ cup diced onions 1 medium onion
    • 1 cup diced celery about 2-3 stalks
    • 1 ½ cups diced mushrooms about 4 ounces
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 clove
    • 1 ½ cups beef or chicken broth divided
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon salt divided
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 pound potatoes chopped
    • ¼ cup milk
    • 2 teaspoon butter
    • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese about 4 ounces
    • 2 teaspoon cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375*F.
    • Add the ground beef, carrots, onions, and celery to an oven-proof skillet or dutch/french oven over medium-high heat. Sauté until beef is cooked through and veggies are soft. Drain or wipe out excess grease. Add in mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms have released their juices, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
    • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer until potatoes are soft. Once potatoes are cooked, drain & mash with milk and butter. Stir in cheese and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
    • Stir together remaining ½ cup cold broth with cornstarch until no lumps remain. Stir into meat mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaves.
    • Cover meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly. Carefully remove from oven. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *Makes 8 cups 
    *Be sure to leave the potatoes with the peel on to keep in nutrients and fiber.
    *You can substitute ½ pound of potatoes for ½ pound parsnips or cauliflower. Prepare as directed.

    What to Use in This Recipe

    Dutch Oven
    red spoon
    Spoon
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    Meme

    Nutrition Facts

    Nutrition Facts
    Shepherd’s Pie
    Serving Size
     
    2 cups
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    435
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    18
    g
    28
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    10
    g
    63
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    105
    mg
    35
    %
    Sodium
     
    469
    mg
    20
    %
    Potassium
     
    1269
    mg
    36
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    33
    g
    11
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    36
    g
    72
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5826
    IU
    117
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    14
    mg
    17
    %
    Calcium
     
    281
    mg
    28
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Comments

    1. dixya @ food, pleasure, and health

      March 15, 2016 at 9:26 pm

      for some reason, i am not into casserole however the idea of meat + veggies with potatoes and cheese sounds ridiculously good!

      Reply
      • Meme

        March 23, 2016 at 1:39 pm

        This is one casserole you will want to try, Dixya! 🙂

        Reply

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    Meme holding Watson at a restaurant in san diego.

    Hi, I'm Meme!

    A thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist here to help you enjoy food, make eating easier, and live free of diets & shame.

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