Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie: A rich gravy with ground beef and vegetables, topped with ultra creamy mashed potatoes. The ultimate comfort food!

Shepherd’s Pie Is…

• Comforting: It’s the ultimate feel-good food.
• Delicious: The beef and veggie mix is coated in a flavorful gravy.
• Creamy Potatoes: Potatoes cover the top adding the perfect texture and flavor.
• Customizable: You can change the veggies and meat to your preference.
• Perfect For Making Ahead: It can be prepared ahead of time.

Ingredients In Shepherd’s Pie

Base:

• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the veggies.
• Mirepoix: Veggie base providing flavor and texture.
• Ground Chuck Round: The main base and protein of this pie.
• White Flour: Thickens the gravy.
• Frozen Peas or Corn: Adds sweetness and texture.
• Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste: Gives the gravy a richer flavor.
• Beef Stock, Beef Bouillon Cube, Worcestershire Sauce: Provides savory depth.
• 100% Grape Juice: Adds sweetness and complexity.
• Dried Thyme, Bay Leaves: Adds an herbal flavor.

Topping:

• Potatoes (Yukon Gold and Russet): Makes the irresistible creamy topping.
• Heavy Cream, Sour Cream, Unsalted Butter: Adds creaminess and richness to the potatoes.
• Fresh Parsley/Thyme: Optional garnish for freshness and presentation.

How To Make Shepherd’s Pie

1. Sauté garlic, onion, carrots, and celery.
2. Brown ground chuck and add flour.
3. Combine with peas, tomatoes, stock, grape juice, seasonings, and simmer.
4. Boil and mash potatoes with cream and butter.
5. Layer meat mixture topped with mashed potatoes.
6. Bake until golden and bubbly.
7. Garnish with herbs if desired. Serve hot.

Serve Alongside:

• Italian Salad
• No-Knead Dinner Rolls
• Roasted Vegetables
• Caesar Salad
• Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

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4.92 from 48 votes

Shepherd's Pie

By Chelsea Lords

Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort—savory ground beef and veggies in rich gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Cozy and delicious!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Oven-safe pan
• Large pot
• Ricer for potatoes

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 2 cups mirepoix mix of carrots, onion, and celery, finely chopped (1 small yellow onion, 1 celery stalk, and 1 carrot to get 2 cups)
• ▢ 1.2 pounds ground beef chuck
• ▢ 1/4 cup flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas or frozen corn
• ▢ 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1-3/4 cups reduced-sodium beef stock can use reduced-sodium beef broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup 100% grape juice see note 1
• ▢ 1 beef bouillon cube
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 3 bay leaves divided

Topping

• ▢ 2-1/2 pounds potatoes I use equal mix of Yukon Gold and Russet; if just using one, use Yukon Gold
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream can use fat free
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Fresh parsley or thyme, for topping, optional

Instructions 

• Heat 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and finely chopped onion, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Add finely chopped carrots and celery, cooking another 2–3 minutes until veggies are softened.
• Heat pan to high and add beef. Cook until browned, breaking it apart. Drain any excess grease. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute to remove raw flour taste. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the frozen peas or corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, grape juice, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and bay leaves.
• Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and let it rapidly simmer. Cook for 25–35 minutes at medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes until gravy thickens. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. If making immediately, refrigerate until potatoes are ready. To maintain separate layers while baking, chill the mixture for at least 15–20 minutes. If you didn’t prepare in an oven-safe pan, transfer to a 2-quart oven-safe dish.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and cube potatoes into golf-ball sized pieces. Rinse them under cold water in a strainer until water runs clear. Transfer to a large pot, cover with cold water, add 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and 1 bay leaf, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a strainer, ensuring all excess moisture is removed. Let dry for about 3 minutes and discard bay leaf.
• As potatoes dry in strainer, melt heavy cream, sour cream, and butter in the pot on low heat, stirring to combine. While potatoes are still hot, put them through a ricer and add on top of butter/sour cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie, or use immediately to top the pie evenly.
• Use a fork to add marks into the surface of potatoes. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and edges are bubbling. For crispy tops, broil on high for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme or parsley as desired. Serve hot.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Traditional Shepherd’s Pie typically includes red wine in the gravy. To do so, substitute 1/2 cup of medium-bodied red wine (like pinot noir) for an equal amount of vegetable broth.

Storage: Store cooked pie covered in the fridge for 3–5 days. You can freeze it tightly covered for up to 2 months; bake frozen pie at 350°F for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 697kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 49.2g | Fat: 37.5g | Cholesterol: 192.9mg | Sodium: 623.1mg | Fiber: 4.9g | Sugar: 13.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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