Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

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

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Shepherd’s pie is the epitome of simple and homely comfort food. It’s a classic recipe, 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. It’s a homey, comforting casserole that we all love that combines ground meat, peas, carrots and corn, then topped with a mountain of mashed potatoes!

The great thing about my recipe is that it’s made in a skillet, so you can literally take this recipe from the stovetop to the oven to bake, no casserole dish necessary. It’s super easy to make, especially if you have some leftover mashed potatoes, and can easily be done any night of the week. The end result is nothing but incredibly tasty and flavorful.

• Olive Oil – Substitute avocado, vegetable, sunflower or safflower oil.
• Ground Beef – You can use any ground protein you prefer. Try using ground lamb for a more authentic shepherd’s pie.
• Onion Soup Mix – You can find this in your local grocery store, or scroll down to see how to make your own.
• Beef broth – I opt for low sodium. You can also sub this with chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Vegetables – I decided to go with a frozen mix here of peas, carrots, green beans, and corn. You can actually find this mix in the frozen food section.
• Onion And Garlic – Essential for developing lots of flavor in our meat filling.
• Red Pepper Flakes – This ingredient is optional but it’s great if you like a bit of heat to your pie.
• Worcestershire Sauce – This is going to give that umami flavor to our meat filling. Feel free to sub it with soy sauce.

• Potatoes – I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet Potatoes.
• Salt and Pepper – I usually use white pepper, but black pepper works as well, especially if you like to see the black specks in the potatoes.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in most of my cooking and baking because this way I can control the amount of salt that goes in my food.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated. This is optional, but I like a bit of cheesy flavor in my mashed potatoes.
• Half and Half or Milk – I usually uses milk but if you would like these potatoes to be a bit creamier go with half and half cream which contains 12 % fat. You can even go ahead and use heavy cream which usually contains 38 % fat.

Making this classic dish has always been easy, but with this recipe, it’s even easier with a few less steps and one less pan to clean! Just follow these simple directions and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!

To start, peel and cut all the potatoes into equal size cubes so that they cook evenly. Next, put the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Now, add about a teaspoon of salt and bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat. Then let them simmer for about 15 minutes or until they are fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can begin cooking the ground beef. To do this, heat the olive oil in an oven-safe large skillet over medium heat. Next, add the ground beef and sprinkle it with some salt and black pepper to season. Then cook the meat for about 5 minutes as you break it up with a wooden spoon. When it’s done the ground beef should no longer be pink. 

After the ground meat has been browned, add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook it together with the beef for 3 minutes or until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Next, stir in the red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, and beef broth. Now, stir in the frozen vegetables and let the mixture cook for a couple more minutes until it forms a gravy. And you don’t need to add any flour or tomato paste. The soup mix will thicken the mixture right up for you. Then turn off the heat and set the pan aside for now. 

Before you move on to the next step, you need to preheat your oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). You want the oven to be already hot once the pie is assembled. Dishes never cook as well if the oven is still warming up when you put them in. 

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and put them in a large bowl. Then add the butter and use a potato masher to mash them until smooth. Next, add the milk, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Then mash them once again until they are fluffy and a bit more smooth.

Now that your potatoes are mashed, layer them over the meat mixture in the skillet. Then spread them evenly using the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula. Now, use a fork to rough up the top a little bit to create a little texture that will brown nicely in the oven. If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet you can put the meat mixture into a baking dish and then top it with the mashed potatoes.

After the pie has been assembled, place the skillet on a baking sheet. Now, transfer the pie to the oven to bake for 40 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top. Then when the skillet shepherd’s pie is done, garnish it with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and serve it immediately. 

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. Ground lamb is not something you’ll see in many grocery stores here in North America. Even in restaurants here, the beef version is always called Shepherd’s pie.

Another interesting fact to note about Shepherd’s pie is that Scotland usually makes these pies with a pastry instead of mashed potatoes.

Isn’t This Cottage Pie?

Yes, it is! I know there’s been a great debate about this on social media, but yes, it is in fact cottage pie. However, I’ve never seen it referred as cottage pie in any of the restaurants I’ve been to, it’s always Shepherd’s pie and yes it’s made with beef! However, for the true food nerds out there, this is indeed, Cottage pie!

Do I Have To Use Frozen Veggies

I used frozen veggies here, but you can use fresh or canned if you like! Just make sure to drain all the excess liquid from any canned veggies. This recipe is also great for doing a fridge/freezer clean out! You can toss any veggies you want in here.

I Can’t Find Any Onion Soup Mix!

That’s totally okay. Here’s a super easy version that you can make yourself:

• ¼ cup beef bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon parsley flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

How To Serve Shepherd’s Pie

My favorite part about Shepherd’s pie is that it includes all your typical dinner items in one easy dish. You got meat, potatoes, and veggies all together living in harmony. The thing about Shepherd’s pie, though, is that it’s hard to create a stunning plating presentation. All I have to say is, embrace the mess! Top it wish some chopped parsley. That always makes a meal look fancy. However, here are some dishes that would go great with this pie.

Leftovers

Refrigerator

You can transfer this shepherd’s pie to an airtight container to store leftovers, or you can leave it right in the skillet and cover it well with foil, which will make re-heating much easier. Refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.

Keep it covered with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes at 350°F, or until heated all the way through. You can remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to crisp the potatoes up.

Freezer

To freeze, once the pie has come to room temperature, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, bake the shepherd’s pie still covered with foil, for 1 hour at 350°F, straight from the freezer. You can also thaw it overnight, then bake it at 350°F for just 30 minutes.

Other Delicious Meat And Potato Recipes To Try

• Meatball Casserole
• Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
• One Pan Roasted Honey Orange Chicken and Potatoes
• Moroccan Roast Chicken and Potatoes
• Roast Chicken with Roasted Potatoes
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
• Sausage Potato Hash
• Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
• Harissa Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Recipe originally shared Dec 2016.