Shepherd's Pie

4.99 from 78 votes

This shepherd’s pie is a hearty baked dish, complete with layers of flavorful ground beef, vegetables, and home-style mashed potatoes.

Prep Time35

Cook Time30

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 462kcal

5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 to 1½-inch pieces (about 2½ pounds)
⅔ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional 2 teaspoons for boiling water
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add the diced potatoes to a large pot of cool salted water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a boil, cook the potatoes for an additional 12-15 minutes or until fork tender.
During the last 3-4 minutes of cook time, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan just until the butter is melted and tiny bubbles start to form around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat. Do not allow the milk to boil, or you will risk burning the milk.
Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the warmed milk, melted butter, salt, and black pepper to the potatoes and mash until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, preheat a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet (or well-seasoned cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent and no pink remains in the ground beef.
Stir in the tomato paste until well incorporated, then sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the ground beef and stir to combine until no dry pockets of flour remain.
Add the beef broth, beef bouillon, worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and frozen mixed vegetables, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Remove and discard the bay leaf, then transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture being sure to get the mashed potatoes all the way up against the baking dish around the edges. This will help to seal the meat mixture under the mashed potatoes and will help keep the gravy from bubbling up too much when baked.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. You can broil the potatoes for the last 3-4 minutes to deepen the color. Watch closely, as the topping can brown quickly depending on your oven's broiler.
Allow the shepherd's pie to rest for 15 minutes before garnishing with a sprinkle of fresh thyme if desired. This allows the beef filling to cool slightly and thicken the gravy before serving.

You can rinse your diced potatoes under cool water, to remove the excess starches, prior to boiling. This is a great tip to help ensure your potatoes stay light and fluffy when mashed. It is not necessary, but has been found helpful.
Starting your potatoes in a cool pot of salted water, then bring up to a boil, ensures the potatoes cook evenly.
If using a low-sodium beef broth, you may want to taste the meat filling for seasoning prior to transferring to the prepared baking dish, then add more salt and black pepper if needed. The saltiness of different brands of broth and beef bouillon cubes can vary greatly, therefore you really need to taste your filling and adjust it accordingly.
If you are using a blend of ground beef with a higher fat content, you will want to drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the browned ground beef, prior to adding the tomato paste in the recipe.