Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Enjoy a cozy dinner with this easy shepherd's pie recipe. It's a simple recipe made with gravy and ground beef in a cast iron skillet. This classic comfort food is cooked on the stovetop, sprinkled with cheese, then baked in the oven to make it golden brown. Your whole family will be asking for seconds!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 476kcal
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potatoes
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves peeled, roasted and smashed
- 8 medium russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Meat and Veggies
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2¼ pounds ground beef 80% lean meat
- 2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
- 2½ cups yellow onion chopped
- 4 teaspoons garlic cloves minced
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground savory
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
For the Gravy
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups unsalted beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
For the Topping
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes
- Rinse, peel and cube the russet potatoes. Put them a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered until fork tender, then drain.
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the garlic cloves and toss with the olive oil and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
- Place all the potato ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy. Adjust butter, sour cream, buttermilk, and seasonings according to taste, then set aside.
Meat & Vegetables
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes, then add the hamburger and cook over medium heat until all the pink is gone (roughly 6 minutes).
- Drain the meat with a slotted spoon to remove the excess grease. Wipe out the excess fat from the skillet with paper towel and remove any leftover hamburger with a spoon.
- Add one tablespoon of fat back into the skillet and let it warm up over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onions to the skillet and cook for 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, roughly a minute.
- Stir in the cooked hamburger and the frozen peas.
Gravy
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Gradually add the flour, whisking constantly, to make a roux. Cook for two minutes, whisking constantly.
- Pour the Worcestershire sauce into the beef stock and gradually whisk of 1 ½ cups the stock into the roux. Keep whisking for a minute or two until the gravy has thickened.
- Once your gravy is the consistency you like, pour it over the hamburger veggie mixture in the large cast iron skillet. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Stir the potatoes, then spread them evenly over the meat mixture in the skillet. (Don't have an oven proof skillet? Assemble the shepherd's pie in a 9x13-inch casserole dish.)
- Fluff the potatoes with a fork to make them textured, then brush them with egg white. Sprinkle the smoked paprika and grated cheddar cheese evenly on top.
- Cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes until golden brown. If the skillet is full, place it on top of a baking tray in case the shepherd's pie overflows when baking. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. Serve warm with a slice of crusty buttered bread or a fresh crisp green salad.
Notes
- Want to use leftover mashed potatoes? You'll need about 3 -4 cups.
- Don't own a cast iron skillet? Use a 9x13-inch pan or an oven safe Dutch oven.
- Potato options? Mash, whip, or rice the potatoes for the texture you want.
- Overfilled the skillet? Put it on a cookie sheet to catch drips that could bubble out.
- Need this vegetarian? Use mushrooms or cooked lentils, and vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 1075mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3949IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg
