Description
A comforting and classic Beef Shepherd's Pie featuring a savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Mashed Potatoes
- 1-½ pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- ⅓ cup whole milk, more as needed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces button or crimini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced fine
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced fine
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (or lamb)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 1-¼ cup beef broth, or more as needed
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Make the mashed potatoes: Add potatoes to a medium pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Boil until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add milk, butter, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Mash until combined and adjust seasoning and milk as needed.
- Prepare the beef filling: Preheat oven to 425ºF with rack in upper position. Heat olive oil in an 8-10 inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt, cook until liquid evaporates about 8 minutes. Add onion, carrot, salt, and pepper; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Finish the filling: Stir in minced garlic, potato starch, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme; cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Pour in beef broth, scrape browned bits, and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust seasoning. Stir in frozen peas.
- Assemble the pie: Spoon mashed potatoes over beef mixture evenly. Create texture on top with fork if desired to crisp. If skillet not oven-safe, transfer filling to 8-inch baking dish before topping.
- Bake: Place in upper oven rack and bake for 15 minutes until filling is lightly browned and bubbling.
- Rest and serve: Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Drain excess fat from ground beef or lamb, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.
- Use a cast iron or oven-safe skillet for all-in-one preparation; otherwise transfer to an 8-inch baking dish before baking.
- This recipe can be doubled and prepared in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9x13-inch baking dish.
- To freeze, fully bake and cool the dish, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Defrost overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
