Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe with Beef

Easy Beef Shepherd's Pie

This easy beef shepherd's pie layers seasoned beef and vegetables under creamy mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Assemble it ahead of time if needed, then bake when you're ready for dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, grated or chopped
• 1 carrot, grated or diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix
• 1 small bag frozen vegetables, such as green beans or peas and carrots
• Prepared mashed potatoes, as needed for topping
• Shredded cheddar cheese, as needed for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a pie plate or casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Add the ground beef, onion, carrot and garlic to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking the beef apart as it cooks, until the ground beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
3. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
4. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and dry onion soup mix. Stir until well combined.
5. Stir the frozen vegetables into the beef mixture and transfer everything to the prepared pie plate or casserole dish.
6. Spread prepared mashed potatoes evenly over the beef and vegetable filling.
7. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the mashed potatoes.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can measure the seasonings and broth, help prepare the mashed potatoes and spread the potatoes over the cooked filling. An adult should handle the raw beef, hot skillet and hot casserole dish.

Make-Ahead & Freezer Shepherd's Pie

Recipe by Trinity Hansen, Ogden, Utah

This make-ahead shepherd's pie recipe makes two 9-inch dishes, making it easy to serve one for dinner and save the second for another meal. Ground beef, vegetables and gravy are topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese for a hearty family dinner.

Makes: 2 9-inch dishes

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 medium potatoes
• Butter and milk, as needed for mashed potatoes
• Seasonings for mashed potatoes, as desired
• 2 cups beef gravy
• 1 can mushrooms, optional
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen vegetables
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Peel or scrub the potatoes, cut them into cubes and cook until tender.
2. Drain the potatoes and mash with butter and milk until smooth. Add seasonings as desired.
3. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion in a large skillet, breaking the beef apart as it cooks. Cook until the ground beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer, then drain excess grease if needed.
4. Stir the beef gravy, frozen vegetables and mushrooms, if using, into the cooked beef.
5. Lightly grease two 9-inch pie dishes.
6. Divide the beef and vegetable mixture evenly between the two dishes.
7. Divide the mashed potatoes between the dishes and spread them evenly over the beef filling.
8. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese over each shepherd's pie.
9. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, or prepare one or both dishes for the freezer to cook later.

If freezing one of the pies, cover it well and label it with the recipe name and date. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can help mash the potatoes, measure the vegetables and cheese and assemble the layers once the cooked beef mixture is ready. An adult should handle the raw beef, hot skillet and hot baking dishes.