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Ground Beef Shepherds Pie

Golden crispy shepherd's pie with savory ground beef filling in ceramic dish.
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This classic shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food, made easy. Yukon Gold potatoes create a creamy, golden crust sealing in a savory ground beef and vegetable filling. It’s a perfect make-ahead meal for cozy family dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Potato Topping:
  • 2.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling water
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • For the Savory Filling:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Cook and mash the potatoes. Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and return to hot pot to steam dry. Mash with warm milk, butter, sour cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth. Set aside.
  2. Build the savory filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Push vegetables to the side and add ground beef. Cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if needed.
  4. Thicken and simmer. Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Gradually pour in beef broth, stirring constantly. Add thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and frozen peas. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
  6. Assemble and bake. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the warm filling evenly in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  7. Dollop mashed potatoes over the filling and spread into an even layer, sealing to the edges. Create ridges on top with a fork.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Let the pie rest after baking for clean slices. For make-ahead, assemble and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw if frozen and add 10-15 minutes to baking time if cold. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.homestyletable.com/ground-beef-shepherds-pie/