Shepherd’s Pie Casserole is ground beef, onion, peas, carrots and corn in a rich, thick gravy under a layer of cheesy Parmesan mashed potatoes, baked until the top turns golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. It’s old-fashioned comfort food for a cold weeknight, made here with ground beef, and it serves 6.
How to make shepherd’s pie casserole: Brown the beef with onion and dried herbs, thicken it with flour, tomato paste and beef broth, and simmer it with frozen vegetables. Spread it in a 9×9-inch dish, cover it with Parmesan mashed potatoes, and bake uncovered at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Why You’ll Love It
- A full meal in one dish: meat, vegetables, gravy and potatoes bake together, so there’s nothing else to cook.
- Freezer and pantry friendly: frozen peas and carrots, frozen corn and three dried herbs from the spice drawer.
- Sized for a 9×9-inch dish: 1 pound of beef makes 6 servings.
- Good the next day: it reheats well, and it can go in the freezer.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: One pound of 90% lean ground beef.
Potatoes: Starchy russets are the ones to use for the mashed topping.
Frozen vegetables: They go into the skillet frozen. If you can’t find mixed peas and carrots, use 1/2 cup frozen peas and 1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots. Freshly cooked vegetables work as well.
Broth: Beef broth goes in here; chicken or vegetable broth also works.
Parmesan: Sharp cheddar or Asiago can stand in for it.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef, 90% lean
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
Potato topping
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/3 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie Casserole
1. Soften the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in the parsley, rosemary, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned with no pink left and reaches 160°F.
3. Thicken the filling. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir until no clumps of tomato paste remain.
4. Simmer with the vegetables. Add the beef broth, peas and carrots, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens into a gravy. Set the filling aside and heat the oven to 400°F.
5. Boil the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
6. Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the hot pot. Let them sit for 1 minute so any remaining liquid evaporates. Add the butter, half-and-half, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mash until everything is mixed together, then stir in the Parmesan.
7. Layer the casserole. Pour the filling into a 9×9-inch (or 7×11-inch) baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and carefully spread them into an even layer.
8. Bake. If the dish looks very full, set it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden, the filling bubbles at the edges and the center reaches 165°F.
9. Cool and serve. Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving.
The Secret to a Great Shepherd’s Pie Casserole
The secret is a thick gravy under potatoes that stay creamy, with a top that crisps in the oven.
A real gravy, not a runny filling. The flour and tomato paste cook into the beef before any liquid goes in, then the broth simmers until it thickens into a gravy. That gravy binds the meat and vegetables and adds moisture to the filling. If it still looks thin after the simmer, keep stirring it over the heat until it thickens.
Potatoes that stay creamy, not mushy. Mushy mashed potatoes come from boiling them too long or adding too much liquid. Cook the cubes just until they’re tender, drain them well, and give them that minute in the hot pot so the last of the water evaporates. Mash them with a potato masher or a ricer, and don’t add more than the 1/3 cup of half-and-half, or they turn wet.
Dollop, then spread. Drop spoonfuls of mash all over the filling, then spread them with a spoon or spatula until it’s covered.
A top with texture. The Parmesan in the mash helps the top crisp as it bakes. For more crunch, drag a fork across the potatoes to make ridges or peaks, or brush the top with a little melted butter or olive oil before it goes in the oven.
Tips for Success
Why is the filling greasy?
Too much fat stayed in the skillet. If fat pools in the pan once the beef is browned, spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon right away, before the Worcestershire and garlic go in. The filling should be moist, not greasy.
What if the top browns before the filling is bubbling?
A burnt top comes from baking at too high a temperature or for too long. Keep an eye on the dish near the end, and if the potatoes brown too quickly, lay a sheet of foil over the top and keep baking until it passes the checks in step 8.
Variations
- Ground turkey: Swap it in for the beef, and cook it until no pink remains and it reaches 165°F.
- Tater tot top: Skip the mashed potatoes. Keep the filling in the 9×9-inch dish, cover it with a single layer of frozen tater tots (no need to thaw), sprinkle with shredded cheddar and bake uncovered at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the tots are cooked through and golden and the center reaches 165°F.
- Cheddar on top: Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the mashed potatoes before baking.
Storage & Reheating
Cover the dish tightly or move portions into shallow, covered containers. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. For the freezer, wrap the dish airtight in plastic wrap and then foil, or pack single portions in freezer-safe containers. Thaw it in the refrigerator, never on the counter; FSIS says most foods need a day or two, so give a whole dish that long. Reheat it covered until the center reaches 165°F: single portions take about 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave, and the whole dish goes in the oven under foil, with the foil off near the end so the top crisps again. A frozen casserole can go straight into the oven once the plastic wrap is off, but FSIS says it takes about one and a half times as long. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
With meat, vegetables, gravy and potatoes in one dish, shepherd’s pie casserole is a complete meal on its own. For the same beef and gravy on the stovetop, try ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes, Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes or hamburger steaks with onion mushroom gravy. For more beef and potato bakes, there’s cowboy casserole under a tater tot top, a layered hobo casserole and an easy 5-ingredient hamburger and potato casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shepherd’s pie considered a casserole?
Yes. It’s an old-fashioned casserole: a layered meat and potato pie of ground meat, vegetables and gravy under mashed potatoes, baked in one dish and served as a complete meal.
Is shepherd’s pie made with beef or lamb?
Traditionally lamb. Made with ground beef, the same dish is often called cottage pie. This casserole uses ground beef; for lamb, use 1 pound of ground lamb in place of the beef and follow the same steps.
Can you make shepherd’s pie ahead of time?
Yes. Make the filling up to 3 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, or assemble the whole casserole, cover it tightly and refrigerate it up to 2 days. Bake it uncovered at 400°F until the top is golden, the filling bubbles and the center reaches 165°F; straight from the fridge, that takes longer than the 25 to 30 minutes in step 8. If you made the filling ahead, eat any leftovers within 3 to 4 days of the day you cooked it.
Can you use leftover or instant mashed potatoes in shepherd’s pie?
Yes. Leftover mashed potatoes work, and instant potatoes are fine when you’re in a hurry. Plan on about 3 to 4 cups for 1 pound of meat, and stir in the Parmesan before you spread them on.
Final Notes
For potatoes on the bottom as well as the top, spread a thin layer of mash in the dish before the filling goes in. If you make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Shepherd's Pie Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 pound ground beef 90% lean
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for the filling
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground, for the filling
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mixed
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds russet potatoes about 2 large, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1/3 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for the potatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground, for the potatoes
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in the parsley, rosemary, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned with no pink left and reaches 160°F.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir until no clumps of tomato paste remain.
- Add the beef broth, peas and carrots, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens into a gravy. Set the filling aside and heat the oven to 400°F.
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the hot pot. Let them sit for 1 minute so any remaining liquid evaporates. Add the butter, half-and-half, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mash until everything is mixed together, then stir in the Parmesan.
- Pour the filling into a 9x9-inch (or 7x11-inch) baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and carefully spread them into an even layer.
- If the dish looks very full, set it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden, the filling bubbles at the edges and the center reaches 165°F.
- Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving.
