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    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Beef Recipes

    Easy Shepherd’s Pie (Freezer-Friendly)

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    Easy Shepherd's Pie (Freezer friendly)
    Easy Shepherd's Pie (Freezer friendly)
    Easy Shepherd's Pie
    Easy & Delicious Shepherd's Pie
    Easy Shepherd's Pie (Freezer friendly)
    Easy Shepherd's Pie (Freezer friendly)
    Easy Shepherd's Pie

    This super easy Shepherd’s Pie is not only rich and delicious, but it is also makes a great frozen Shepherd's Pie to stock your freezer. It is full of meat and vegetables in a rich beef and tomato sauce topped with creamy mashed potatoes and a sprinkling of cheese. Try it with ground elk, venison, or lamb for a delicious variation.

    Easy Shepherd's Pie
    Jump to:
    • 📹 Video
    • ⏲️ Time needed
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📋 How to Make Shepherd's Pie
    • ❓ FAQ
    • ❄️ Frozen Shepherd's Pie instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 📌 Pin this recipe

    📹 Video

    ⏲️ Time needed

    It only takes about 40 minutes to prepare Easy Shepherd's Pie, and it can be pre-assembled if necessary. If pre-assembled and refrigerated ahead of time, plan to bake it for a bit longer since it starts off cold.

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Ground beef, lamb, venison, or elk
    • Onion
    • Frozen mixed vegetables
    • Brown gravy packet (plus water as needed to prepare)
    • Tomato paste
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Cayenne pepper
    • Salt and pepper
    • Mashed potatoes
    • Garlic salt
    • Shredded cheddar cheese

    📋 How to Make Shepherd's Pie

    Preheat oven to 400ºF while you brown the meat and sauté the onion together in a large fry pan. There should be enough fat from the meat to sauté the onion, but if the meat is low in fat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

    browned ground beef and onion
    Sautéd onion and ground beef and ingredients for Shepherd's Pie

    While the meat and onion are cooking, prepare the brown gravy as directed on the package.

    Brown gravy in a saucepan

    When the meat and onions are cooked, add the vegetables, brown gravy, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Mix well.

    ingredients for preparing shepherd's pie in a skillet
    Suatéed ground meat and onion, mixed vegetables, brown gravy, and tomato paste are the base for Shepherd's Pie

    Place the meat mixture in the bottom of a baking dish (see notes regarding baking dish).

    beef and vegetable mixture for shepherd's pie in a baking pan
    Meat and vegetables in a rich tomato and beef sauce are the base for Shepherd's Pie

    Mix ½ cup cheddar cheese with potatoes, and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.

    mixing cheese into mashed potatoes
    Seasoning the potatoes with garlic salt and shredded cheese adds flavor

    Place large spoonsful of mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture and spread gently to create a uniform layer.

    sprinkling cheese on top of shepherd's pie before baking
    Spoon the potatoes on top of the meat layer and sprinkle with cheese

    Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes.

    Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes. (If you are using a deeper dish you may need to extend the cooking time.)

    ❓ FAQ

    What kind of meat is used in Shepherd's Pie?

    Traditional recipes used ground lamb in Shepherd's Pie, but typically American recipes use ground beef because it is more common and more readily available. This beef version is called Cottage Pie in Great Britain.

    Can I make Elk Shepherd's Pie with this recipe?

    I have made this recipe with both ground beef and ground elk, and it is delicious with both. The rich tomato sauce complements the elk meat, and this is one of my favorite ways to use ground elk. I add a little oil when browning the meat since elk is lower in fat than beef.

    Can I substitute ground turkey, lamb, or venison for ground beef?

    You can make this recipe with ground turkey, lamb, or venison using the same directions. If needed, add a little oil to the pan when browning the meat.

    Can I use roasted meat instead of ground meat?

    Although more commonly made with ground red meat, Shepherd's Pie can be made with any kind of cut or shredded cooked red meat.

    Can I make this a low-carb Shepherd's Pie recipe?

    You can easily lower the net carbs in this Shepherd's Pie by using mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. If you are cooking for a LCHF (low carb high fat) diet, you can increase the amount of cheese and add oil to sauté the onion and meat. In place of higher carb mixed vegetables, substitute lower carb choices like chopped broccoli.

    What kind of pan should I use?

    If you prefer your potatoes soft, use a deep rounded dish which will result in a thicker layer of potatoes. If you prefer a crunchier topping, use a shallow rectangular casserole dish so the potatoes will be in a thin layer.

    What should I serve with Shepherd's Pie?

    A fresh green salad is the perfect side dish for this hearty recipe containing meat, potatoes, and mixed vegetables.

    Can you make Shepherd's Pie ahead of time?

    You can make and assemble it ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to use. Since the ingredients will be chilled instead of warm when you bake the pre-assembled dish, you will need to increase the baking time by 15-30 minutes depending on the depth of the pan.

    Can I freeze Shepherd's Pie?

    Shepherd's Pie freezes well—follow the instructions below for freezing.

    ❄️ Frozen Shepherd's Pie instructions

    This recipe is freezer-friendly. I like to double the recipe and make one pie for dinner and one frozen Shepherd's Pie in a freezer- and oven-safe dish for later. Prepare as directed but do not bake; wrap the dish with heavy-duty foil and label:

    Shepherd's Pie        Date____________________

    Thaw. Bake at 400° F for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (If you are using a deeper dish you may need to extend the cooking time.)

    📖 Recipe

    Ground beef, peas, and green beans topped with mashed potatoes and cheese

    Easy Shepherd’s Pie (Freezer-Friendly)

    This super easy Shepherd’s Pie is not only rich and delicious, but it is also makes a great frozen Shepherd's Pie to stock your freezer. It is full of meat and vegetables in a rich beef and tomato sauce topped with creamy mashed potatoes and a sprinkling of cheese.
    4.47 from 39 votes
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine British
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 395

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground beef, lamb, venison, or elk
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
    • 1 packet brown gravy (.87 ounces), plus water as needed to prepare
    • 3 ounces tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
    • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400º F.
    • Brown the meat and sauté the onion together in a large fry pan. There should be enough fat from the meat to sauté the onion, but if the meat is low in fat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
    • While the meat and onion are cooking, prepare the brown gravy as directed on the package.
    • When the meat and onions are cooked, add the vegetables, brown gravy, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
    • Place the meat mixture in the bottom of a baking dish (see notes regarding baking dish).
    • Mix ½ cup cheddar cheese with potatoes, and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
    • Place large spoonsful of mashed potatoes on top of meat mixture and spread gently to create a uniform layer.
    • Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes.
    • Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes. (If you are using a deeper dish you may need to extend the cooking time.)

    Notes

    If you prefer your potatoes soft, use a deep rounded dish which will result in a thicker layer of potatoes. If you prefer a crunchier topping, use a shallow rectangular casserole dish so the potatoes will be in a thin layer.
    This recipe is freezer-friendly. To freeze, prepare as directed but do not bake; wrap the dish with heavy-duty foil and label:
    Thaw. Bake at 400° F for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (If you are using a deeper dish you may need to extend the cooking time.)

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 395 calCarbohydrates: 49 gProtein: 27 gFat: 11 gSodium: 1153 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 4 gNet Carbohydrates: 40 g
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    Easy Shepherd's Pie (Freezer friendly)

    Easy Shepherd’s Pie (Freezer-Friendly)
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    Posted by Mary Ann on July 13, 2021Filed Under: Beef Recipes, Bulk Cooking/Freezer Cooking Recipes, Casseroles, Oven Recipes

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