World’s Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (Made Easy With Ground Beef)

A true winter classic main dish filled with well-seasoned minced ground beef, and veggies, then topped with the creamiest fluffiest cheesiest mashed potatoes known to man. This might truly be a top 5 Shepherd’s Pie recipe if not the World’s Best!

This hearty comfort classic will surely impress your Grandma! It might not be her Shepherd’s pie but it will surely put a smile on her face and anyone else who tries it so if you’re looking for a good easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe, this is the one yo!

What makes this a good recipe?

• It’s easy to make: Shepherd’s pie is just potatoes and ground meat. All you do is boil ya potatoes, brown ya meat, season both, and combine them then give them a little oven time and BAM you’re done! Not hard right?
• It has everything you need: You get everything in one bite with Shepherd’s pie! Ya veggies, protein, and carbs… can’t beat that right? Unless you’re trying to lose weight and stay away from carbs!!!
• It stretches: It can feed a lot of people because it stretches and it can last for a while because with how it’s made you can feed quite a few people.
• Kid and elder-friendly: This is the perfect dish to make if you’re making dinner for yourself and very young and old individuals because it literally melts in your mouth and dont require a lot of chewing.
• It’s a great comfort food: Shepherd’s pie is perfect for cold winter nights. If you’re looking for a dish that comforts, warms, and fills you up, this is it! 

What is Shepherd’s pie?

Shepherd’s pie is minced meat filled with veggies, covered with mashed potatoes, and then baked like a pie. Vegetables usually consist of a combination of onions, celery, peas, carrots, corn, and sometimes lima beans and green beans.

What’s the difference between Shepherd’s and Cottage pie?

The term Shepherd’s pie is often used interchangeably with “Cottage pie” when they are historically different. Shepherd’s pie is made with LAMB while Cottage pie is made with BEEF.

“So isn’t this a Cottage pie”?, you might be asking…YES! Shepherd’s pie is often MISUSED and has become the more POPULAR term to describe what is actually COTTAGE PIE!

Well, why call it Shepherd’s Pie?

Why call it Shepherd’s pie if it’s actually Cottage pie? Because Shepherd’s pie is the more popular name and if I were to call it cottage pie some folks may be confused because they don’t know the difference and probably never even heard of cottage pie.

But cottage pie is in fact what this is and 80% of the time if not more often than that, when people make what they believe is Shepherd’s pie, they use ground beef. Hahaha!

So yea, I know this is cottage pie, but I titled it Shepherd’s pie so people know what I’m cooking and so that that the recipe shows up high in google search engine.

Shepherd’s Pie Video

I have some good news yall! Guess what? I have a video on how to make this dish for my visual learners out there! This video became one of my most viewed YouTube videos on @phillyboyjaycookingshow2.0 channel back in 2016!

I do some things differently now but I cook it the same way for the most part and watching the video may give you a better understanding of how it’s done if for any reason you don’t understand the instructions.

My first Shepherd’s pie

Speaking of that classic YouTube video of mine, did yall know that was my very first time making it? I didn’t even experiment with it or test the dish which is what I do now obviously before posting my recipes.

But that was in 2016 the year I started this website, right before I started creating recipes and would just show folks how to make dishes without giving detailed instructions like measurements and cooking time. Lol! 

But yea, someone asked me if I could show them how I make it and if I even knew what it was. I didn’t but my fans still requested that I do a video tutorial making it because they wanted to see my rendition or version of it.

Why? Because I’m known for cooking things in a unique way and putting my own spin on it. So I searched the dish on Google, and knew right from the jump how I was gonna spice it up and make it. 

I gathered all the ingredients, most of which I already had in the frig, and turned on the camera and went to work, and BAM, 7 million views and 4k comments later, it’s still one of my biggest videos and fan favorites.

I think it’s not just because of how good it is but because it’s a dish that as I said earlier, kids, old folks, and people of all ages can enjoy and get with. So yea, this was definitely one of them dishes I got lucky with and didn’t have to test a thousand times before getting it right. Haha!

2024 updated version of this recipe

Now as I said, when I did that 2016 video on this dish, it was the first time I made it so I never experimented with it before so there were obviously some changes that I made to it over the years.

One chang I made was draining the fat from the beef. I was a young pup and honestly still honing my cooking skills as I am now so, being a little health conscious wasn’t a concern for me when cooking food then. 

While I still love to cook rich food and cook dishes that aren’t necessarily HEALTHY, I try to not cook heart attack dishes where I’m using excessive amounts of ingredients that are bad for the heart and unhealthy overall.

So I make sure to drain the fat from the beef now before seasoning it and don’t use as much butter. I also added corn to the dish whereas before I just used peas and carrots.

So don’t worry it’s still good and pretty much the same recipe. Just wanted to address the changes I made because my supporters and long-time supporters think I change my recipes too much but it only be for the better. Lol!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here are all the ingredients you need for this delicious scrumptious shepherd’s pie recipe. To maximize this recipe and for best results, make sure you get every ingredient listed. 

• Ground Beef: 80/20 beef is ideal for flavor and moisture. Try to use newly bought fresh meat if you can because fresh ground beef tastes better and is more tender. Ground beef you’ve had sitting in ice in the freezer for a month will be chewy after cooked and not as moist.
• Frozen Peas, Carrots, and Corn: The pro of frozen vegetables is you don’t have to spend time softening them. They’re already done and just need to be added to the meat. If you decide to use them you’ll need to soften them, like carrots for example.
• Yellow Onions and minced garlic: Onions and minced garlic are made for ground beef. Whenever I make a dish using ground beef, you can expect to see both as listed ingredients. They give ground beef the best
• Beef Bouillon cubes, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Sugar, Italian seasoning, Thyme, Paprika, and Parsley: This combination of seasonings give ground beef the best flavor.
• Ketchup and Worcestershire: Ketchup adds a hint of sweetness and tomato flavor to the ground beef which adds depth of flavor.
• Beef Broth and All-Purpose Flour: For slurry, which is used to add a thin gravy to the ground beef, I use beef broth to enhance the beef flavor of the dish, and all purpose flour to thicken the broth into a thin gravy.

For the mashed potatoes

• Yellow or Russet Potatoes: Russetts and yukon golds are great potatoes to use because they’re higher in starch and low in moisture allowing them to fluff up and absorb all the ingredients without becoming soupy.
• Minced Garlic: Garlic gives potatoes an amazing flavor.
• Grated Parmesan and Philadelphia Cream Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds depth of flavor and takes the mashed potatoes to another level.
• Butter, Milk, and an Egg: Milk and butter adds richness and flavor, and the egg helps with the structure. I use 1 egg which helps to stiffen the potatoes since we’re making a pie.

Cookware & Utensils you’ll need:

• Large Pot: For boiling the potatoes
• Potato Peeler: For what it’s called, potato peeling or to peel the potato! Lol!
• Sharp Knife: You need a knife to dice the potatoes.
• Colander: This is to strain the potatoes once they’re done.
• Skillet: The skillet is for browning the ground beef.
• Baking Dish: You need a baking dish for the final step of this recipe which is baking the shepherd’s pie.

Common Questions About The Potatoes

Best potatoes to use: The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are potatoes high in starch such as russet, Idaho, or Yukon gold potatoes

Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because you can mash them for long periods of time to acquire a smooth texture without them becoming a gummy gluey mess.

Potatoes become gummy and lose their nice airy fluffy texture when starch is released which happens when we mash them.

So obviously potatoes high in stach will be ideal for mashed potatoes because they wont lose all of their starch so quickly and become a gluey gummy mess like waxy potatoes which are low in starch

Starchy potatoes are also low in moisture as well allowing them to better absorb wet and liquid additions like butter, cream, milk, or even sour cream without becoming soupy. The absolute best potatoes for mashed potatoes are Russets, though.

• Peeling and dicing: When it comes to peeling the potato skin, use a potato peeler as it makes the peeling process simpler and quicker. When dicing them, try to dice them into even-sized shapes. This helps them cook at the same rate.
• Do you preheat the water before adding the potatoes? No! Adding potatoes to cold water and allowing them to come to a boil with the potatoes in it will ensure that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the center is still raw and hard.
• How long to cook and mash the potatoes? Now unlike mashed potatoes, you don’t need to over-mash these potatoes or cook them as long to get them super tender because they will continue to cook an additional hour when they bake in the oven. So if the potatoes are a little chunky after 35 minutes, don’t worry.
• Why do we add an egg to the mashed potatoes? Eggs do for the potatoes what it does for baked macaroni and cheese, cakes, pies, etc, providing structure and stabilization. You want to be able to cut into the shepherd’s pie. Otherwise, the potatoes may be a bit loose and runny without the egg.

Making Slurry for a thin gravy

• Slurry: This is where the slurry comes in. Combine the broth and flour to create a nice gravy for the shepherd’s pie, allowing it to simmer for 7-8 minutes to thicken. I don’t like dry meat and love adding gravy to this dish, which obviously goes great with the mashed potatoes.

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie

1.  Peal potatoes then dice them into evenly shaped pieces. Slice them in half lengthwise, turn them onto the flat side, slice each half lengthwise 3-4 times, then slice widthwise 3-4 times into small cubes.
2.  Place them in a pot then rinse them with cool water and drain.
3.  Cover them with 2 qts cool water, place them over high heat, and cover with a lid leaving a little crack on the side.
4.  Boil until tender, about 45 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, place the ground beef in a skillet and place it over medium heat.
   Break it up into fine pieces using 2 spatulas as it cooks.
6.  Meanwhile, chop up the onions into small pieces.
7.  In a bowl, combine the broth and flour, then stir well to create a slurry.
8.  After 10-12 minutes or once the ground beef is no longer pink, drain the fat then place the skillet back over the heat.
9.  Add the onions, all the seasonings, and bouillon cubes, stir well, and cook for 3 minutes.
10.  Then stir in the Worcestershire, ketchup, and slurry, then stir well and simmer for 8 minutes.
11.  Once done, stir in the vegetables, and add the meat to a baking dish and smooth it out.
12.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
13.  Drain the potatoes, then place them back into the pot over medium heat.
14.  Add in the milk, butter, cheese, garlic, seasonings, and sugar, then mash for 5 minutes.
15.  Let the potatoes cool off for a while, about 5 minutes, then stir in the egg yolk.
16.  Add the potatoes to the baking dish over the meat and vegetables and smooth it out.
17.  Garnish with a little parsley and paprika, then place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Tips for best results

• Add the frozen potatoes right before baking the dish. You don’t need to cook them prior! You don’t want them mushy.

How to Store Shepherd’s Pie

You can just cover your shepherd’s pie with aluminum foil and sit it in the refrigerator to stay fresh. Make sure it’s tightly sealed or covered!

If you want to save it for some time, you can wrap it in a ziploc bag and store it in the freezer and it will stay fresh for weeks.

Making Shepherd’s pie ahead of time

You can make shepherd’s pie in advance for whatever purpose. Simply boil the potatoes, mash and season them and store them in a big Tupperware bowl or bag if you just want to prepare the potatoes ahead of time. Store them in the freezer.

You can also on another day cook the meat and the veggies and then store it away after it cools down. Then store in the freezer as well just as you would a frozen pre-cooked meal or tv dinner.. Just make sure it’s tightly sealed..

Then when you finally decide to make it, add your meat to a casserole dish and top it with the potatoes and bake as instructed.

Ok yall, that’s it for now. As always subscribe so you never miss a recipe and like share and comment if you like this recipe. It helps me rank high in these Google streets. Haha!

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Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

World’s Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (Made Easy With Ground Beef)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Philly Boy Jay
• Prep Time: 1 Hr
• Cook Time: 1 Hr
• Total Time: 2 Hr
• Yield: 8
• Category: Casserole
• Method: Soul Food
• Cuisine: American

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Description

A true winter classic main dish filled with well-seasoned minced ground beef, and veggies, then topped with the creamiest fluffiest cheesiest mashed potatoes known to man. This might truly be a top 5 Shepherd’s Pie recipe if not the World’s Best!

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Ingredients

Meat & Veggies

• 2 Lbs 80/20 Ground Beef
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas & Carrots
• 1 Cup Frozen Corn
• 1/2 Cup Onions, finely chopped
• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 3 Tbs All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Ketchup
• 2 Tsps Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 2 Tsps Paprika
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 Tsp Thyme

Mashed Potatoes

• 2–1/2 Lbs Russet Potatoes
• 2–1/2 Qts Water
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tsps Minced Garlic
• 2 Tsps Salt
• 1 Tsp Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1.  Peal potatoes then dice them into evenly shaped pieces.
   Slice them in half lengthwise, turn them onto the flat side, slice each half lengthwise 3-4 times, then slice widthwise 3-4 times into small cubes.
2.  Place them in a pot then rinse them with cool water and drain.
3.  Cover them with 2 qts cool water, place them over high heat, and cover with a lid leaving a little crack on the side.
4.  Boil until tender, about 35 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, place the ground beef in a skillet and place it over medium heat.
   Break it up into fine pieces using 2 spatulas as it cooks.
6.  Meanwhile, chop up the onions into small pieces.
7.  In a bowl, combine the broth and flour, then stir well to create a slurry.
8.  After 10-12 minutes or once the ground beef is no longer pink, drain the fat then place the skillet back over the heat.
9.  Add the onions, all the seasonings, and bouillon cubes, stir well, and cook for 3 minutes.
10.  Then, stir in the Worcestershire, ketchup, and slurry, then stir well and simmer for 8 minutes.
11.  Once done, stir in the vegetables and add the meat to a baking dish and smooth it out.
12.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
13.  Drain the potatoes, then place them back into the pot over medium heat.
14.  Add in the milk, butter, cheese, garlic, seasonings, and sugar, then mash for 5 minutes.
15.  Let the potatoes cool off for a while, about 5 minutes, then stir in the egg yolk.
16.  Add the potatoes to the baking dish over the meat and vegetables and smooth it out.
17.  Garnish with a little parsley and paprika, then place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.