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    Home » Recipes » 5 Ingredient Easy Shepherd’s Pie

    5 Ingredient Easy Shepherd’s Pie

    March 26, 2022 by prudentpennypincher.com 23 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This easy Shepherd’s pie is made with ground beef in a savory gravy, layered with tender vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and topped off with cheddar cheese.

     easy shepherd's pie in a casserole dish and served on plate

    This is my twist on the classic Shepherd’s pie recipe. It does not use ground lamb or the traditional sauce. Instead, the ground beef is mixed with gravy and topped with sharp cheddar cheese. Interesting fact: it’s actually called cottage pie when it’s made with ground beef. However, in America, people commonly refer to it as Shepherd’s pie anyway.

    This easy shepherd’s pie is one of my favorite go-to ground beef recipes because it’s budget-friendly, flavorful and makes a great comfort food. I have it at least once a month. It only requires 5 ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make so it’s perfect for a quick and easy dinner recipe.

    ingredients

    Customize Your Shepherd’s Pie

    This easy shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food. Meat, cheese, potatoes? What’s not to love with that combo! It is also is easily customizable to your family’s preferences. You can add different vegetables: corn, carrots, frozen peas, green beans, or just a bag of frozen vegetables.

    You can use instant mashed potatoes or real mashed potatoes with Yukon potatoes, Russet potatoes, or Sweet Potatoes. When I use instant mashed potatoes, I like to add butter, garlic powder and a glob of sour cream for extra flavor. The gravy can be made from scratch or made with a gravy packet. The choice is up to you. You can even switch up the cheeses. Some good substitutes are Colby jack, mild cheddar, or a mix of different cheeses ….The possibilities are endless!

    For a low carb option, you can subtitute with cauliflower mash and use lower carb vegetables like green beans, carrots and onion. If you are looking to make it healither, you can use lean ground beef or ground turkey, mashed sweet potato or cauliflower mash, load it with extra vegetables and omit the cheese or use a smaller amount of low fat cheese.

    beef shepherds pie in a casserole dish

    How to Make Ahead and Freeze

    This is one of those leftover recipes where it’s just as good the second time around! This easy Shepherd’s pie can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge or frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.  You can make this recipe ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.

    What to Serve with This Easy Shepherd’s Pie

    This casserole is a complete meal, but you can add:

    • a side salad
    • buttered dinner rolls
    • garlic bread
    • broccoli
    • brussel sprouts
    • glazed carrots
    • irish soda bread

    shepherds pie served on a plate with a fork

    beef shepherds pie top of casserole
    Print Recipe
    4.3 from 40 votes

    5 Ingredient Easy Shepherd’s Pie

    This easy Shepherd's pie is made with ground beef in a savory gravy, layered with tender vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and topped off with cheddar cheese.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: casserole, dinner
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 456kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb lean ground beef
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • 10 oz frozen mixed vegetables thawed
    • 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
    • 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes
    • 1 cup brown gravy
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425 and spray a 9x13 casserole-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
    • Add ground beef to a medium sized skillet and cook on medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula as you cook it. Season the meat with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
    • After it is browned and cooked through, drain any excess grease from the skillet, if there is any.
    • Make your mashed potatoes and gravy according to directions.
    • Add the gravy to the ground beef and transfer ground beef mixture into a casserole dish.
    • Spread the vegetables evenly over the top of the ground beef.
    • Add the mashed potatoes on top of the vegetables. Use a spatula to smooth mashed potatoes evenly over the vegetables.
    • Top the casserole with the shredded cheese for the final layer.
    • Bake, uncovered, for 15 mintues until it is bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned.

    Video

    https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Square-Beef-Shepherds-Pie.mp4

    Notes

    I used instant mashed potatoes and a brown gravy packet to make it a quicker meal.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4167IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 437mg | Iron: 4mg

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    Filed Under: Cheap and Easy Recipes, Featured, Recipes

    Comments

    1. Corinne says

      January 3, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      Good recipe. Can I use can mixed veggies with the same results? I dont like frozen peas texture. Tia

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        January 3, 2021 at 1:16 pm

        Yes, you can! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Donna says

      April 2, 2021 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      I’m single so I use my air fryer for most everything, I halved the recipe, that gave me two meals. Salad and cornbread perfect meal. I then cook another meal that has two servings. This allows me to only have to cook every four days. This recipe is perfect for my air fryer, by halving the recipe I can use a pan that fits in my air fryer. Hope this give others some different ideas.

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        April 3, 2021 at 9:35 am

        Thanks for sharing! That sounds like a great way to make it and I bet it’s much quicker to make in air fryer too. 🙂

        Reply
      • Amanda Smith says

        April 8, 2022 at 5:55 pm

        You can put casserole dishes in air fryer@!!!!?????

        Reply
        • prudentpennypincher.com says

          April 9, 2022 at 6:40 am

          You can use any ovenproof dish or pan in the air fryer as long as it fits inside! 🙂

    3. Janice Whalen says

      April 26, 2021 at 9:55 am

      What flavor of gravy packet can you use if you don’t have beef? I have turkey, chicken or pork.

      Thanks.

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        April 26, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Hi Janice,

        Pork should work fine. You could also make a quick homemade brown gravy if you have flour, butter, beef bouillon cube (or beef broth) and some seasonings.

        Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Lynn says

      June 16, 2021 at 11:45 pm

      What kind of gravy packet do you use??
      I really don’t care to make my gravy. Is it something like a McCormick‘s brown gravy or ah jus packet or what??
      Want to make it tomorrow night so appreciate the help and hopefully a prompt response!

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        June 17, 2021 at 7:07 am

        Hi Lynn,

        Yes, I use McCormick‘s brown gravy for this recipe!

        Reply
    5. Sandi says

      November 22, 2021 at 10:43 am

      FYI:
      Shepard’s Pie is called such when it is made with beef.
      Cottage is when it is made with Lamb.

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        November 22, 2021 at 11:25 am

        Hi Sandi,

        Yes, I am aware. As I stated in the post, “It’s actually called cottage pie when it’s made with ground beef. However, in America, people commonly refer to it as Shepherd’s pie anyway.”

        Reply
    6. Diane says

      December 15, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe tonight for dinner tonight and it was a hit with my family. Will definitely make it again

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        December 16, 2021 at 8:00 am

        Hi Diana,

        So glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for taking time to come back and leave a comment 🙂

        Reply
    7. Beth says

      December 21, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      5 stars
      Can I used mixed vegetables in a can? Not a cool but trying. Thanks

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        December 21, 2021 at 4:10 pm

        Yes, Beth. 🙂 That will be fine. Just be sure to drain them first.

        Reply
    8. Michelle says

      December 29, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      This is now my go to recipe for left over mashed potatoes! I normally have all other ingredients on hand. I don’t use as much cheese, just a sprinkle. Perfect, easy dish, thanks!

      Reply
    9. Tab says

      February 8, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      If I freeze this how long will it need to bake

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        February 9, 2022 at 8:30 am

        Hi Tab,
        I would suggest freezing it after it has been cooked. After making it, let the pan cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat the shepherd’s pie (still covered with the foil) for 1 hour in a 350F oven. You could also thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking at 400F for 30-35 minutes if you wanted to shorten the cook time.

        Reply
    10. Kellye says

      February 8, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have made Shepherds Pie many times using varous recipes and my own tweaks. I never quite liked any of them that much. Tonight I was in a hurry and your recipe grabbed my attention. It was easy and delicious. Thank you!

      I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        February 9, 2022 at 8:32 am

        You’re very welcome, Kelly! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment and leave a review!

        Reply
    11. summer says

      April 16, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      i’m substituting corn with mixed vegetables, do i have to heat the corn up prior to putting it in the pan or no?

      Reply
      • prudentpennypincher.com says

        April 16, 2022 at 6:28 pm

        Hi Summer,

        It depends on what type of corn you are using. If it’s frozen corn, then you should thaw it (or you can cook it if you prefer), but if it’s canned then you don’t need to heat it up. For fresh corn, I would definitely cook it though.

        Hope that helps,
        Stephy

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Stephy!

    I am the owner of Prudent Penny Pincher. I have been an author, content developer and professional blogger for 5 years. Prudent Penny Pincher explores ways to save money on everyday life with a particular focus on recipes, DIY, and crafts while sharing helpful frugal tips along the way. Read More

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