5 Ingredient Easy Shepherd’s Pie

4.35 from 92 votes

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

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Stephy

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ 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

Notes

Mashed Potatoes: This recipe uses instant mashed potatoes, prepared per the package instructions but with a few modifications for extra flavor. The water is replaced with milk and a splash of heavy cream, with a few tablespoons of butter added. This step is optional.

Gravy: I used a packet of McCormick brown gravy and prepared it according to the package directions. However, feel free to use homemade or jarred gravy if that's more convenient. You can substitute brown gravy for onion, beef, mushroom, or pork gravy if that's what you have on hand.

Vegetables: The recipe calls for a bag of mixed frozen vegetables, but you can use fresh or canned if you prefer. If using fresh vegetables, make sure to cook them first. Canned vegetables must be drained well before use to prevent the pie from becoming too runny, but cooking them beforehand is unnecessary.

Nutrition