Shepards Pie is a cozy winter recipes made with from-scratch ingredients. Rich ground beef and vegetables simmer in a savory sauce, then are topped with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes—the perfect dish for family dinners, freezer meal prep, or an easy weeknight meal!
This from-scratch shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food made with simple ingredients. Rich ground beef and vegetables simmer in a savory sauce, then are topped with creamy mashed potatoes—the perfect dish for family dinners, freezer meal prep, or an easy weeknight meal!
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The Perfect Dinner in Winter
This Christmas, I was looking for a rich and creamy comfort dish that was festive but also hearty enough to fill up my family.
What I love about Shepard’s pie is that it is a one-pot meal. Everything in the meal comes out as one, making serving and cleanup much easier.
I also love that this tastes so farm fresh, especially for a cold winter night when you may not have anything growing in your garden.
Pulling out herbs or vegetables from the freezer that were grown in summer and throwing them into this Shepard’s Pie would make the cold winter nights so much warmer!
I hope you and your family love this meal as much as mine does!
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Why We Love This Easy Homemade Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Prep now, eat later kind of recipe
Do you ever have those kind of recipes that come together in just 30 minutes – like a quick roasted fish fillet with roasted veggies and a side of toast? Or pasta with ground beef and red sauce? Well those are great for when you need a meal in a pinch.
But sometimes I find it’s actually easier to do the prep work earlier than when you’re going to eat, so that way you can clean it all up before dinner. I love recipes like like chicken tortilla soup or a fall-apart pork shoulder roast for this.
And this Shepards pie recipe is just that. A prep ahead, clean up now, and then eat and enjoy later kind of dinner!
All your favorite flavors
Seasoned with yummy BBQ sauce and your favorite herbs and spices, you can easily tailor this recipe to suite your whole family. Add some kick with hot sauce, or make it extra savory with herbs and seasoning. We like almost any variation of this recipe.
Partially freeze-able!
Shepherd’s pie holds up great in the freezer (see note below), so you can make one for dinner and one for later. Storing food in the freezer is perfect for busy weeks, new baby seasons, or just peace of mind knowing your freezer has food ready to go.
Find a full list of our favorite freezer meals here!
Note: I find that the mashed potatoes don’t freeze well on top. So to freeze this recipe, simply freeze the beef mixture, and then the only thing you have to prep would be the mashed potatoes on the day of! (Basically what happens when you freeze the mashed potatoes is they come out a little mushy and liquid-y when reheating!)
Tips for Making the Best From-Scratch Shepherd’s Pie
For faster meal prep on the day of, you can bake or boil the potatoes the day before making the recipe. You can also prep the meat mixture ahead of time. I find the most important step to do on the day of is mixing the mashed potatoes and the final bake!
Fattier beef works best to prevent the dish from drying out while baking. If using leaner beef, just add 2 tbsp of extra bacon or beef fat (or cooking oil of choice) when browning the meat.
Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes after baking so the layers hold together well.
More Freezer-Friendly Meals from the Homestead
No Yeast Sourdough Pizza Crust
Favorite Freezable Homemade Waffles
Shepards Pie Ingredient Spotlight
Ground Beef
Ground beef makes this dish hearty and rich while keeping it affordable and easy to find. A fattier ground beef is also better than a lean one for this recipe!
Bone Broth
Using homemade bone broth is always a win in our house. It adds tons of extra nutrients and flavor, since we simmer our bones with onion, garlic, and veggie scraps, making it super tasty on its own!
BBQ Sauce
A little BBQ sauce adds a touch of sweetness and tang and helps round out the flavor of the meat. Our favorite is Date Lady BBQ sauce!
Russet Potatoes
Russets make soft, fluffy mashed potatoes that spread easily and bake up nice and golden on top.
Tools Needed
Hand mixer or potato masher
9×9 baking dish
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Homemade Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
Meat Filling:
1 lb ground beef (note: fattier beef is preferred for this recipe. If you have lean beef, add olive oil, lard, or tallow)
1/2 a large white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped into small quarters
2 celery sticks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp BBQ sauce (our favorite is Date Lady BBQ sauce!)
1 tbsp combined fresh chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme (note: you could also use 1 tsp total of dried herbs of choice)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup bone broth
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 tsp salt (note: add less salt if using store-bought bone broth)
1/2 tsp pepper
Garnish: freshly parsley
For baking dish: olive oil, butter, or fat of choice
Potato Topping:
1 large russet potato or 2-3 small to medium size, baked or boiled until soft (see note below)
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 tbsp butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
How to Make the Best From-Scratch Shepherd’s Pie
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Start by either roasting or boiling your potatoes. To roast the potato, poke holes in the skin, cover with tin foil, and roast it in the oven until soft (400 degrees for 40-50 minutes). For a quicker prep time, peel the skin off the potato, chop it into 1” chunks, and boil it in water until soft. You can do this step the day before the rest the recipe, or do it while you are cooking the meat mixture.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, carrot, and celery to the skillet and sauté until beef is cooked, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: a fattier beef is preferred for this recipe. If your beef is lean, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil or fat of choice.
Next, add the garlic, BBQ sauce, herbs, and tomato paste and sauté another 5-10 minutes.
Then add the remaining meat filling ingredients and stir to combine. Saute another 5-10 minutes.
When the potato is soft, remove it from the oven or stove and place it in a large bowl. Add all of the potato topping ingredients except the butter. Combine with a hand mixer or masher until creamy and smooth.
To a 9×9 baking dish, add olive oil or fat of choice to coat the baking dish. Then pour in the meat mixture, followed by the potato topping. Then cut up the 4 tbsp of butter into 4 chunks and evenly space them out on top of the potato mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until potato mixture is just starting to turn golden around the edges. Top with fresh parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
FAQs
Can shepherd’s pie be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the Shepards pie a day ahead of time and then pop it in the oven for the final bake. But, I don’t recommend freezing it. The mashed potatoes don’t freeze/thaw out well!
Can you freeze shepherd’s pie?
I would only freeze the meat mixture of Shepards pie. Freezing the mashed potatoes makes them a bit more watery.
How do you keep mashed potatoes from sinking into the filling?
Let the meat filling cool slightly before adding the potatoes so the layers stay separate.
What vegetables go in shepherd’s pie?
Common choices include carrots, corn, and onions, but you can use whatever you have on hand, such as peas, mushrooms, peppers, or even broccoli.
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More Cozy Recipes from the Homestead
Fall-Apart Pork Shoulder Roast
The Best From-Scratch Shepherd's Pie Recipe
This from-scratch shepherd’s pie is simple, hearty comfort food made with ground beef, vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes—perfect for family dinners or freezer meals.
Ingredients
Meat Filling:
- 1 lb ground beef (note: fattier beef is preferred for this recipe. If you have lean beef, add olive oil or leftover bacon fat)
- 1/2 a large white onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped into small quarters
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce (our favorite is Date Lady BBQ sauce!)
- 1 tbsp combined fresh chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme (note: you could also use 1 tsp total of dried herbs of choice)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup bone broth
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (note: add less salt if using store-bought bone broth)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Garnish: freshly parsley
- For baking dish: olive oil, butter, or fat of choice
Potato Topping:
- 1 large russet potato or 2-3 small to medium size, baked or boiled until soft (see note below)
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Start by either roasting or boiling your potatoes. To roast the potato, poke holes in the skin, cover with tin foil, and roast it in the oven until soft (400 degrees for 40-50 minutes). For a quicker prep time, peel the skin off the potato, chop it into 1” chunks, and boil it in water until soft. You can do this step the day before the rest the recipe, or do it while you are cooking the meat mixture.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, carrot, and celery to the skillet and sauté until beef is cooked, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: a fattier beef is preferred for this recipe. If your beef is lean, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil or fat of choice.
Next, add the garlic, BBQ sauce, herbs, and tomato paste and sauté another 5-10 minutes.
Then add the remaining meat filling ingredients and stir to combine. Saute another 5-10 minutes.
When the potato is soft, remove it from the oven or stove and place it in a large bowl. Add all of the potato topping ingredients except the butter. Combine with a hand mixer or masher until creamy and smooth.
To a 9x9 baking dish, add olive oil or fat of choice to coat the baking dish. Then pour in the meat mixture, followed by the potato topping. Then cut up the 4 tbsp of butter into 4 chunks and evenly space them out on top of the potato mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until potato mixture is just starting to turn golden around the edges. Top with fresh parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
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