Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Classic comfort food doesn’t get much better than this Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef and Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Savory ground beef is simmered with onions, mushrooms, carrots, Marsala wine, and Worcestershire sauce, then topped with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and baked until golden. It’s a hearty, make-ahead friendly dinner that’s perfect for using leftover mashed potatoes and feeding a hungry family.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef for a Cozy Family Dinner

Shepherd’s pie might sound complicated but it’s very easy to make and one of those dishes, you can make ahead. When I know I’ll be making mashed potatoes, I’ll just cook the filling ahead of time and freeze it. Then when you’re ready for a ground beef casserole, just let it thaw, top with mashed potatoes and place under the broiler.

The meat filling is what makes this shepherd’s pie stand out. The flavor builds in layers, starting with onions, mushrooms, and carrots cooked until tender but still holding their shape. Tomato paste adds depth, Marsala wine brings a subtle richness, and Worcestershire gives it that savory backbone. Let everything simmer with thyme and a bay leaf, and you’re left with a filling that’s deeply flavorful without being heavy.

Make extra mashed potatoes this year for Thanksgiving, and freeze them or make this dish the day after Thanksgiving when you’re tired of turkey.

While shepherd’s pie originated in Great Britain and Ireland, it’s a pretty common dish in the South, maybe because we love mashed potatoes so much. When it’s made with beef it’s actually a “cottage pie” but we don’t cook with lamb that often around here and everyone just calls it a shepherd’s pie.

Some folks like to throw in peas but who wants peas in a casserole, they’re just going to get mushy.

Whatever you choose to add to the meat mixture, all cottage and shepherd’s pies are covered in potatoes and then baked until the top is golden brown. I use the same creamy mashed potatoes that I fix for Thanksgiving with lots of butter and cream.

Ingredient Notes

Check the recipe card below for all of the ingredients.

• Ground beef – you can use ground chuck for more flavor but you’ll need to drain the grease before adding the remaining ingredients. I prefer ground sirloin for this dish since there are so many other flavors added to the mixture.
• Baking soda – this is added to the raw ground beef and helps tenderize the meat. It does this by locking in the moisture.
• Marsala wine – I love the flavor that marsala wine adds to meat dishes, especially in my favorite chicken meatball recipe.
• Mashed potatoes – this recipe calls for 6 cups, about 3 lbs of potatoes, but you just need enough to cover the mixture, a minimum of 3 cups is needed. I like mashed potatoes, so go big or go home! Of course, you can grab some already prepared mashed potatoes in the deli department at most grocery stores.

If you don’t mind some lumps, you can make this mashed potatoe recipe in the microwave and just leave out the bacon and cheese.

How to Make the Best Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie

Step 1: Prep the beef

Step 2: Create the flavor

Step 3: Top it off

Step 4: Bake

How to make homemade mashed potatoes

You can find step by step directions to my favorite mashed potatoes along with a video on my post for Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, they’re so creamy and delicious.

Add this to your list to serve for a St. Patrick’s day dinner if you’re not in the mood for brisket.

How to Store this Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

You can store leftover shepherd’s pie in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Do not store it in an iron proof skillet as it will remove the seasoning on your pan.

To Freeze: Let it cool and freeze in Souper Cubes, they’re my all time favorite for freezing leftovers.

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Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Author: Barbara Curry

Classic comfort food doesn’t get much better than this Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef and Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Savory ground beef is simmered with onions, mushrooms, carrots, Marsala wine, and Worcestershire sauce, then topped with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and baked until golden. It’s a hearty, make-ahead friendly dinner that’s perfect for using leftover mashed potatoes and feeding a hungry family.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin

PREP: 10 minutes minutes

COOK: 35 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb lean ground beef
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 4 ounces mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• ▢ 2 tablespoons flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups beef broth
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 2 carrots cut into bite size pieces
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 6 cups Mashed Potatoes

Equipment

Oven Proof Skillet

Instructions

 

• Add ground beef to a bowl and add 2 tablespoons water, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and a ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Combine and set aside.
• Add olive oil to a 10 inch oven proof skillet, Add onions and mushrooms along with ½ teaspoon salt and a ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook until they are soft. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
• Add tomato paste and garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add Marsala and cook until it has evaporated.
• Add chopped carrots, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Combine cornstarch and a tablespoon of water and pour into the mixture, Add flour and cook about 1 minute. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
• Turn the oven to broil and place the oven rack at least 6 inches from the broiler.
• Top with mashed potatoes and smooth with a spoon. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the potatoes have turned a golden brown.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

• You can use ground lamb or chicken instead of beef. If using chicken, use chicken broth instead of beef. 
• You can leave out the wine and use extra broth.
• You can use frozen mashed potatoes, let thaw completely before adding.
• You can use less mashed potatoes, you will need about 3 cups to cover the meat.
• If you don’t have an oven proof skillet, put the meat mixture in a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes.
• Here is a recipe for Mashed Potatoes along with a video.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 869mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2585IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

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