20-Minute Shepherd’s Pie
Looking for a simple supper shortcut? Try our scrumptious, comforting, one-skillet, 20-Minute Shepherd’s Pie recipe!
You don’t have to make a mess or cook for hours to feed your family delicious comfort food, and our easy, 20-Minute Shepherd’s Pie is proof! Ground beef with beef broth, tomato paste, and savory seasonings blend with convenient, store-bought ingredients. It all comes together to create a one-pan meal that goes from stove to oven to table in minutes with almost no clean up! Dinner Winner!
Variations on a Tasty Theme
Traditional Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie) typically takes about an hour-and-a-half to make! So, while this 20-minute Shepherd’s Pie version may not be totally “from scratch,” it’s every bit as savory and spectacular! You can even play around with the ingredients and try variations like:
- Lamb, turkey, or corned beef instead of ground beef
- A splash of red wine to add more flavor depth
- Extra veggies like corn or green beans
- Cheese, cracker crumbs, or crumbled bacon for a crispy top
These simple changes don’t require more work, and this meal still cooks up quickly in one skillet for a warm, appetizing family dinner.
Other Recipes to Serve with Easy Shepherd’s Pie
- Mississippi Sin Deviled Eggs take deviled eggs a step further with cream cheese! These are seriously smooth and scrumptious!
- Mamaw’s Rolls – a Dinner Roll Recipe that’s easy to make and freeze for homemade bread anytime you want it!
Ingredients
Meat: Extra lean ground beef is the foundation for Shepherd’s Pie – or go traditional and use lamb.
Sauce: A combination of beef stock, cornstarch, tomato paste, and Worcestershire creates a fantastic thick sauce that beautifully blends all the flavors of this dish together!
Store-Bought: This recipe is super simple and fast, thanks to ingredients like frozen green peas, shredded carrots, diced onions, and prepared mashed potatoes. Buying these “pre-made” will cut an hour off this recipe!
Seasoning: Garlic, salt, and black pepper add the perfect seasoning to this comfort food recipe! Then, top things off with a little paprika for flavor and color.
How to Make 20-Minute Shepherd’s Pie
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to Broil. Using an oven-proof skillet, cook the ground beef on the stove over high heat. When it is mostly brown, add in the garlic, onion, and carrots, and cook for a couple of minutes until the veggies start to soften. Add in the tomato paste and cook another 30 seconds.
STEP TWO: Combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the beef stock. Add to the skillet. Pour in the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire, peas, salt & pepper. Stir gently and cook for 2 more minutes.
STEP THREE: Spoon the mashed potatoes into the skillet on top of the beef mixture. Place the entire skillet under the broiler for 5 minutes until the potatoes start to turn a light, golden brown.
STEP FOUR: Remove from the oven and garnish with paprika, salt & pepper. Serve while warm. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Add an extra teaspoon of the cornstarch to the ground beef mixture if the sauce needs to thicken more.
- This recipe is gluten-free, assuming your Worcestershire sauce is – be sure to check the label!
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can cook everything in a skillet as directed. Then transfer it to a square baking dish and top with the potatoes.
- This is a great recipe for using leftover mashed potatoes from the night before or holiday meals. You can also pick up a pack of prepared (microwaveable) mashed potatoes from the store if you don’t have leftovers to use.
- For extra flavor, you can sprinkle shredded white cheddar cheese over the mashed potatoes before broiling.
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie is a savory “meat & potatoes” Irish casserole that is layered with ground meat (lamb or beef) and mixed vegetables as the base and mashed potatoes as the topping. The dish is cooked on the stove in a skillet, then transferred to the oven to bake until the potatoes turn golden brown.
Shepherd’s Pie originated during Ireland’s great potato famine when families couldn’t afford to waste leftovers. Over the decades, this recipe has become synonymous with Irish comfort food.
Can I Freeze Shepherd’s Pie?
Most potato dishes don’t freeze well, but this CAN if you plan ahead by adding butter and/or sour cream to the mashed potatoes. By giving the topping a higher fat content, it freezes without getting “mealy” and reheats much better! Freeze it by simply double wrapping the leftovers with plastic. It will keep for 3-4 months and still taste great!
Other Fast, Easy 30-Minute or Less Recipes!
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
- 30-Minute Crab Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
- Parmesan Herb Salmon
- 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Bake
- Cheesy Beef and Shells
*This post originally posted on 07/26/2016.
20-Minute Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (see note)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup white onion peeled and diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more for garnish
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 3 cups mashed potatoes prepared
- Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to Broil.
- Place an oven-safe skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, around 5 minutes. Prep the veggies while the beef cooks.
- Add garlic, onion, and carrots, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, or until the carrots and onion are just softened. Add the tomato paste, stir it in, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup of the beef stock and add the slurry to the ground beef mixture. Add the remaining ¾ cup beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and peas. Stir gently to combine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes over the beef mixture and spread evenly over the top. Then place under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Carefully remove from the oven (the handle is hot!) and garnish with paprika, salt, and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can cook everything in a skillet as directed. Then transfer it to a square baking dish and top with the potatoes.
- This is a great recipe for using leftover mashed potatoes from the night before or holiday meals. You can also pick up a pack of prepared (microwaveable) mashed potatoes from the store if you don’t have leftovers to use.
