Easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe made with ground beef, frozen mixed vegetables, and buttery, cheesy mashed potatoes on top. This classic comfort food casserole is family-friendly, hearty, and ready in 1 hour from start to finish—perfect for weeknight dinners or a cozy homemade meal.
Easy to Make Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie is one of my family’s favorite easy comfort food meals, especially on a cold winter night. Not only is it delicious, but it’s simple to make with basic ingredients I usually always have in my kitchen. We make it with ground beef, though some people would say it’s only traditional if you use ground lamb—really, it’s up to you.
I prefer making the mashed potatoes from scratch, but you can also use instant potatoes if you’d like. For the frozen mixed vegetables, I like a pea, carrot, and corn mixture, but you could totally just use all peas, or all corn if that’s what you have in the freezer. This easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe is perfect for classic homemade dinners and anyone craving comfort food recipes.
If you love this hearty Shepherd’s Pie, then my Crockpot Hamburger Helper will hit all the same cozy, savory notes with a slightly different spin!
I hope you try this Easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe soon!
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
Make the mashed potatoes. You can make homemade mashed potaotes (this is my favorite recipe) or use instant potatoes if you’re in a pinch for time.
Make the ground beef. Cook the beef with a chopped green pepper until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Once it’s cooked add in frozen vegetables, tomato soup and onion powder.
Layer 1. Add ground beef mixture into a 8×8 baking dish, spreading it so it covers the bottom.
Layer 2. Now add the mashed potatoes on top, spreading them all around.
Layer 3. Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. I prefer white cheddar but you can use orange cheddar or colby jack if you want. Also, my helper showed up to stuff some cheese in her mouth while helping me make dinner. 🙂
Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
To store leftover Shepherd’s Pie, cover tightly and keep in the fridge for up to 3–4 days, or freeze for 2–3 months. To reheat, bake at 350 F for 20–30 minutes (remove foil the last 5 minutes to crisp the mashed potatoes) or microwave individual portions for 2–3 minutes until hot. If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight or add 15–20 extra minutes to the baking time. A sprinkle of cheese on top before reheating makes it extra gooey and delicious!
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Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Buttery Mashed Potatoes
PrintIngredients
- 3 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 10.75 oz can can tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft and a fork easily slides through them, about 20 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes back into pot. Add butter and mix until mashed.
- In a pan, cook ground beef and green pepper until beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Add in frozen mixed vegetables, tomato soup and onion powder, mixing to combine everything.
- Place ground beef mixture into a 8×8 baking dish, spreading out to completely cover the bottom. Add mashed potatoes on top of ground beef mixture, using a spoon or spatula to spread out.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving.
Bonnie T Wilson says
can leftovers be frozen? YUMMY
Pamela Reed says
Yes you can!
Hayden says
Can I make it without cheese I despise it with a burning passion
Pamela says
You can absolutely skip the cheese if you’d like! 🙂
Rick Trimble says
Old recipe ….but always a good one!
Jon DoeUK says
Looks good. But technically a Cottage Pie. Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb or mutton, not beef.👍
Susan anderson says
Very tasty, very easy, recipie. I made this, with salad, an bread. You can, also, make it in, little soup bowls, for small get-together.
Anna M Bunt says
Easy and looks yummy.
Sue says
Thanks for this recipe, Pam….my mother used tomato soup in soooo many recipes. Never occurred to me to try it for Shepherds Pie. Delish!