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Home / One Pot Meals

Ultimate Beef Shepherd’s Pie

4.90
/5
55 minutes
64 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 11/05/2017

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Rich and flavorful beef shepherd’s pie recipe, made easy in one skillet! Ground beef, tender vegetables, and fluffy mashed potatoes… what could be better!

Classic comfort food, made with readily available ground beef, sautéed mushrooms and vegetables, and a rich savory gravy sauce, all topped with fluffy mashed potatoes.  No oven safe skillet?  No worries, I’ve got that covered!

Rich and flavorful ground beef and vegetable gravy is topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and baked, all in ONE pan!  Technically cottage pie (made with beef), this version will be a family favorite dinner recipe! #shepherdspie #groundbeef #beef #cottagepie #dinner #easyrecipe #onepan #onepot #mashedpotatoes

It’s officially comfort food season… complete with chilis, casseroles, stews/soups, and great one pot/skillet meals!  

Here in the Chunky Chef household, we love our one pot meals. There’s something really awesome about a meal that tastes amazing, and there’s not a TON of dishes to wash afterwards.

Overhead photo of shepherd's pie in cast iron skillet

Some of you may be questioning the name here… after all, a shepherd’s pie is not traditionally made with ground beef, but rather made of ground lamb or mutton.

My family is not a fan of the taste of lamb/mutton, so I always make ours with ground beef.  Plus, here in the Midwest, ground beef is much more readily available.  So technically, it’s called a Cottage Pie, but I say you can call it whatever you’d like.

Picture of a big serving spoonful of shepherd's pie

For this recipe, I usually use leftover mashed potatoes, but in the recipe notes section (directly following the recipe below) I’ve detailed other potato options, as everyone has their favorites.

Let’s talk about this fantastic filling!  I kept my filling to onion, carrots and mushrooms, but below are some options for some other add-ins.

  • Add frozen peas
  • Add frozen corn
  • Add some frozen green beans

Closeup of spoonful of beef shepherd's pie

The next time you’re craving something ultra comforting, I hope you give this One Skillet Beef Shepherd’s Pie Recipe a try!!

Looking for other comfort food classics?

  • Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
  • One Pot Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
  • Homestyle Chicken and Biscuits
  • One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice

HELPFUL TOOLS:

  • Cast Iron Skillet – the most used pan in my kitchen… I love the sear it gives!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

One Skillet Beef Shepherd's Pie Recipe

4.90 from 28 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Calories: 507
Servings: 8 - 10 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Rich and flavorful beef shepherd's pie recipe, made easy in one skillet! Ground beef, tender vegetables, and fluffy mashed potatoes... what could be better!

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs ground beef (I usually use 85/15)
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 - 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 12 - 16 oz cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt , divided
  • 3 - 6 Tbsp tomato paste (I normally use around 4)
  • 1/2 - 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, more or less to taste
  • 3 - 4 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1/3 cup grated/shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
  • minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Heat a BIG oven safe skillet over MED heat.  Add oil and ground beef and cook about 4 minutes, or until cooked through, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks. Once browned, transfer to a plate.  If needed, drain excess grease before adding the beef to a plate.  
  • Add butter to same skillet. Once melted, add onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, dried oregano, and 1/2 the salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.  
  • Add in tomato paste, stirring to combine, and cook 5-7 minutes, until tomato paste is a dark, brick red color (this really brings out the tomato flavor).  
  • Return cooked ground beef to the skillet, then stir in beef stock, Worcestershire sauce remaining salt, and black pepper.  Simmer for a few minutes, until mixture is slightly thickened.
  • Top with mashed potatoes (see recipe notes section), and Parmesan cheese.  Use a fork to rough up the top of the potatoes, then dot with the butter pieces.
  • Bake 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and potatoes are browned.  Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley and enjoy!

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Mashed Potato Options:
  1. Use leftover mashed potatoes (these horseradish mashed potatoes work perfectly!).
  2. Use your slow cooker to make the mashed potatoes (like this version).
  3. Use pre-made or instant potatoes - not the best option, but works in a pinch.
  4. Alternately, in a separate pot, make your own traditional mashed potatoes:
  • 5-6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 Tbsp softened butter
  • 1/2 cup milk (possibly slightly more, depending on your tastes)
  • Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Boil potatoes 15 minutes, or until fork tender, then drain.  Return to hot pot, add butter and mash.  Add milk and cheese, stirring/mashing to combine.  Season to taste, then let cool before topping the shepherd's pie.
*** If you don't have an oven safe skillet, complete recipe through step 4, then transfer to a greased 3 qt baking dish, then continue with recipe, starting at step 5.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Rich and flavorful ground beef and vegetable gravy is topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and baked, all in ONE pan!  Technically cottage pie (made with beef), this version will be a family favorite dinner recipe! #shepherdspie #groundbeef #beef #cottagepie #dinner #easyrecipe #onepan #onepot #mashedpotatoes

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Sleepy Owl says

    Posted on 2/3 at 10:06 pm

    This is the best shepherds pie we have ever had!! My husband always brags when I make this. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!

    Reply
  2. Dawn says

    Posted on 1/13 at 2:54 pm

    My family loved this, it was very tasty, even my 15 year old who is picky took a big second helping. Will definately make this again

    Reply
  3. Jennifer Monroy says

    Posted on 10/30 at 6:16 pm

    I have made this recipe multiple times, and it is, hands down, the best Shepherd’s Pie recipe! My entire family loves it…and we have a picky eater or two. I follow the recipe exactly as written, and it is just as delicious every time.

    Reply
  4. Jeanne Higgins says

    Posted on 9/21 at 11:57 am

    Can I make then bake later? Cool then put in fridge????

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/23 at 10:20 am

      Yes, you’ll just want to add some extra baking time since it will be cold

      Reply
  5. Jennifer Monroy says

    Posted on 3/18 at 8:48 am

    By far, this is the best recipe for Shepherd’s pie!!!

    Reply
  6. Janice says

    Posted on 3/12 at 6:23 pm

    Hi! Wondering if after cooking the meat I should drain the excess oil or leave it for the veggies?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/13 at 9:29 pm

      Yes, as described in step 1 🙂 This will depend on the fat content of your beef though.

      Reply
  7. Madeleine says

    Posted on 2/11 at 12:02 pm

    Hi! If using frozen veggies like peas or mixed…do you cook them first before adding to the mix and baking?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/11 at 10:10 pm

      I wouldn’t cook them, but maybe have them sit out at room temp while you’re making it, so they’re not completely frozen. If you like your veggies with a little snap, you could use them straight from the freezer 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jeanie Chiarello says

    Posted on 2/9 at 4:42 pm

    I love this recipe. How would you reheat it?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/9 at 8:17 pm

      I would reheat at 350°F until hot and bubbly 🙂

      Reply
  9. Irene says

    Posted on 1/25 at 8:27 pm

    This recipe gets rave reviews every time I make it. Makes a TON and I am able to deliver a meal to my folks or my sister’s family. I make it up, put it into an oven safe pan for them and they bake it when they are ready to eat. Great flavor. Think the tomato paste is KEY! Love love love this!

    Reply
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