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Home / One Pot Meals

Ultimate Beef Shepherd’s Pie

4.90
/5
55 minutes minutes
66 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 29 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes 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.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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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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4.90 from 29 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. Karen Budd says

    Posted on 3/31 at 3:00 pm

    This was really good. My son had three servings- that says a lot:) I am sure I’ll be making it again.
    I am wondering if you know how well it freezes?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/31 at 7:48 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t frozen it, but I’m sure it would freeze nicely 🙂

      Reply
  2. Tammy Watters says

    Posted on 3/5 at 10:54 pm

    First time to prepare Shepard’s pie. It was good

    Reply
  3. Karen Kay Culey says

    Posted on 2/27 at 6:42 pm

    Super easy recipe! Had a wonderful rich flavor and I added a little bell pepper (red and green) and a little sour cream the second time I made it just to change it up. It’s fun to experiment. Thanks for great recipes!!

    Reply
  4. Lisa says

    Posted on 2/24 at 7:17 am

    Excellent! Best shepherds pie I have every made.

    Reply
  5. Dawn says

    Posted on 1/26 at 3:50 pm

    Super easy to make and even better to eat. Delicious!

    Reply
  6. Teresa Phillips says

    Posted on 1/2 at 8:05 am

    Super good comfort food! Easy and delicious.
    My meat & potatoes husband thinks I’m awesome, so thank you!!

    Reply
  7. Loril says

    Posted on 10/6 at 5:48 pm

    THis is absolutely amazing!

    Reply
  8. Jessica Smith says

    Posted on 5/19 at 7:37 pm

    Loved it! We cheated with store bought mashed potatoes, but it still turned out nicely.

    Reply
  9. Erinn says

    Posted on 11/14 at 10:39 pm

    Hello! I was wondering… I don’t have a large enough skillet and the small one I do have, I’m not sure it’s oven safe. Would a casserole dish suffice? I have a large one of those. Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/15 at 7:55 am

      Yes that would work just fine 🙂 Just cook through step 4 in a skillet, then transfer it to a casserole dish and proceed with step 5.

      Reply
  10. Lori says

    Posted on 9/9 at 7:46 pm

    Amazing  recipe, rich and flavorful, only addition to the recipe were peas. 

    Reply
  11. Lori says

    Posted on 9/9 at 7:43 pm

    This recipe is amazing, so rich and flavorful. Only additional was to add peas! Definitely will make again😁

    Reply
  12. Mary Ann Heeder says

    Posted on 11/13 at 7:40 am

    Anxious to try this recipe. Does this need a thickener of flour or cornstarch?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/13 at 8:03 am

      Hi Mary Ann 🙂 I’ve never needed one, it reduces down on it’s own. If you find it’s not doing that on your stove, then adding a bit of cornstarch whisked in with a splash of water will certainly help it.

      Reply
  13. Krista says

    Posted on 11/7 at 8:29 pm

    What a great comfort food dish! I want a big bowl now!

    Reply
  14. Dee says

    Posted on 11/7 at 9:25 am

    One pot meals are the best! My family will love this one!

    Reply
  15. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    Posted on 11/7 at 9:13 am

    This looks amazing! Coincidentally, my husband made shepherd’s pie for dinner last night! I love your one-skillet idea, and will pass this along for next time. it’s the season for dishes like this, after all!

    Reply
  16. Amy @ Little Dairy on the Prairie says

    Posted on 11/6 at 10:21 pm

    This is a great one pot meal! I will have to make it soon!

    Reply
  17. Erin Dee says

    Posted on 11/6 at 10:11 pm

    Hooray for comfort food season! This is definitely a must-make!

    Reply
  18. Karly says

    Posted on 11/6 at 9:57 pm

    MUST. TRY. I’ve been wanting to go a good ol’ Shepherd’s pie for a while now, and this one looks like perfection.

    Reply
  19. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    Posted on 11/6 at 9:40 pm

    This recipe will be a big winner with my family! Looks delish!

    Reply
  20. Jen says

    Posted on 11/6 at 12:31 pm

    I seriously love all of your recipes! I’ll be making this for my family this week! This is the perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!

    Reply
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