I love a nice hearty meal on a cold fall evening, don’t you? A super simple version of shepherd’s pie is one of my favorites. While I’m not usually a big fan of ground beef, I keep the meal on the lighter side by using extra vegetables and a cauliflower mashed potato blend.
Shepherd’s Pie
While there are many versions of shepherd’s pie ranging in proteins, complexity and history, this one uses minimal ingredients and makes my family happy — so we’re sticking with this one for life.
This shepherd’s pie recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish (as long as you remember to preheat your oven…) and uses just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.
Super Simple Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- Favorite Mashed Potatoes
- 1 lb ground beef (turkey works, too)
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T flour
- 1 bag frozen vegetables
- 3/4 cup beef broth (chicken works, too)
- 2 T ketchup
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Brown meat in skillet.
- Stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add vegetables, broth, and ketchup. Stir for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Spoon meat mixture into casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Top with cheese and bake 2-3 more minutes.
Notes
Shepherds Pie Substitutes
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is how undemanding it is.
I usually use ground beef with this recipe, but have used ground turkey for an even lighter version.
Beef broth makes sense with the ground beef, but if all you have is chicken broth, that will work. If all you have is bouillon or better than bouillon, that will also work.
I also use a bag of frozen cubed veggies to keep dinner prep simple. I usually choose a frozen bag of chopped vegetables that are a mix of green beans, carrots, corn and peas — lima beans don’t go over super well here, so I usually skip that mix. Use what works for you.
Like I said, this recipe is not picky.
Super Simple Shepherd’s Pie
This super simple shepherd’s pie is a regular in our family’s meal plans from October through April. It’s a wonderful meal on a chilly night and, best of all, everyone eats it happily.
Are you going to try it? Drop a comment below and let me know!
Can you use brown gravy instead of broth?
I never have, but I’m sure you could! It may be a little thicker so if it’s too thick either forego the flour or add a tablespoon or so of water.
What size bag for the frozen veggies? Ounces/Pounds? Thank you.
I usually use a 16 oz bag, although you could do a little less if you wanted to. I try to load mine up with veggies. 🙂
I meant to ask, do you drain the meat after browning?
Hi Kelsey,
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t depending on how much grease has formed. When I use ground turkey it’s not necessary to drain the meat. 🙂