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Loaded Shepherd’s Pie |
This is my take on the classic Shepherd’s Pie. Loaded mashed potatoes and a surprise seasoning make the difference.
I’m of Celtic background–OF COURSE I grew up eating Shepherd’s Pie. But I never really cared for it–way too bland.
Yummo |
Then it came to me if I used loaded mashed potatoes on top of a well-seasoned meat base, this might just taste good. Hey, cheese and bacon–how can it not taste great?
Delicious way to do Shepherd’s Pie |
Watch The Video
The Recipe
Loaded Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tbsp brown gravy mix 0.87 oz packet
Loaded Potato Topping:
- 2 lbs potatoes pared and diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese*
- 4 strips cooked bacon crisply cooked and diced
Instructions
- Brown ground beef, onions and mushrooms over medium heat in a large skillet. Drain fat and season with salt, garlic powder and brown gravy mix. (I use brown gravy mix as a seasoning in this, and the juices will make some gravy. If you want more gravy, add about 1/2 cup of water-I have not tested this!). Stir well and set aside.
- Place diced potatoes in an appropriate size saucepan–2 quart size should be fine. Cover with water and add about 1-2 tsp salt.
- Boil potatoes until tender. Drain very well.
- Mash potatoes with sour cream, until potatoes are not lumpy. Add green onion and bacon–you can reserve a small amount for a garnish, if desired. Stir in cheese–you can reserve about 2 tbs of this for garnish if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place reserved ground beef mixture in a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Distribute evenly across the bottom.
- Top with mashed potatoes, covering meat entirely.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until potatoes begin to get brown around the edges and peaks.
- Remove from oven and garnish with reserved onion, bacon & cheese if you desired to do so.
Notes
Nutrition
Layers of deliciousness |
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Jodee Weiland says
This looks delicious! I love a good shepherd's pie, and the ingredients you use take that over the top…love it!
Barbara says
I use cream cheese in the potatoes also and cream of mushroom soup in the meat. Awesome
Judith Hanneman says
Oh boy Barbara–you had me at “cream cheese” LOL
Becky says
Do you add the cream cheese in place of the sour cream or in addition to? I’d like to try
Judith Hanneman says
There’s no cream cheese called for in the recipe, but you can sure add that in place of the sour cream if you want. I’d say about 4 oz would be good to start with.
pasqwal says
Do you add the pkg of gravy mix dry or do you prepare it according to pkg directions and then add to the beef?
Jeff says
I like to use Bisto granules and a little hot water to add a little sauce. Just a LITTLE water(1/2 cup?)
Judith Hanneman says
Bisto is pretty much like our brown gravy mix–at least the original Bisto. But if it’s the instant gravy granules (like Oxo used to do) that’s fine too.
Linda says
I used 2T butter, 2T flour, 1c beef broth.
Judith Hanneman says
The brown gravy mix is used as a condiment here. If you want to mix in a little water, you can, but you don't prepare it like gravy.
Jenny Goodwin says
Can you use a package of Lipton’s Onion Soup mix instead of brown gravy mix? Also, I’m planning on making this for my Bunco group Tuesday night. It needs to feed 12 people. I saw this recipe serves 4. Could I get away with doubling the recipe? Tripling seems like a lot of food.
Judith Hanneman says
You can sure double this! It doesn’t have to be precise like a cake. And sure, the onion soup would work just fine because the gravy mix is a seasoning here–it doesn’t make a gravy per se.
Queenymo says
Mixed veggies on top of the meat mixture (peas, carrots) will make this more authentic
Judith Hanneman says
Beauty of this is you can add whatever you like! I grew up eating it the standard way since my mother was British. My family seems to prefer it without veggies.
TheSmashley1818 says
This sounds great! ..my family won't eat mushrooms so ill try an alternate veggie..YUM!
Kelly Miciak says
I made this dish for me and my husband. This is by far the best, most flavorful Shepherds Pie that I have ever tasted. The brown gravy mix works like a charm to give the ground beef such a rich beefy flavor. Thank you!
Judith Hanneman says
Glad you liked it Kelly! I forget where I got that tip about using beef gravy mix as a seasoning, but i've been doing it for years. I even put a pinch in burgers for the grill!
Gene Hultman says
Love your site! I do have a question about the meat portion of the shepherd's pie … what forms the "gravy" portion of the base? Or is there not one? To be honest, I've never had shepherd's pie, but this looks amazing! I always thought it had a "gravy" type meat base. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Judith Hanneman says
Hi Gene–thanks!! Actually the gravy mix in this is just a condiment. The juice forms a little bit of gravy but if you want more then what I suggest you do is when you're done browning the ground beef, to add the gravy mix and about 3/4 cup of water (it will be thick–the released meat juices will top it up) before adding it to the baking dish(s) and topping it.
Erin Gerlach says
Oh my yum!! I added some red pepper and corn, and used a crushed up beef bullion cube amd packet of dry country gravy (didnt have the brown gravy mix). I could eat the whole dish myself! Thanks for my new favorite shepherd's pie recipe!!
Judith Hanneman says
So glad you liked it Erin! This is truly one meal you can tailor to your own taste and what you have on hand!!!
Carol W. says
I made this for dinner tonight…just absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Judith Hanneman says
I am so glad you liked it Carol!
Princess Creampuff says
This was amazing!! Tasted even better reheated. Since I LOVE cheese- I melted cheese in with the meat too…omg heaven 🙂
Judith Hanneman says
I'll have to do that the next time too!! You can NEVER have too much cheese!!!!
evanoff says
Made this last night and it was good. Thank you for posting
Judith Hanneman says
Glad you enjoyed it evanoff!
Sandi says
This looks beautiful Judith. I can't wait to try it. I will have to find a gluten free gravy alternative, but the rest looks easy for gluten free. Thank you.
Judith Hanneman says
Thanks Sandi–but for g/f, I'd leave out the gravy mix or find a g/f one. I'm sure there's wheat in that stuff.
Sarah Leche says
@Sandi and @Judith:
Orrington Farms makes a great gluten-free beef gravy. I use it all the time for my gluten-intolerant husband when I make cottage pie.
Judith Hanneman says
Thanks Sarah!! Great info.
Jennifer F says
Yum! I've pinned this and I have added this to my menu for next week! Love the loaded mashed 'taters idea!
Jennifer
http://www.GrowingUpTriplets.com
Judith Hanneman says
That's what makes it work for me Jennifer! Otherwise with shepherd's pie, I just keep walkin'–and my mom was from UK too, so go figure!!!
Lisa Darnell says
My oven is broke. Can I heat it in the crock pot instead?
Judith Hanneman says
Don't see why not Lisa–but I'd use the high heat.
teresa bayes says
Is shepherd's pie made with a pie crust
Robyn Wallis says
Although the classic version of Shepherd’s Pie is done without crust, my great-grandma, who was Scottish, always made it with a pastry crust inderneath. I suspect that it was because she was used to making forfar bridies, and she thought that the undercrust made it easier to remove from the pan? In any case, she also used leftover roas beef that she ground up in her old tabletop grinder. She also minced up some leeks and fried them in butter before mixing them with the mashed potatoes. Depending on the season, she either added green peas fresh from the garden, or diced up parsnips.
This recipe sure brings back memories! Thanks for sharing.
Judith Hanneman says
My mom almost always used leftover roast beef (and leftover gravy!) in this. Otherwise, she’d do Cornish pasties with the leftover roast. I do suspect that your great-grandma also lived through the Depression, which is where my mother drew most of her frugalness about food. Times were very bad in UK back then and my mom came from a large family so….
Judith Hanneman says
No pie crust Teresa. Basically it's meat on the bottom and mashed potatoes on the top.
D Reck says
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Judith Hanneman says
Offhand, I'd say yes, but I've never done it so can't say for sure The meat filling definitely can, but the potatoes would be the problem here.
Leslie says
Looks delicious! And those Temptations pieces are gorgeous. 🙂
Judith Hanneman says
Love me some floral lace!!
Marian says
Shepherds Pie is a traditional English dish that is made with lamb (hence the name) Cottage Pie is made with beef. But that looks yummy. I cook sliced leeks in butter and add those to the mash potato to make a slightly different topping
Judith Hanneman says
The leeks sound really good in the potatoes! My mother (who was British) actually used to make this with leftover roast beef. We weren’t lamb lovers 🙁
Jeff says
I have made a version of this for years but I add a layer of french cut green beans and about 8 bay leaves between the meat and potato layers. Also, top off with seasoned bread crumbs when you bake it.. ITS AMAZING…
Judith Hanneman says
Wow that sounds good!
John Snyder says
Sorry to break it to you, but this is cottage pie, not shepherds pie. Shepherds pie ALWAYS uses ground lamb, not beef!
Judith Hanneman says
My mother was British. She called it shepherd’s pie. That’s enough for me.