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Loaded Shepherd’s Pie

by Judith Hannemann

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Shepherd's Pie #ShepherdsPie #casseroles #GroundBeefCasseroles #LoadedPotatoes
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.

 

Shepherd's Pie #ShepherdsPie #casseroles #GroundBeefCasseroles #LoadedPotatoes
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?

 

Shepherd's Pie #ShepherdsPie #casseroles #GroundBeefCasseroles #LoadedPotatoes
Delicious way to do Shepherd’s Pie
If you like the pans, they are Temptations Floral Lace (in blue) 6-piece baking set and are available in other patterns and colors at the Temp-Tations website:   Temp-tations.com

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The Recipe

 

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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.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: loaded potato, shepherd's pie
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 454kcal
Author: Judith Hannemann

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

*You can use more cheese and any variety you like

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 962mg | Potassium: 1548mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 11mg
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Shepherd's Pie #ShepherdsPie #casseroles #GroundBeefCasseroles #LoadedPotatoes
Layers of deliciousness
 

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Comments

        • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

  5. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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!!

  19. 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.

  21. 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.

    • 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….

  32. 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 🙁

  33. 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…

  34. 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!