Quick, easy Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes, a 30 minute dinner with a savory sauce, ground beef, vegetables, and soft potatoes.
Easy ground beef recipes like French Onion Ground Beef Sliders or Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers are a staple over here, but this is a fun spin on a classic! This recipe is the best kind of cheap and SO EASY. It takes a little time to bake the potatoes, (or not if you have a pressure cooker. Helloooooo Instant Pot!)
Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes Recipe
If you're looking for an easy shepherds pie recipe, this is it my friendy friends. It's more of a cheat shepherd's pie. I make the savory veggie and ground meat filling and spoon it onto baked potatoes. Shepherd's pie and cottage pie are interchangeable terms to many Americans. If you're not familiar, it is made from ground meat; usually lamb or ground beef, and vegetables like carrots, onions, and sweet corn all cooked in a delicious brothy gravy with creamy mashed potatoes layered on top. This stuffed baked potatoes recipe is all of those lovely things but with less work and in half the time!
Ingredients for Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes
Here's what we're working with. Mostly pantry staples, and the full list is in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes - Russet, Idaho or Yukon Gold work well for this recipe.
- Mixed vegetables - fresh or frozen will work.
- Beef broth & bouillon - be sure to use gluten free substitutes if needed.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Garlic - fresh or dried
- Tomato Paste - for umami!
- Ground beef or lamb
How to make Shepherd's pie baked potatoes:
Here is a summary of the instructions for this recipe, simplified for quick reference.
- Cook those potatoes! Either in the oven or in the instant pot. Here's a great tutorial for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes from I Wash You Dry to make it quick and easy. Instructions for baking in recipe below. It does take longer to bake potatoes in the oven (50-60 minutes), keep that in mind if you want a 30 minute dinner.
- Cook the filling by browning the ground beef and onions in a large frying pan, then draining the grease out.
- Start the gravy by adding in the flour, then worcestershire sauce, broth, tomato paste, and all seasonings. Add the vegetables last, and simmer until soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve over baked potatoes. It's a complete, easy family dinner!
Tips and FAQ's
- To make this meal QUICK and easy, make the potatoes ahead or in a pressure cooker in a few minutes while the filling is cooking.
- Another speedy tip! Run the frozen vegetables under hot running water until thawed and then add to the ground meat during the cooking process.
What is the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie?
To many Americans (me) the terms are interchangeable. To be strictly correct, both are savory pies made with ground meat, veggies, a gravy, and mashed potatoes baked on top. Shepherd's pie is made with lamb traditionally, and cottage pie is made with beef or any other type of meat. Shepherdless pie is a term coined by vegetarians and vegan and is made with no meat at all.
Ways to add variety to Shepherd's Pie Filling
Already know your way around a shepherd's pie? Great! Variety is the spice of life. If you want to put a new spin on this already newish spin, I have a few ideas for you!
- Use a mixture of meats. For more variety in your flavor profile, add a bit of sausage, ground turkey, or chicken with chicken base and broth to break from tradition and have a delicious filling.
- Switch up the veggies! Fresh or frozen work well. Try using mushrooms, leeks, shallots, turnips, or parsnips for some fun vegetable combinations.
- Add cheese. Soooo many possibilities! Some cheeses that would work well are provolone, gruyere, fontina, or mozzarella.
More easy cold weather recipes:
Need a few more fall dinner ideas? I have a few of those! Here are a few of our favorites to get you started.
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
- Cheesy Potato Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
I can't wait for you to try this recipe! If you try it, make sure to let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Large Frying pan, cast iron or nonstick
- wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes (Idaho or russet work well)
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or 2 Tb corn starch if making gluten free)
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon (or gluten free substitute if making gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme, dried
- ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper, more to taste
- 1-½ cups beef broth
- 1 lb (about 3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables
- optional for topping: cheese and/or sour cream
Instructions
To bake potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Pierce each potato with a fork 1-2 times each. Wrap each one separately in tin foil. Place on baking tray and bake for 50 min to 1 hour until soft in the middle. Meanwhile, cook the filling.
For the filling:
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the ground meat and onion until completely browned and the beef is broken into small pieces, and drain the excess grease (in tin foil or an old tin can, just not down the drain).
- Add flour and stir well until there is no white left. Then add worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef bouillon, garlic & onion powder, thyme, and salt & pepper. Mix well.
- Add the beef broth slowly, stirring constantly. Add in the mixed vegetables and turn heat to low/medium heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when ready to serve.
To assemble:
- After unwrapping potatoes, slice each potato lengthwise down the middle and spoon filling into the middle. Optional: top with cheese and/or sour cream.
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