Cozy Shepherd's Pie Baked Potatoes-crispy skins, hearty beef filling, and soft fluffy baked potatoes. A simple twist on the classic shepherd's pie!
This is your new favorite fall dinner bestie. No mashing, no peeling potatoes, no twice baking! While the potatoes are roasting I cook the filling and then dinner's done. It's so easy to make during the week and meal prep or freeze for later too. It's delicious with some warm honey butter cornbread or sourdough discard biscuits and jam.
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If you're not familiar with shepherd's pie, it and cottage pie are interchangeable terms to many Americans. It's 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. Cottage pie baked potatoes is all of those lovely things but with less work and in half the time!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Like a traditional cottage pie, just reversed! And easier.
- Ease: Make the filling while the potatoes are baking. Not hard at all!
- Time: 10-15 minutes to cook the filling while the potatoes are baking, about 50 minutes.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Potatoes - Which is best?
- Russet: best for fluff and crispy skin. Yukon Gold: creamier mash, less drying. Sweet potato: sweeter, pairs well with spices.
- Vegetables - to make this recipe SUPER easy, I use frozen mixed vegetables. You can use any variety you like!
- Tomato Paste - adds umami, not a lot of tomato flavor.
TIP: I keep tomato paste frozen in Tablespoon portions so I can pull out a few to use for recipes like this and Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Stew.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- 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.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Pierce each potato with a fork 1-2 times each. Place on baking tray and bake for 50 min to 1 hour until soft in the middle and crispy on the outside.
- Step 2. 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).
- Step 3. Add flour and stir well until there is no white left.
- Step 4. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef bouillon, garlic & onion powder, thyme, and salt & pepper. Mix well.
- Step 5. Add the beef broth slowly, stirring constantly.
- Step 6. 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.
- Step 7. Slice each baked potato lengthwise down the middle and squeeze the ends to poof out the potatoes a bit.
- Step 8. Spread a pat of butter inside each potato and spoon the shepherd's pie filling into the middles. Serve warm!
🍽️ Scale up for Families and Parties
Make sheet pan shepherd's potatoes!
- Halve the potatoes lengthwise
- Spread the filling over each potato half
- Sprinkle some cheese on top and toast in the oven for 10 minutes @ 350℉to melt the cheese.
TIP: Add caramelized onions or mushrooms (like in Mushroom Stuffed Meatloaf) for an extra delicious filling. 🤤
📌 Troubleshooting
- Soggy potato: over-filled with runny filling → thicken filling, drain excess liquid, or roast longer.
- Bland filling: underseasoned or under-reduced → finish with Worcestershire, salt, acid (lemon/white vinegar) to brighten.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Make up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate.
Reheat: 350 ℉ for 45-50 minutes if refrigerated, 1.5 hours if baking from frozen.
Freeze: up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 ℉ for 45-50 minutes until warmed through.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
To many Americans the terms are interchangeable.
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/vegans and is made with no meat at all.
Yes! You can bake and fill them and freeze everything together, or freeze the filling and potatoes separately.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 ℉ for 45-50 minutes until warmed through.
Reheat in a 400°F oven on a wire rack; avoid microwave; brush with oil and broil 1-2 min for crisp finish.
🥔 More Delicious Potato Recipes
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📝 Printable Recipe
Shepherd's Pie Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes (Idaho or russet work well)
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or 2 Tb corn starch if making gluten free)
- ⅓ 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
- ½ teaspoon salt & pepper, more to taste
- 1-½ cups beef broth
- 1 lb (about 4 cups) frozen mixed vegetables
- optional for topping: butter, cheese and/or sour cream
Instructions
To bake potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Pierce each potato with a fork 1-2 times each. Place on baking tray and bake for 50 min to 1 hour until soft in the middle and crispy on the outside.
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.
- Add in the 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:
- Slice each baked potato lengthwise down the middle and squeeze the ends to poof out the potatoes a bit.Spread a pat of butter inside each potato and spoon the shepherd's pie filling into the middles. Serve warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
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