My family loves Shepherd’s Pie and I love that I can make multiple servings with just as much effort as you would put in for a single meal. This recipe is an excellent make ahead freezer meal. Ok, so you’re peeling a few more pounds of potatoes but trust me, it’s worth it in the long run. I just grab my 10 lb bag of potatoes, my peeler, and a HUGE bowl. I put on an episode of Suits to keep me entertained and plunk my back side on the couch. Once I get my Harvey Specter fix, I’m usually done peeling all the potatoes and I hit the kitchen to do the rest of the chopping, boiling and frying.
Shepherd’s Pie is a great make ahead freezer meal that is very affordable to make. You can cut back on the amount of potatoes by substituting parsnips or completely replace the potatoes and make a cauliflower or rutabaga mash. Replace the all-purpose flour with rice flour for a gluten free version. So delicious!!
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes (I prefer Russets or Yukon gold)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion , finely chopped
- 2 carrots , finely diced
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp allspice seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp flour
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup frozen corn
Instructions
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Place 3 lbs of peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender.
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Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When heated, add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
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Add the carrots, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
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Add the worchestershire sauce, salt and allspice seasoning into the cooked meat mixture and stir until well combined.
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Sprinkle the flour overtop of the mixture and pour in the beef stock. Stir together and allow sauce to bubble. This will help thicken the sauce. Once the sauce has thicken add the frozen vegetables. Give it a quick stir to combine and set aside off the heat.
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By this time your potatoes should be cooked. Strain the potatoes and place them back in the hot pot. Add the milk, butter and salt. Mash the potatoes with your preferred technique.
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Spread the meat mixture out evenly along the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over top of the meat. Top with a cup of shredded cheese if you wish to make it extra fancy.
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At this point you can place the shepherd’s pie in the oven to eat or in the freezer to save for another day. Cook in the oven at 350 F until heated through and the potatoes are golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
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If you are freezing, take it out the night before and defrost overnight in the fridge. Cook in the oven at 350 F until heated through, about 30 minutes.
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I never thought of freezing Shepherd’s Pie, but that is totally a great idea. Oh, and I LOVE Suits too. When is it coming back? I can’t wait for the new episodes.
Apparently Suits is starting back up in January sometime… I only watch on Netflix however. I read an article that the new season was posted on Netflix and got all excited… only I can’t find it. Boo… reruns it is for now. 😉
Shepherd’s Pie is such a great dish….and I love making stuff for the freezer. Quick for when you don’t have time to cook…or don’t feel like it!!
FYI…we love Suits….in fact they were filming part of the next season right by my daughter’s work in Toronto….but she just missed seeing Gabriel Macht!! (so sad since he is a cutie).
Really? Toronto?? Where in Toronto? I’m there every week. (lol… did I just have a fan girl moment there??)
I totally agree with the “don’t feel like cooking days”. It’s great to have a back up meal plan in the freezer. 🙂
There are no words to describe this lentil and mushroom shepherd s pie than as a deep dish of absolute comfort. It s a bit of a project, but not at all difficult, and definitely worth it for a special occasion or holiday meal. It s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Recipe from
How long will this meal be good for in the freezer? Thank you
It’s best to eat freezer meals within 3 months of making them. 🙂
What size casserole dish?
I used a 9×13 inch casserole dish but you can use whatever size you wish. If you want to use two 9×9 dishes, you could do that as well.
I take lunches for work – when I make Shepherds Pie I freeze it in individual containers. Just pull one out in the morning and by lunch it’s ready to put in the microwave.
I do the same thing for my husband and I! Great minds think alike. 😉
How long does it typically take to bake? And, do you think it would taste normal if you used red potatoes, like more of a smashed potato topping..?
If you’re baking it right after making it, it would only take about 20-30 minutes. If you’re baking it after it’s been defrosted in the fridge, I would bake it for at least 45 minutes.
Red smashed potatoes sounds like a delicious ideas. This recipe is definitely one you can play around with – it’s totally up to your taste preferences. Would love to hear how it turns out.
It would help to know how many this meal would serve. I have a family of 6 and it helps to know if I need to make two pans or if the one will do. Thanks for the recipe!
I have a family of 6 & one pan just wasn’t enough! The loved it that much! So the second time I doubled it and made two pans. We even had some leftovers, but not that much. This was a real hit with my family.
So great to hear Keri! I’m glad your family enjoyed it that much.