The Best Shepherd’s Pie with Cheddar Potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes mixed with melted cheddar top this classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe. Vegetables and ground beef stew in a savory gravy under a blanket of cheesy mashed potatoes for a “stick to your ribs” dinner that anyone will love.

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us. It’s almost here and that makes me want to eat hearty things filled with beer. And beef. And then follow them up with something sweet, filled with booze, like Nutty Irishman Cupcakes with Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting. It’s one of the only times of year when it’s perfectly acceptable to put booze or beer or beef in all the things.

Whether it’s the ides of march or not, we love this traditional Shepherd’s Pie with Cheddar Potatoes anytime of year. It’s pure comfort food and in regular rotation because it’s super easy to make with ingredients we always have in the house. It’s as cozy to eat as our favorite Beef Stew and a great, simple dinner to recover from a day of pretending to be Irish.

Every Day Ingredients Make It Easy

• Beef – I use lean ground beef in an 80/20 blend but you can use any ground beef or ground turkey for this recipe.
• Vegetables – A blend of vegetables always leans towards yellow onion, carrots, frozen peas and sweet corn but this is a great recipe to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Green beans make a frequent appearance, as well.
• Potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes are my first choice for the mashed potato topping. It’s a riff on the Best Mashed Potatoes recipe we use weekly. You can also use russet potatoes.
• Cheese – A sharp cheddar cheese or ale house cheddar cheese adds tremendous flavor to the mashed potato topping.
• Beef Stock – For the rich gravy, beef stock always is a winner. If you prefer to use beef broth, chicken stock, chicken broth or even vegetable stock, they are all great substitutes. To up the umami, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
• Seasonings – Simple seasoning like dried thyme, tomato paste, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper add the right amount of flavor.

For the full recipe instructions and ingredient list, see the recipe card below.

How To Make Shepherd’s Pie

This easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe comes together quickly. And if you want to make it even faster, you could use store bought mashed potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes.

If you do make the potatoes for this recipe from scratch, you can begin making them while you’re prepping the base of your Shepherds Pie.

1. Make the mashed potatoes adding the potatoes to a stock pot and filling with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender. Then mash them with a potato masher or hand mixer to the desired consistency.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then drain off the fat. Add the vegetables to the skillet and cook until softened.
3. Turn the stovetop to medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until darkened. Add the thyme and cornstarch, continuing to cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the stock, peas, corn and garlic powder scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook until slightly thickened and transfer to a baking dish.
5. Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes in an even layer and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake until bubbling, golden brown with a golden crust.

What makes this recipe so great is you can make it in advance and then just pop it in the oven when you’re ready to bake!

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

Shepherd’s Pie is a meat pie baked with a topping of mashed potatoes. It’s classic comfort food that’s hearty and filling. Technically, an authentic Shepherd’s Pie recipe (also known as Shepards Pie) is made with ground lamb and is an Irish dish. Cottage Pie is made with ground beef and is an English dish.

But, growing up we always made out Shepherd’s Pie recipes with ground beef, vegetables and a homemade mashed potato recipe topped with cheese. This is just like the one I remember eating when I was young.

Using ground beef makes this recipe easy and accessible for everyone since ground beef is more readily available in grocery stores.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer any leftover shepherd’s pie to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the microwave or in an oven safe container at 350˚F in the oven until heated through.

How To Freeze Shepherd’s Pie

To FREEZE your Shepherd’s Pie, allow the casserole to come to room temperature and then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Wrap again with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. 

To reheat Shepherd’s Pie, allow the casserole to thaw and then bake according to recipe instructions.

Best Sides for Shepherd’s Pie

Because this is a crustless meat pie topped with mashed potatoes, it’s basically a one pot dinner. But if you want to round it out with some sides we love these.

• Irish Soda Bread Muffins
• Our Best House Salad
• Lemon Parmesan Sauteed Green Beans
• Irish Brown Bread
• Nutty Irishman Cocktail

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