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Shepards Pie in a cast iron skillet.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

This Midwest classic Easy Shepherd's Pie combines a saucy ground beef filling that simmers beneath a blanket of Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes until the cheese is golden brown on top.
Servings: 8 hearty servings
Chef Alli
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean for this recipe
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 8 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup strong beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  • 32 ounce package Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes, refrigerated warmed in the microwave for 1-2 minutes
  • parsley for garnishing, if desired we

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the carrots for 2-3 minutes, then cover the pan, continuing to cook the carrots an additional 3 minutes. **If the carrots seem a little dry, you can stir in a bit of broth or water to the pan at this point.
    1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil, 2 large carrots
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef with the Worcestershire sauce, onion flakes, garlic powder, seasoned salt, parsley, and diced mushrooms.
    1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, 8 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms
  • Add the ground beef mixture to the carrots in the skillet, spreading it out in a thick layer. Let the beef mixture cook without disturbing it, over medium high heat, to let the bottom get very nicely browned, 2-3 minutes.
  • Using a beef crumbler or a wooden spoon, crumble the beef mixture with the carrots, reducing the heat to medium, continuing to cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until the meat is nearly cooked throughout. **If there appears to be excess fats in the skillet at this point, remove them from the pan.
  • Stir the tomato paste into the ground beef mixture in the skillet, cooking for 1-2 minutes to allow the tomato paste to caramelize and darken a bit. (It will turn from bright red in color to a very dark, almost brown color.)
    3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Add the beef broth to deglaze the skillet, stirring up any golden bits and beef mixture that may be attached to the bottom of the skillet. Remove from the heat.
    1 cup strong beef broth
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheddar cheese evenly over the ground beef mixture.
    1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  • Top the ground beef mixture with big dollops of the warmed mashed potatoes. Use a spatula or spoonula to spread the potatoes evenly over the top.
    32 ounce package Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes, refrigerated
  • Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the potatoes. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of parsley flakes, as desired.
  • Bake the Shepherd’s Pie, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes on the center oven rack until golden brown on top and hot and bubbly at the center. (160-165 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. Whatever you do, don't skip the mushrooms in this Shepherd's Pie! This is the secret ingredient that makes this meat pie so much better than almost any other. Nobody ever notices them since they look just like cooked ground beef by the time the pie is ready for the potato topping.
  2. I typically purchase whole mushrooms for this recipe because I think they keep better in the fridge than sliced mushrooms. Take your mushrooms out of the plastic-wrapped packaging as soon as you get home and store them in a brown paper sack, instead. This really keeps mushrooms from getting slimy because the moisture is wicked away and into the brown sack.
  3. Make short work of dicing the mushrooms by throwing them into your food processor. Use the pulse button until they are all finely diced, approximately 15-20 seconds.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 530mgPotassium: 906mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3315IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 189mgIron: 3mg
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