Shepherd's Pie, or Cottage Pie, rather, is a comfort dish made with ground beef, mashed potatoes, and in this case- corn. Combined with a homemade sauce and instant mashed potatoes, this meal is filling and delicious.
Shepherd's pie is a dish that I didn't know about until after I met my husband. Of course, his definition of it was "ground beef with corn and mashed potatoes on top." So that's what I did for the first few years of our marriage. Nothing else was added. He ate it happily though.
Turns out this was one of the frugal dinners he grew up eating and it helped him relive a moment of nostalgia each time I made it. But, I knew there had to be more than meat, corn, and potatoes and as time went by I continued to modify the recipe.
While I normally use real mashed potatoes, I can't deny how big of a time saver instant mashed potatoes can be! Even more fun is using the flavored instant potato packets for even more variety.
That said, the meaty base of this shepherds pie goes great with my Creamy Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, so if you want to try making homemade mashed potatoes, go for it!
Why This Recipe Works
- It's frugal. For about $10, you can get a large baking dish full of dinner. Serve on its own or with a simple green salad on the side, and it's a filling dinner everyone will enjoy.
- It's comforting. From the creamy potatoes to the rich meaty filling and crisp sweet corn in every serving, this dish is comfort food that's perfect for any occasion.
- It's easy to make. Brown some meat, mix in some ingredients, and then layer things together in a baking dish. This recipe is simple and easy to follow, making it perfect for busy nights and even make-ahead meals.
🥘 Ingredients
Ground Beef- You will need some ground beef for the base of this recipe. While shepherds pie is made with lamb, in America, we refer to shepherd's pie as the ground beef variation (also known as cottage pie).
Onion- Adding in an onion will give us a wonderful flavor depth.
Garlic- For added flavor enhancement, you'll want to use some minced garlic.
Seasonings- For added flavor, make sure to use some salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
Ketchup- Adding in a little bit of ketchup will give us a little tomato flavor to the meaty filling as well as a little sweetness to round out the savory salty flavors.
Worcestershire Sauce- For a great depth of flavor, you'll need some Worcestershire sauce. A little bit goes a long way, but it truly helps to elevate the dish.
Flour- To help thicken the meaty filling, we use some all purpose flour.
Beef Broth- Add in some beef broth to help create a gravy-like consistency around the meat.
Canned Whole Kernel Corn- You can use canned corn or frozen corn (thawing is not necessary). Make sure the canned is drained before use.
Instant Mashed Potatoes- Use plain or flavored instant mashed potatoes. Prepare them according to package directions and use as directed in the recipe card below.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make easy shepherd's pie with instant mashed potatoes with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add your ground beef and diced onions to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until browned.
Drain the excess grease and return to heat.
Add in the minced garlic and stir to combine.
Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
Stir in the flour and mix to coat.
Slowly add in the beef broth.
Stir until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.
In another pot, make the mashed potatoes, following the instructions for the 8 servings option.
In your baking dish, spread the ground beef over the bottom of the pan.
Scatter the drained corn over the top, and spread it into an even layer.
Take the mashed potatoes and spread them out over the top of the corn.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve warm and enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
for this shepherd's pie with instant potatoes, you can make the instant mashed potatoes in advance, or at the same time (in a different pot) while browning the ground beef. To top a 9x13 pan of shepherd's pie, follow the instructions on the instant potatoes for the 8 serving quantity, this should yield about 3 cups of cooked potatoes.
Getting the browned potatoes look on top of the cottage pie is optional, but only requires about 3 minutes under a high broiler. Watch carefully because a minute too long will result in burnt potatoes.
💭 FAQs
Yes. You can make this dish about a day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake. Then set it on the counter to come to room temp as the oven preheats and bake as directed.
Yes, because the potatoes are already cooked, you can assemble this and freeze for a later meal or freeze leftovers without issues. Just make sure to keep it well covered and to bake within 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before heating.
If properly stored in the fridge in a covered container, leftovers can last 3 to 5 days. For best results eat it sooner rather than later.
More great dinner recipes to try
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake
- Cream Cheese Bacon Pasta Bake
- Simple Meatloaf with Oatmeal
- 3 Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
📖 Recipe
Easy Shepherd's Pie with Instant Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Ground beef ($6.74)
- 1 medium Onion, chopped ($0.70)
- 1 clove Garlic, minced ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoons Salt ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoons Black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
- 1 Tablespoon All purpose flour ($0.01)
- ½ cup Beef broth ($0.17)
- 1 can Whole kernel corn, or 2 cups frozen ($0.50)
- 3 cups Instant mashed potatoes (8servings) ($2.23)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large skillet, brown your ground beef and drain. Cook onions until clear.
- Add in the minced garlic and stir.
- Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, ketchup, and Worchestershire sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Stir in the flour until well coated.
- Slowly add in the beef broth and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
- In another pot make instant mashed potatoes according to box for the 8 servings option.
- In your baking dish, spread your ground beef over the dish to cover nicely.
- Scatter the drained corn over the top of the ground beef, trying to make a nice even layer.
- Take the instant mashed potatoes and spread them out over the top of the corn.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Jo says
I tried this Shepherd’s Pie last night and they were super satisfying!
Megan says
Perfect for busy schedules! Can't wait to try this!
Jeannette says
So much easier using instant mashed potatoes than regular ones. I always do love a recipe that tackles the busy work life - convenience matters! Great that this Shepherd's Pie also serves so many mouths!
Katherine says
Great idea to use instant mashed potatoes to make this a super simple comfort food meal!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Shepherd's pie was actually a cheap dish originally made with any scraps of meat and bulked out with hardy crops such as onion and carrot, sometimes with mushrooms added and of course the mashed potatoes on top.. It never had corn in it which is definitely an American twist. It's a favourite with my husband too.
NicoleDurham says
My husband introduced it to me with corn and it stuck haha. We love the crisp and sweet contrast to the savory flavors.