Easy Shepherds Pie with Instant Mashed Potatoes

Get ready for a simple and delicious Shepherd’s Pie made easy with instant mashed potatoes. This easy recipe combines savory meat, veggies, and creamy mashed potatoes for a comforting and quick homemade meal.

Shepherd’s Pie (also called cottage pie) is pure comfort food recipe in our family. Hearty ground beef filling with a rich gravy and mixed vegetables all topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection! Yum! While a classic shepherds pie recipe is made with ground lamb and homemade mashed potatoes, this easy version uses ground beef and instant mashed potatoes to make this recipe fast enough for those busy weeknights. 

Why I love this recipe

With meat, veggies, and carbs all in one dish, this easy shepherd’s pie recipe is a complete meal in itself! It is family friendly so even picky eaters usually love it and takes only 10 minutes of prep time before popping it in the oven.

Ingredients

• ground beef
• instant potatoes (along with milk and butter to prepare according to the box instructions)
• beef broth
• frozen mixed vegetables: green beans, peas, corn, and carrots
• Worcestershire sauce
• seasoning salt
• brown gravy mix

Step by step

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile prepare the gravy and mashed potatoes according to package directions.
3. Drain cooked ground beef of excess grease and return to the skillet. Add gravy, vegetables, Worcestershire, and seasoning salt to the meat mixture and stir to mix. Bring to a simmer stirring often.
4. Transfer the vegetable and meat mixture to a 8 by 8 inch or 9 by 9 inch baking dish.
5. Top the meat with the mashed potatoes.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Variations

You can play with this recipe, it is very forgiving. 

• add diced onion and minced garlic to the meat when browning for a little extra flavor
• use fresh vegetables instead of frozen vegetables
• for a creamier version add a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup to the meat mixture
• use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef
• add a small can of tomato paste
• top potato topping with cheddar cheese or your favorite variety of shredded cheese
• Use leftover mashed potatoes instead of instant (great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers!)
• use a cauliflower mash for a lower carb version

Serving suggestions

While it can most definitely be a complete meal on its own we have some favorite sides for shepherd’s pie like sautéed green beans, or maple roasted carrots.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

You can freeze the assembled shepherd’s pie either before or after baking for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If baking a chilled shepherd’s pie, extend the baking time 5-10 minutes.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!