Delicious and comforting dinner the entire family will love! I've simplified this classic recipe by taking it down to just a few ingredients.
The Best Quick & Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe Made With Ground Beef
If you’re looking for cheap and easy dinner recipes for the family, this ground beef and potato casserole recipe is always a hit! Even your picky eaters will love this simple meal. It’s also loaded with veggies, so consider it healthy enough to serve often.
The idea behind a classic shepherd’s pie is simply to mix ground beef or lamb with a good hearty tomato based sauce and mixed vegetables, top with mashed potatoes in a casserole dish (I also like to sprinkle cheese all over the top, because why not!?), and then bake until the potatoes and cheese are well browned.
The only issue with a traditional shepherd’s pie is that they usually require 10+ ingredients and a lot of prep. No, thank you! Because my family enjoys this dinner recipe so much, I came up with a way to make it super quick and easy with just 6 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet beef stew seasoning mix
- 1 (12oz) bag frozen mixed veggies
- 1 can tomato soup
- 1+ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup water
- mashed potatoes (any kind– boxed, homemade, leftover, store-bought, etc.)
Even though this shepherd’s pie is incredibly easy to make, it’s not missing any flavor! I was pleasantly surprised at how good this simple recipe was, in fact, my husband thought it was better than the complicated recipes I’ve made in the past.
Quick & Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (Made with Ground Beef)
Ingredients
- 1/2 (13oz) box of mashed potatoes (plus the ingredients required to make them on the box-- butter, milk & salt)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (12oz) bag frozen mixed veggies
- 1 (10.75oz) can tomato soup
- 1 (1.5oz) packet of beef stew seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400° F.
- Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the package directions (about half of a 13 ounce box; more if you like a lot of potatoes or are feeding a large family).
- Brown the ground beef on medium heat in a large skillet; drain any excess grease.
- Add the can of tomato soup, frozen mixed veggies, beef stew seasoning mix and 1/2 cup of water to the browned beef; stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat.
- Spread the ground beef mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish, evenly spread the prepared mashed potatoes over top, and then sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake uncovered in the center rack for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.
Notes
- Any mashed potatoes can be used for this recipe (boxed, homemade, leftover, store-bought, etc.). In fact, the pre-made mashed potatoes you can buy in the deli section of most grocery stores would be even easier. If you're making them from scratch, you will need about 4 large russet potatoes.
- If your family likes onion, feel free to sauté a chopped onion in your pan before adding the ground beef for additional flavor.
If you like this recipe, check out this list of 21 Crazy Easy Ground Beef Dinner Ideas! 🙂
