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Weeknight Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Main course

Weeknight Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Credit: myDinnerPlan

A cozy oven-baked dinner with a savory ground beef, carrot, and pea filling in a rich gravy, topped with fluffy cheddar mashed potatoes and baked until golden at the edges. Ground lamb works too if you want the traditional version.

1 hr 20 servings
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Ingredients

  • 5 pounds Lean Ground Beef
  • 6 Carrots
  • 10 cloves of Garlic
  • 3 cups + ¼ cup + 1 ¼ tablespoons Peas
  • 8 ¼ pounds Russet Potato
  • 3 Yellow Onions
  • ¼ cup + 2 ¾ tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 cups + ¼ cup + 1 ¼ tablespoons Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 cup + ½ cup + 2 ⅔ tablespoons Milk (Whole)
  • ¾ cup + 1 ¼ tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 2 ¼ tablespoons Kosher Salt
  • 3 cups + ¼ cup + 1 ¼ tablespoons Low-Sodium Beef Broth
  • ¼ cup + 2 ¾ tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 3 ¼ tablespoons Worcestershire
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
  • 3 ¼ tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add the salt for the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes cook, heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon off excess fat.
  3. Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and Worcestershire, then add the thyme, pepper, and the salt for the filling. Simmer, stirring, until thick like gravy, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the peas and turn off the heat.
  5. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the butter, warm milk, and the cheddar for the potatoes until smooth.
  6. If your pan is not oven-safe, move the filling to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling all the way to the edges, rough up the top with a fork, and sprinkle with the cheddar for topping.
  7. Bake until the filling bubbles at the edges and the top is lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.