Shepherd’s Pie
on Jan 19, 2021, Updated Oct 20, 2025
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When the weather cools down, there’s nothing quite like a hearty Shepherd’s Pie to hit the spot. This version keeps all the cozy comfort of the classic dish but makes it macro-friendly and protein-packed. With lean ground beef, plenty of vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes on top, this recipe delivers everything you love about comfort food, without derailing your goals.
If you’ve never made Shepherd’s Pie before, think of it as the ultimate one-pan dinner: a savory meat and veggie base topped with mashed potatoes and baked until bubbly and golden. It’s simple, filling, and a total crowd-pleaser with both kids and adults alike.
Why You’ll Love It
- Great for meal prep and weeknight dinners
- Balanced macros with over 30g of protein per serving
- Family-friendly and freezer-friendly
- Comfort food that fits your goals
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef (93/7)
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Dried parsley
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Creamy mashed potatoes (I like Honest Earth brand)
- Fat-free milk (I used Fairlife)
- Frozen peas
- Frozen corn
- Beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- All-purpose flour
- Tomato paste
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Recipe Tip
This dish reheats beautifully! Divide leftovers into meal prep containers for easy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week. The flavors actually get better the next day, making it a perfect make-ahead dinner.
Macros / Nutrition Info
Makes: 7 servings
Serving Size: 300g
Calories: 438
Protein: 31.8g
Carbs: 33g
Fat: 11g
Variations & Substitutions
- Protein options: Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened almond milk or oat milk in place of Fairlife milk.
- Vegetable swaps: Add mushrooms, green beans, or chopped zucchini for extra volume.
- Mashed potatoes: If you prefer homemade, boil and mash russet or Yukon gold potatoes with milk and salt.
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Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef, 93/7
- ½ cup diced onion, 60g
- 1 cup diced carrots, 150g
- 1 cup diced celery, 130g
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6.4 oz packet creamy mashed potatoes, I like Honest Earth brand
- 1 cup fat-free Fairlife milk, for the potatoes
- ½ cup frozen peas, 68g
- ½ cup frozen corn, 68g
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large oven-safe pan, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt. Drain excess fat.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened.
- While vegetables cook, prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions, using the milk.
- Once vegetables are tender, stir in peas, corn, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, flour, and tomato paste. Mix well until evenly combined.
- If using an oven-safe pan, spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Otherwise, transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a greased casserole dish and top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the potato topping is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
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Love this recipe! So easy to make and makes enough for leftovers throughout the week.
Way too much beef broth and no indication to reduce. When I went to put the mash on the potatoes just sank along with my aspirations for a decent meal.
That is Cottage Pie, not Shepherds Pie. Names are important because they indicate to people what ingredients are in the dish.
Hi Chris, ground beef is now a widely accepted variation of meat used in Shepherd’s pie, especially in the US. But like many of my macro friendly recipes, variations are used often to make them more macro balanced.
That is Cottage Pe, not Shepherds Pie.
The recipe is missing step #6. How long should it be cooked and at what temperature?
Hi Jennifer, sorry about that. I’m going to update the whole recipe card now, I noticed this one never converted from the old cards darn it.
My daughter always makes her shepherds pie with ground beef, it’s delicious! I’m going to try your recipe. It looks great!
Can this meal be made ahead of time? Is it freezable? If yes, how do you reheat?
Shepherd’s Pie shouldbe made with Lamb and not Beef.
If you want to use beef then it will be a crttage pie
Shepherds Pie, ground beef? Surely not. Ground lamb!