Must Try Shepherd's Pie Recipe
If you're looking for a single-size portion of comfort food, you've come to the right place, because if your taste-buds are anything like mine, this individual Shepherd's Pie will be calling your name.
It's stuffed full of all the good stuff: beefy gravy, mixed vegetables, onions and spices, with a heaping spoonful of mash potatoes and then oven-baked for a steaming pot of goodness.
If you'd prefer to go for the family-size casserole, try throwing all the ingredients together in a 9x13 pan instead.
One of the things I absolutely love about this is that it doesn't take a certified chef to figure out how to make it. If you know how to make beef gravy, you can make these Individual Shepherd's Pies.
Put your own spin on it if you have a family beef gravy recipe that's been handed down for generations. I created this recipe around my Hamburger Gravy, added in the veggies and topped it with mashed potato perfection.
And let me tell you, this a meal that no one in my family will complain about.
With a base of Hamburger Gravy, you know this recipe is going to be good!
And yes, I have a lot of fun taking food photos. If that is something you're interested in doing, I highly recommend the book Tasty Food Photography, because it is so easy to read and user-friendly. It had me taking better photos by the end of the day. Seriously.
But... on to the food.
For these ISPs (Individual Shepherd's Pies), brown the meat with the onions.
Then drain most or all of the grease and add the beef bouillon cubes and break them up, stirring with the hamburger. Mix flour into the beef and onion mixture, and the add water and stir. Add seasonings and cook until thickened.
Add frozen vegetables to the hamburger gravy...
...and stir everything together....
Top with out of this world mashed potatoes, and you've got a prize-winning meal in my book.
Now, I don't know about you, but if you can beat a meat and potatoes combination that covers your meat, potatoes and veggies all in one sitting, let me know!
One of the hardest things for me is to find a way to get veggies into my gang, and this one does the trick, hands down.
Individual Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- Mashed potatoes I used 5 medium russet potatoes, a couple tablespoons of butter, and a splash of milk. Add a little extra milk at a time to make smooth.
- 1 red onion small
- 1 pound ground beef
- 16 ounces frozen mixed veggies
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Boil potatoes, drain and beat in mixer or mash by hand. Add butter and milk to potatoes while mashing.
- Brown ground beef and onion. Drain grease. Add the bouillon and seasonings. Let the bouillon cubes soften a little bit, and then break them up into the ground beef with the seasonings. Add in flour an stir to a roux. Mix in water and let thicken slightly. Mix in frozen veggies.
- Place beef and vegetable mixture in individual oven-safe bowls or large ramekin dishes. Top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!
Miss Messy
These look delicious. I love little pots of anything 🙂 So much cuter, Who knew shepherds pie could be cute?!
Jillian
What a great recipe! I love the idea of putting them in little ramekins! And, your photos keep looking better and better!
Cheryl Newton
Can't ever have too many shepherd's pie recipes! (Plus, this would give me another reason to buy some cute ramekins.) But - help! - : there are 4 ingredients listed (bouillon, oregano, salt and pepper) that are never mentioned in the instructions. Do I add those in with the flour?
Jessica
Sorry Cheryl! I will have to review that. That's what I get for finishing a post late at night. 🙂 I add the bouillon and seasonings in right after I drain the ground beef. Let the bouillon cubes soften a little bit, and then break them up into the ground beef with the seasonings. Then add the flour. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Cheryl Newton
Thanks, Jessica. What can I say? Once a copy editor, always a copy editor! Thanks for replying so quickly, and have a wonderful weekend.
Anne Shaw
Jessica your recipe looks wonderful.... Shepherds pie is made with lamb and Cottage pie is made with beef. My roots are from England and Scotland.
Carrie
Love the idea of Shepherd's Pie in individual servings! Looks delicious, Jessica! 🙂
Foodie in WV
I love that these are individual servings, great idea!
Shauna
This looks so good. Pinning this! yum.
Jessica
Thanks Shauna! I hope you enjoy. 🙂
Gerard
I tried tried this recipe and it was lovely, the thing is what you have made is Cottage Pie, Shepherds pie is made with lamb. I've tried both and it still works.