Crockpot Shepherds Pie Recipe
A classic ground beef crockpot dinner recipe that is full of flavor. Try this Crockpot Shepherds Pie for dinner tonight.
Crockpots are a classic kitchen appliance that everyone should have in their cabinet. When you can pair a classic appliance with a classic recipe there is some sort of kitchen magic that happens. This Crockpot Shepherds Pie is that magic! This recipe melds all of the flavors together for a savory dish that is perfect for any night of the week.
What is Shepherds Pie?
Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie is a meat pie with a crust or topping of mashed potato
The recipe has many variations, but the defining ingredients are minced red meat cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions and sometimes other vegetables, such as peas, celery or carrots, and topped with a layer of mashed potato before it is baked. The pie is sometimes also topped with grated cheese to create a layer of melted cheese on top.
What Size Crockpot
This recipe is made best in a 5-quart slow cooker or larger. I have even made it in a casserole crockpot, which works perfectly to give a nice mashed potato to beef ratio.
Dairy-Free
Need a dairy-free meal? This Shepherds pie is easily made dairy-free by omitting the cheese and using dairy-free mashed potatoes.
Tips
I love to make this Crockpot Shepherds pie with leftovers. I typically will put it on the menu plan after another dinner that had mashed potatoes for a side. Then, I am only making mashed potatoes once and can use them for two meals. (You can even make this Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.
You can also pre-brown ground beef in your crockpot, this is great when you buy it on sale. It is a fantastic way to prep for meals later on. You can even freeze the pre-browned ground beef in quart zip-top bags to mix into things like spaghetti sauce, make quick tacos, and more.
Crockpot Shepherds Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef browned and drained
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 16 oz frozen peas and carrots
- 1 to 2 cups beef broth depending on how saucy you like your shepherd’s pie
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 to 5 cups mashed potatoes prepared
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. optional
Instructions
- Prepare a slow cooker liner with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook the onions until softened and stir in garlic.
- To the onions, add all ingredients EXCEPT the mashed potatoes and cheese. Stir together well. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker liner and spread evenly.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Remove the slow cooker lid and add the mashed potatoes, spreading into an even layer. Top with cheese and recover the slow cooker until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
- Serve garnished with sliced green onions or alone.
Great “comfort food” crockpot idea. My family loves shepherds pie, even during the summer; but it’s too hot to use the oven. This recipe for it is as good as oven baked. The only thing we didn’t like was the recipe calls for way too much thyme. Next time I’m gonna use a 1/4 teaspoon, not 1 teaspoon like the recipe calls for.