Crock Pot Shepherds Pie
Crock Pot shepherds pie is a cozy slowcooked dinner that features tender ground beef in a tomato-based gravy with savory vegetables and a creamy potato topping.
This slowcooker shepherds pie recipe is so easy, I first made it while trapped at home on a snow day.
While the savory beef filling simmered away in the Crockpot, I got to spend that time doing Christmas puzzles and playing Hallmark Christmas movie BINGO with my kids.
Add the creamy mashed potato topping at the last step and then simply spoon and serve up dinner when you're ready. I'm pretty sure you have a lot of better ways to spend your time than standing over the stove!
That precious family day has long been one of our favorites so we dig up this recipe every winter just to recreate the magic.
Why This is the Best Recipe
I love Crockpot recipes for weekends or busy weeknights. I think this is the best Crock Pot shepherds pie recipe because:
- So Tender and Rich: The tomato-based gravy and browned ground beef cook into a rich, delicious sauce and the meat is so tender after being slowcooked for hours.
- Prepared Mashed Potatoes: You don't need to make mashed potatoes from scratch for this, just grab a family-sized tub at the refrigerated section.
- Freezer-Friendly: You can prep ahead mini shepherds pies for busy nights and freeze them for later. Just check out my tips at the bottom!
Ingredients
To get that deep flavor in the gravy, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Ground Beef: I used the leanest cut. If you use a fattier mix, you'll want to drain the fat from the skillet.
- Prepared Mashed Potatoes: I used a tub of refridgerated potatoes but you could use leftover mashed potatoes if you have them.
- Sandwich Bread: I used white bread. You want a soft, fluffy type bread. Whole wheat could work but maybe remove the crusts.
- Milk
- Onions
- Carrots
- Frozen Peas
- Tomato Paste
- Minced Garlic
- Flour
- Chicken Stock
- Heavy Cream
- Soy Sauce
- Dried Thyme
Want to Save This for Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Brown the Beef
To help thicken the gravy, you will start by combining the sandwich bread and milk before mixing it into the ground beef.
Rip the bread into small chunks and add them to a mixing bowl. Pour the milk in and mash it all together with a fork.
Add the ground beef to the bowl and mix it all together.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
Saute the Vegetables
Transfer the ground beef to the bowl of your Crock Pot.
In the now-empty skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat and add the chopped carrots and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and tomato paste and stir them in. Cook for 1 minute.
Thicken the Sauce
Add the flour to the skillet and stir it into the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and use it to loosen up the thickened tomato sauce. Cook until the gravy is nice and smooth, about 1 - 2 more minutes.
Scrape the vegetable sauce over the ground beef in the Crock Pot and stir it together.
Pour the heavy cream and soy sauce into the slowcooker and stir until smooth.
Crockpot Cooking Instructions
Cook the beef filling in the Crock Pot for 6 - 7 hours on LOW or for 4 - 5 hours on HIGH. You may want to stir it once or twice as it cooks so it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
Pour in the frozen peas and stir them into the beef filling.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top as best you can and then spread them into an even layer. Cover the Crock Pot and keep cooking the shepherds pie for 20 more minutes so the peas and potatoes can warm through.
Make Ahead and Freezer Tips
If you want to make ahead this recipe and freeze it for another night, you only need to make a few simple adjustments to the recipe:
- Cook the Beef Filling as Directed: Follow the recipe through to the point where you stir in the peas and then stop.
- Cool Completely: Let the beef filling cool completely before you try to freeze it.
- Store in Freezer Containers: You could freeze this dish in 1 large dish, 2 smaller casserole pans, or even in mini shepherds pie sizes, as you wish. Think about how you'd want to serve it in the future before choosing the dish size.
- Freeze for 6 Months: You can keep this in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Thaw and Heat: For larger servings, thaw them in the fridge overnight. For smaller portions, you could thaw and heat them in the microwave.
- Add the Potatoes: When you want to serve the shepherds pie, just be sure to have prepared mashed potatoes on hand. You can heat them in the microwave and spoon them right over the top of the beef filling just before serving. OR, flip it around and put the beef filling over a scoop of potatoes!
Serving Suggestions
It is hard to beat this cozy comfort food. Warm and steamy, rich and beefy, creamy and tender, this dish has it all.
I served it in small dinner bowls with a side of warm fresh bread and butter. A crescent dinner roll or a rosemary pull apart roll would be perfect.
However, a slice of apple bread is perfect for fall and my Italian bread is good all year.
More Slowcooker Recipes
If you love easy Crock Pot recipes like I do, you won't want to miss these other delicious options:
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 2 slices sandwich bread torn into small pieces
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 (10 oz) bag of frozen peas
- 1 (32 oz) container of prepared mashed potatoes or about 3 cups of homemade mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Tear the sandwich bread into small pieces and put them in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the milk and mash it together to make a paste.
- Add the ground beef to the mixing bowl and gently mix it together with the milky bread paste.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add the ground beef mixture and cook until no longer pink. Break it up with a spoon as it browns.
- Transfer the browned ground beef to the bowl of your slowcooker and return the skillet to the stovetop.
- Add the vegetable oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Once it is shimmering add the chopped onions and carrots. Cook until the onions are just beginning to soften.
- Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and tomato paste to the skillet and stir them in, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir it in. Cook the mixture for 2 more minutes. It will be very thick.
- Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and use it to deglaze the pan and smooth out the tomato sauce. Transfer the entire mixture to the slowcooker, be sure to scrape all the juices from the pan.
- Add the heavy cream and soy sauce to the slowcooker. Stir everything together and cover. Cook on LOW heat for 6 - 7 hours or on HIGH heat for 4 - 5 hours.
- Uncover the Crock Pot and stir the frozen peas into the ground beef filling.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread them into an even layer. This is easier to do if you first warm them in the microwave to loosen them up, especially if using refrigerated potatoes.
- Cover the Crock Pot and cook for another 20 minutes on LOW or until the potatoes are warmed through.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead Tips
If you want to make a freezer-friendly shepherds pie, you could slowcook the tender beef filling and then stop the recipe before adding the potato topping. Let the beef filling cool completely and then store in smaller containers in the fridge. Let the filling thaw in the fridge overnight and heat it up in the microwave. Spoon microwaved mashed potatoes over the top before serving.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
Find this delicious recipe next time you visit by saving it to your very own recipe box on my site. All your favorites stored in one easy place!
Comments
No Comments