Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
Slow cooker shepherd’s pie is the ultimate in cozy comfort food you’ll be making over and over this winter. With a few shortcuts, you only spend 15 minutes on active prep and then let the Crock Pot take it from there!
Nothing is quite as satisfying as a delicious, hearty plate of shepherd’s pie.
Shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie, features browned meat and veggies simmered in gravy and topped with creamy mashed potatoes.
The whole thing gets topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until the potatoes have a golden crust.
Delicious, but more work than I want to do most nights between making gravy, making mashed potatoes, and then layering it into a casserole.
My version takes some shortcuts with gravy mix and instant mashed potatoes and the slow cooker takes it from there.
The result is just as deliciously satisfying as a fully homemade shepherd’s pie, but so much easier.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Ground beef– Lean ground beef. Use at least 85/15 or leaner so the beef doesn’t get too greasy and cook down too much.
- Aromatics– Diced yellow onion and pressed garlic cloves
- Frozen veggies– A 12 ounce bag of frozen mixed veggies. You could substitute 12 ounces of a peas and carrots blend if you prefer.
- Beef broth– For the liquid. You could use stock instead but I don’t recommend water since it won’t have as much flavor.
- Gravy mix– A packet of mushroom gravy mix and a packet of brown gravy mix
- Tomato paste– To give the liquid some body
- Seasoning– Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Instant mashed potatoes– A 4 ounce packet and 2 cups of boiling water
How to Make
Slow cooker shepherd’s pie is pretty easy to make!
Start by sauteing the beef and the diced onion in a large skillet over medium high heat, crumbling it as you go, until the beef is brown and cooked through.
Drain the grease off the beef and stir the garlic into the skillet.
Saute it for 60 seconds or until it gets fragrant.
Take the skillet off the heat.
Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.
Transfer the meat mixture to your slow cooker.
Stir the frozen vegetables, broth, gravy packets, tomato paste, and seasoning into the meat in the slow cooker.
Then prepare the instant mashed potatoes according to the directions on their packaging.
Spread the prepared potatoes over the meat mixture in an even layer.
Cover the slow cooker and cook the shepherd’s pie on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container or in the covered bowl of your slow cooker for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- Ground beef and lamb are traditional in shepherd’s pie. You could substitute ground lamb for the beef if desired.
- Make sure to spray the bowl of your slow cooker for easy clean up.
- If you want you could substitute one type of gravy mixture for the other and use 2 packets of mushroom gravy or 2 of brown gravy.
- You can skip the instant mashed potatoes and use leftover homemade mashed potatoes or even storebought mashed potatoes.
Other Shepherd’s Pie Recipes
Slow cooker shepherd’s pie is an easier version of the classic, cozy dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other shepherd’s pie recipes?
Try these:
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Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 4-5 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 12 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 .75 oz pkt mushroom gravy mix
- 1 .75 oz pkt brown gravy mix
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 4 oz pkt instant mashed potatoes + 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Saute the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium high heat, crumbling it, until cooked through and browned completely.2 lbs lean ground beef, 1 medium yellow onion
- Drain, or strain, the beef of grease. Stir in the garlic and saute for 60 seconds. Remove the skillet from heat.4-5 garlic cloves
- Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then transfer the meat to it.
- Add the frozen vegetables, broth, gravy packets, paste, and seasonings to the slow cooker. Stir everything together until evenly combined.1 12 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups beef broth, 1 .75 oz pkt mushroom gravy mix, 1 .75 oz pkt brown gravy mix, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Prepare the potatoes according to the directions on the package, then spread them out over the meat mixture in an even layer.1 4 oz pkt instant mashed potatoes
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Ground beef and lamb are traditional in shepherd's pie. You could substitute ground lamb for the beef if desired.
- Make sure to spray the bowl of your slow cooker for easy clean up.
- If you want you could substitute one type of gravy mixture for the other and use 2 packets of mushroom gravy or 2 of brown gravy.
- You can skip the instant mashed potatoes and use leftover homemade mashed potatoes or even storebought mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
