Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie – Mashed Potato Ground Beef Casserole
Looking for a delicious, cheesy shepherd’s pie recipe that’s easy to make? This mashed potato ground beef casserole is the perfect comfort food for busy weeknights. Packed with savory ground beef, creamy mashed potatoes, and melted cheese, this dish is sure to be a family favorite!
Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie is a ground beef casserole filled with mixed vegetables, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, and topped off with mashed potatoes. This casserole was easy to put together and so full of flavor. We love a good shepherd’s pie and even have a crock pot taco shepherd’s pie we love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Make ahead and store leftovers for a hassle-free dinner.
- Quick & Easy: Made with simple ingredients and ready in under an hour.
- Cheesy & Flavorful: A rich, creamy texture with a golden, cheesy topping.
Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
The ingredients for this mashed potato ground beef casserole can be somewhat improvised but you need the basics of ground meat, vegetables, creamy soup, cheese, and mashed potatoes. Here is what I use for this version of the recipe.
- Ground Beef – An 80/20 ground beef will work just fine.
- Onions and Garlic – Chopped and minced for flavor and aroma in the casserole.
- Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup or Onion Soup Mixture – This is for rich flavors, I like it both ways. The onion soup mix is easier.
- Frozen Classic Mixed Vegetables – Canned vegetables would work just fine. Just like green beans. Just corn. Use what you like.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Milk
- Velveeta – Don’t judge, you can use whatever cheese you like
- Mashed Potatoes – Use homemade or store-bought for convenience. The premade Bob Evan’s mashed potatoes are a great store bought option. Use Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes for the creamiest mashed potatoes.
How to Make Mashed Potato Ground Beef Casserole
To make this ground beef casserole, start by browning the hamburger. If you are a ground pork, turkey, or chicken household, that will work just fine too. When the hamburger is almost completely browned, add the diced onion and garlic to the pan. Then let it cook until beef is done. Drain the grease off the beef, and pour into a 13×9 pan or casserole dish.
Then spread either the can of beef and vegetable soup or onion soup mix over the beef. Top with the frozen vegetables. Next, mix the can of mushroom soup with a half cup of milk. Stir to combine and pour over the vegetables.
Slice Velveeta
cheese to lay over the top of the cream of mushroom soup. You can also buy Velveeta slices. They do not have to be pretty. They will melt just fine. Then put mashed potatoes over top. Leftover mashed potatoes will work, or fresh made ones. I used a container of the Bob Evans mashed potatoes. Use an ice cream scoop to place the potatoes over the cheese.
Finally spread the potatoes out, sealing the casserole so to speak.
Bake the shepherd’s pie on 350° for 30 minutes or until the casserole begins to bubble. The cheese should be hot and melted. Remove from the oven. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy the casserole with warm bread. The warm, hearty cheesy shepherd’s pie will be a hearty meal for a hungry family.
Tips for Making Shepherd’s Pie
This ground beef casserole is easy to make, but to ensure perfection each time, here are a few things to remember.
- There will be some liquid in the bottom of the pan. If you want the casserole to be less liquidy, cook the frozen vegetables before baking the casserole. The frozen vegetables add liquid to the casserole.
- Don’t like cream of mushroom soup, feel free to use cream of celery, cream of potato, or even cream of chicken soup.
- Vegetables can be whatever you like. Don’t like carrots, just use peas. Mushrooms would be a great addition to the casserole as well.
- Don’t use mashed potatoes that are too soupy. Try to use stiff potatoes. This will help with the above liquid problem.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this cheesy shepherd’s pie with:
- Garlic bread for a satisfying meal. Try the English muffin garlic toast.
- A fresh green salad to balance the richness. We love the simple Caesar salad with bacon.
- Steamed vegetables or air fryer vegetables for added nutrition. We love air fryer broccoli.
Storage & Reheating
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months for easy meal prep.
Cozy Casserole Recipes
Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 2 cups frozen classic vegetables
- 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 9 slices Velveeta cheese
- 2½ cups mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet with Worcestershire sauce. When the beef is almost brown, add the onions and garlic. Finish cooking the ground beef and then drain grease and pour into a 13X9 baking dish or deep casserole dish.
- Top the ground beef the onion soup mix. Then pour the frozen vegetables over the top of the ground beef.
- Mix the cream of mushroom soup and milk together. Pour over the vegetables. Layer the cheese over the cream of mushroom soup.
- Top the casserole off with the mashed potatoes. They do not need to be hot if you are using leftover or refrigerator potatoes like Bob Evan's mashed potatoes. Spread completely over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly on 350°.
Nutrition
Shared on Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday
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I made this recipe and delivered it to a family caring for a sick grandfather. They LOVED the meal and said that the sick grandfather had seconds! Thank you for a delicious dinner recipe!