Shepherds Pie Baked Potato (Printable Version)
Fluffy baked potatoes stuffed with savory lamb and vegetable filling, topped with golden mashed potato crust.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 4 large russet potatoes
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Shepherd's Pie Filling
04 - 1 lb ground lamb or beef
05 - 1 medium onion, diced
06 - 2 carrots, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup frozen peas
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 cup beef or vegetable stock
12 - 1 tsp dried thyme
13 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
14 - 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
15 - Salt and pepper, to taste
16 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Mashed Potato Topping
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
18 - 1/4 cup milk or cream
19 - 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste
21 - Fresh parsley, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub russet potatoes, poke several times with a fork, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place directly on oven rack and bake for 50–60 minutes until tender.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground lamb and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
03 - Add onion, carrots, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté until vegetables are soft, 5–7 minutes.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Sprinkle with flour or cornstarch and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Pour in stock and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Once potatoes are baked, let cool slightly. Cut a slit in each potato and gently fluff the inside with a fork.
07 - Scoop or press some potato flesh from each potato, reserving in a bowl for the topping.
08 - Fill each potato with a generous amount of shepherd's pie filling.
09 - Mix reserved potato flesh with butter, milk or cream, cheese if using, salt, and pepper; mash until smooth.
10 - Spoon or pipe mashed potato topping over filled potatoes. Place on baking sheet and broil 3–5 minutes until golden.
11 - Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- Everything you adore about shepherd's pie, but each person gets their own crispy-skinned potato vessel
- The lamb filling freezes beautifully, so you can batch cook and have cozy weeknight dinners ready
- That moment when the broiled potato topping turns golden and slightly crunchy is absolutely worth the wait
02 -
- Don't skip piercing the potatoes with a fork before baking, or they might explode in your oven like I learned the hard way
- Let the filling cool slightly before loading the potatoes, or the mash will slide right off
- Watch the broiler like a hawk during the last few minutes, that cheese goes from golden to burnt in seconds
03 -
- Rub the potato skins with a little extra olive oil and coarse salt before the final broil for extra crispy skin
- Warm your milk or cream before adding to the mash for the smoothest, lump-free results