Description
Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes bring comfort right to your dinner table with a hearty twist on classic comfort food. Crispy potato skins stuffed with savory ground lamb and topped with creamy mashed potatoes make your weeknight meal something special.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
Protein and Vegetable Ingredients:
- 1 small onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Supporting and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F. Thoroughly wash 4 large russet potatoes, pierce them with a fork, and rub each with ¾ teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Place potatoes directly on oven rack and bake for 45-50 minutes until you can easily insert a fork through their center.
- While potatoes roast, grab a skillet and brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, breaking meat into small crumbles.
- Add 1 diced onion, 2 chopped carrots, and 2 minced garlic cloves to the meat. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until vegetables soften.
- Pour 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary into the skillet. Stir thoroughly.
- Pour 1 cup beef broth into the skillet and let mixture simmer for 10 minutes until sauce slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir ¾ cup frozen peas into meat mixture. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
- Once potatoes finish baking, slice off top third of each. Carefully scoop out inner potato flesh into a mixing bowl.
- Mash potato flesh with ½ cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Fill potato shells with meat mixture, then top each with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese if desired.
- Return stuffed potatoes to 400°F oven. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese melts and tops turn golden brown. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use russet potatoes for their starchy texture and ability to create a perfect crispy skin when rubbed with olive oil.
- Choose ground lamb for an authentic shepherd’s pie flavor, but ground beef works well as a budget-friendly alternative.
- Test potato doneness by gently piercing with a fork – it should slide in smoothly without resistance.
- For a lighter version, swap full-fat milk and butter with Greek yogurt and use lean ground meat to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 510 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg