No Bake Shepherd's Pie | Easy Recipe

This no bake shepherd's pie layers a savory meat and veggie mixture under a cloud of mashed potatoes. A hearty and easy meal that's especially comforting in the colder months.

I love all-in-one meals like this because I don't have to come up with any side dishes! It's just one dish and done. Perfect for busy weeknights!

However, if you're feeling ambitious, you could serve with some homemade sourdough bread to soak up any leftover gravy on your plate!

This meal is also packed with veggies, so it's a good one if you're trying to eat healthier.

Remember this one, especially if you have leftover mashed potatoes! It's a great way to use them.

Double this recipe to fill a large skillet (12 inches).

Some other one dish cozy meals great for winter are butternut squash and sausage casserole, creamy chicken with spinach, beef and quinoa skillet and ham and white bean soup.

Is Shepherd's Pie the Same as Cottage Pie?

Traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and cottage pie is made with lean ground beef or really any type of ground meat. But here in North America, we use the term"shepherd's pie" for a meat pie topped with potatoes when any type of meat is used.

Do You Bake Shepherd's Pie?

Usually shepherd's pie is baked in the oven. The meat mixture is only partially cooked on the stovetop, it's moved to a casserole dish, topped with mashed potatoes and cheese, then baked for about a half hour.

But baking it is totally optional if you fully cook the meat mixture on the stovetop!

Is No Bake Shepherd's Pie Healthy?

This easy shepherd's pie recipe is made with real, wholesome ingredients.

Beef - Grass-fed and grass-finished is best for nutrition and flavor. But whatever you use, it'll be high in protein, 9 essential amino acids, zinc, iron and many other vitamins and minerals.

Onion - Adds fibre, vitamins and minerals and a sweet flavor.

Garlic - Great source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, selenium and manganese and adds a sweet, buttery flavor.

Carrots - Carrots are highly nutritious, being rich in beta-carotene (Vitamin A), fibre, vitamin K, potassium and more!

Peas - Unlike most vegetables, peas are very high in protein and according to healthline.com, they contain almost every vitamin and mineral we need!

Green beans - A good source of Vitamins C and A and magnanese, and contains smaller amounts of other vitamins and minerals.

Bone broth - Bone broth is made by boiling the bones of any animal until the nutrients from the bone marrow and connective tissue are released into the liquid. This makes it a very nourishing liquid and a tasty addition to this pie! Learn how to make it here.

Potatoes - Full of good carbs (excellent for boosting energy), Vitamin C and potassium, along with decent amounts of Vitamin B6, fiber and thiamin.

Seasonings - I use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, as it is a healthier option. This recipe also contains Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and thyme.

Is No Bake Shepherd's Pie Dairy-Free?

This easy skillet shepherd's pie is completely dairy-free, because that's what my husband needs!

However, you can use whatever buttery, sour cream or cream filled mashed potato recipe you prefer, rather than the dairy-free one provided here. You can also top the pie with shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese, if desired.

Substitution Options

Many ingredients in this recipe can be changed out:

• Ground beef - any type of ground meat
• Bone broth - beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth or stock
• Coconut aminos - soy sauce
• Vegetables - any combination of small vegetables to total 2 - 2.5 cups. You can use corn, peas, diced cauliflower, diced broccoli, cut green beans, diced carrots, etc. You can even just use a bag of mixed vegetables.
• Olive oil and coconut milk - use butter and/or cream in your mashed potatoes if you can tolerate dairy.

Double this recipe to fill a 12 inch cast iron skillet.

Tools You May Need

Cast iron skillet (10 inch)

Pot

Potato masher

How to Make No Bake Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 4-5 large red or yellow potatoes, about 1.5 lbs)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for boiling)
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup "lite" coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Meat filling

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (less if broth is salted)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup bone broth, unsalted (or beef broth)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tablespoon coconut aminos
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 cup cut frozen green beans
• 1 cup diced carrots, diced very small
• 2 tablespoon flour or cornstarch + 2 tablespoon cold water

Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough water (cool or cold) to fully cover the potatoes by about an inch.

Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until a fork pierces through the potato chunks easily.

While potatoes are cooking, combine garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the garlic is nice and golden, remove the pan from the heat.

Drain potatoes & return them to the pot. Add the garlic olive oil, coconut milk, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If the potatoes seem a little dry and not as smooth as you'd like, you can mix in more coconut milk.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until mostly browned.

Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch and water together, then slowly incorporate into the meat mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 15-30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, until carrots are soft and sauce is thick.

Remove from heat, flatten the meat mixture and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. This will make this layer firmer for when you spread the mashed potatoes on top.

Spread an even layer of mashed potatoes over the beef mixture.

(Optional last step) Top the shepherd's pie with parmesan or cheddar cheese, cover with a lid for a minute to allow the cheese to melt.

(Optional) If you'd like, you can broil the shepherd's pie for a few minutes to get a nice golden brown top, but this isn't necessary. If you didn't use a cast-iron skillet, you'll need to layer the meat and potato mixtures in a baking dish before broiling.

Double this recipe to fill a 12 inch skillet.

How to Store No Bake Shepherd's Pie

Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap or remove to an airtight container to store in the fridge, for up to 4 days.

To reheat in the oven, heat oven to 350°F, cover skillet with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!

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