Quick No Bake Shepherd’s Pie: Stovetop Skillet Recipe

During a busy week, we’d like nothing better than to end the day with the comfort of a warm, hearty, homemade meal.

This no-bake version of shepherd’s pie, a classic comfort food, is a weeknight game changer—and can go from stovetop to table in less than an hour.

When it’s cold outside, who doesn’t love creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and paired with flavor-filled ground beef and veggies in a warm, rich gravy?🙋‍♀️

Not only is this easy shepherd’s pie recipe fast, it only dirties one pot. And I make my version even easier by cooking the potatoes in the microwave.

How to make this No Bake Shepherd’s Pie recipe.

1. In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil and briefly cook the onions until softened.

2. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

3. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease.

I love this meat chopper tool for breaking up meat easily while I brown it. And this strainer for draining meat and pasta.

4. Add the tomato paste and flour to the ground beef and mix it well into the meat (this will be your thickening agent).

5. Add the Worcestershire, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and stir. Cook over medium to medium-low heat for five minutes.

6. Pour and mix in the beef broth.

7. Add the vegetables and stir. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

8. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks, roughly 2-inch square. Place the pieces into a microwave safe bowl, and cover with plastic cling wrap. Pierce the top to vent.

9. Microwave on high power for 8-10 minutes.

10. Add the hot cooked potatoes to a mixing bowl along with the butter pieces, half and half, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a half cup of the cheese.

11. With either a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the potatoes on medium-low until fluffy and creamy. (Don’t overmix or they’ll get gummy). Add more half and half, butter, or seasoning if needed.

12. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture in several dollops, and spread them with a rubber spatula or the back of the spoon.

A traditional shepherd’s pie recipe would go into the oven at this point, but this quick version skips that additional time, and I actually like the unbaked mashed potatoes more!

To avoid having the potatoes sink into the meat layer, make sure the beef mixture is warm, but not overly hot when spreading on the potatoes.

13. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes and add green onions if desired.

Serving Idea: Assemble the shepherd’s pie individually in these cute mini cast iron pans.

Storage and reheating.

To save leftover shepherd’s pie, either transfer it to an airtight container, or leave it right in the pan and cover it with foil. Refrigerate for up to five days.

You can also freeze it in a dish with an airtight covering of foil or freezer wrap, or in freezer-safe individual containers for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat refrigerated shepherd’s pie on a plate in the microwave. Or if it’s still in the skillet or pot, keep the foil over it and pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Substitutions and Variations for this Skillet Shepherd’s Pie Recipe.

Easily customize this recipe according to your tastes and dietary restrictions:

• Meat: Substitute ground chicken or the traditional Irish ground turkey instead of beef (you may want to use chicken broth instead of beef broth when subbing chicken).
• Vegetables: Use canned or leftover veggies in place of frozen vegetables. Adjust the mix according to which vegetables your family likes. Take another shortcut with storebought pre-chopped onions.
• Potatoes: Make it even faster with leftover mashed potatoes or instant mashed potatoes.
• Gluten-free: Replace the flour with a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, and grate your own cheese.

Why is it called Shepherd’s Pie?

Shepherd’s pie had humble beginnings in Ireland back in the 1700s after potato crops became available. It was an inexpensive way for peasant workers to put together a hearty meal and economically use all the foods they had available in one dish.

The original recipe was made with ground lamb, so putting together this meal involved “herding” the lamb and ingredients into a dish. And who corrals little lambs? A shepherd! (Plus, the fluffy white potato topping resembles sheep’s wool.)

How is Shepherd’s Pie different than Cottage Pie?

You might have heard this same dish called “cottage pie”. The only difference? The meat.

A proper and traditional Irish shepherd’s pie is still made with lamb, but when this same dish caught on in the UK around the same time, they made it with ground beef instead of lamb. It was also an affordable way here for the peasant class, who lived in “cottages”, to feed their families. (The potato slices sometimes used on top even resembled cottage roof shingles.)

Fast forward to now, and most shepherd’s pie is made with beef. And the name “Shepherd’s Pie” is widely used for this dish no matter what meat it contains (except maybe in Ireland and Scotland).