Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef & Creamed Corn

Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food. Flavorful ground beef and gravy, topped with creamed corn and velvety mashed potatoes, all baked together in one dish. This is a great recipe that your entire family will love!

First let’s address the elephant in the room if you’re a shepherd’s pie purist. This dish is only a true shepherd’s pie if it contains lamb, not beef. It’s a cottage pie if it’s made with beef (a popular dish in the U.K.).

Cottage pie is pretty much the same as shepherd’s pie, but made with ground beef instead of ground lamb. But who over here would have any idea what a cottage pie is if I called it that? And don’t most people in the United States make shepherd’s pie with ground beef anyway?

Not to mention, where are people finding ground lamb to cook with? I’ll stick to the more accessible grass-fed ground beef that I can find at the farmers market or grocery store.

It’s also nice to have some easy ground beef dinner recipes in your repertoire. Grass-fed ground beef is pretty affordable compared to other types of grass-fed beef.

My Shepherd’s Pie Secret Ingredient

Before we dive into my shepherd’s pie recipe, this seems like a good time to tell you about my secret ingredient in shepherd’s pie.

Creamed corn! And boy is it delicious in shepherd’s pie, like really friggin’ delicious!

It must be because I’m originally from Canada (I live in the United States now), I sometimes discover French or Canadian influences in meals I’ve been making for YEARS.

I just learned that in Quebec, they make “Quebec-style shepherd’s pie” (Pâté Chinois) with creamed corn AND ground beef. Does that mean this shepherd’s pie recipe is technically a Quebec-style shepherd’s pie?

Probably.

Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients

Ingredients you’ll need

Ground Beef – I’m using 90% lean, grass-fed ground beef from White Oak Pastures in Georgia. White Oak Pastures not only produces grass-fed beef, they also let their animals roam and forage on pasture as nature intended. This isn’t confinement agriculture and I’m happy to support them. For recipes that use ground beef I prefer at least 90% lean so I don’t have to drain fat from the pan.

Creamed Corn – My secret ingredient in shepherd’s pie is cream corn. A layer of sweet corn nestled under the mashed potatoes is divine! I’m using homemade creamed corn, but you can also use canned cream corn.

Potatoes – Shepherd’s pie wouldn’t be complete if not topped with creamy mashed potatoes. You’ll need 5 medium potatoes boiled and mashed with lots of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Ketchup – Ketchup adds a little flavor to the ground beef and I prefer it to tomato paste because I don’t have to open an entire can when I only need a tablespoon or two. Be sure to buy ketchup that does not contain high fructose corn syrup, like this one.

Onion – Yellow onion helps add some depth of flavor to the ground beef layer in shepherd’s pie.

Carrots – I’m down to the last of my carrots from this farmers market season. You’ll need two medium or one large carrot, peeled and finely diced.

Low Sodium Beef Broth – Most store-bought broths can be very high in sodium and that’s why I recommend a low sodium broth. That way YOU can be in control of how much salt is in your cooking.

Flour – A little flour helps thicken the gravy. I use gluten-free flour. Combined with a gluten-free beef broth, that makes this a gluten-free shepherd’s pie!

Ingredients you won’t need

Every cook puts their own spin on dishes they make on the regular, and here are some ingredients my shepherd’s pie recipe doesn’t include.

Shredded Cheese: Some people top their shepherd’s pie with cheese. Some people top most things with cheese, because it tastes good. I personally am selective about how I use cheese in recipes, and prefer to reserve it for those times when the cheese can really shine – such as in a lasagna.

Worcestershire sauce: I used to season my ground beef with Worcestershire sauce when I made shepherd’s pie. Then, as I starting cooking more and more with whole foods, I stopped keeping Worcestershire sauce in my pantry. When I first made shepherd’s pie without it, I was concerned it would be bland. But it’s not, so you won’t find Worcestershire sauce in my shepherd’s pie recipe.

Tomato paste – Some shepherd’s pie recipes use tomato paste to thicken the gravy and add flavor. But you only need a little, and I don’t like to open a whole can of tomato paste unless I’m going to use most of it. So I use ketchup instead as it’s an ingredient most of us already have on hand. It’s not a whole food, but I make the exception for certain condiments.

Spices – Hear me out. I don’t find it necessary to season my ground beef with spices like garlic powder because beef broth is already seasoned. I do use a little salt and pepper.

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef & Creamed Corn

You’ll thank me for this tip later – start with all your ingredients prepared and measured out.

That means the onion and carrot are diced. The potatoes are peeled and cut into chunks. The creamed corn, beef broth, ketchup and flour are measured out into bowls.

Everything you need is ready to go. So let’s get started making this easy recipe!

Steps to Make It

1. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large skillet and fry the diced onions and carrots over medium heat until they start to brown.

2. Add the ground beef to the skillet and use your spatula to break up the meat and combine it with the carrot and onion mixture. Stir often, just until the beef is cooked through.

3. While the beef is browning, start the water boiling for your potatoes. Then boil them while you simmer the beef and gravy in the next step.

4. Add the flour, ketchup and beef broth to the skillet and stir well to combine. Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. A glossy gravy will form in the pan to keep the beef from drying.

5. When the beef is done simmering, taste it. Does it need salt or pepper? Chances are it won’t need salt because of the salt in the beef broth, but there’s a good chance you may want to add some ground pepper.

6. Once your potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and mash them well with a tablespoon of butter. It’s important that the potatoes are mashed to the point of being smooth so you can spread them on top of the shepherd’s pie. I do this no problem with a potato masher, or you can use an electric mixer. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

7. Compile the shepherd’s pie:

Use an 2 quart baking dish that is between 2.25 and 3 inches high. You can make shepherd’s pie in a square baking dish, a rectangular baking dish or any casserole dish of comparable volume

Start by pouring the meat mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly over the bottom.

Top the meat layer with a creamed corn layer.

Then top the creamed corn layer with your mashed potatoes. See the Recipe Tips and Tricks section for how I spread out the potatoes without disturbing the layers below.

Use the back of a spoon to fill in any cracks or holes in the potatoes so the filling doesn’t bubble out all over the top of your pie. But don’t smooth it out too much, if the top of your shepherd’s pie is very smooth it won’t brown. It’s those little peaks and valleys of potatoes that will turn golden brown while it bakes in the oven.

Don’t smooth out the top too much – the peaks and valleys of potatoes will help it turn golden brown while it bakes.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F until the top starts to turn golden brown and the filling is bubbling. This will take around 30 minutes. If the top isn’t browning, but the filling is getting very bubbly, you can turn the broiler on high for a few minutes to brown the potatoes.

Let the shepherd’s pie sit for at least ten minutes before serving.

What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie

• Green peas (my go-to side)
• Additional creamed corn
• Sautéed green beans with garlic
• Brussel sprouts
• Chow chow or mustard relish

Recipe Tips and Tricks

How to spread mashed potatoes on shepherd’s pie

Spreading a layer of mashed potatoes over top your shepherd’s pie without disturbing the other layers can be tricky.

I find it helpful to scoop out small amounts of potatoes on the back of a large spoon and lay them on top of the creamed corn. This way I can create strips of potato rather than large dollops. Like this:

I repeat this process until the entire top of the shepherd’s pie is covered. Then I use the back of the spoon to smooth it out somewhat and ensure there aren’t any cracks and holes for the filling to bubble up out of.

It’s nice to leave some waves in the potatoes for visual effect and better browning.

FAQ: Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef & Creamed Corn

Why isn’t the top of my shepherd’s pie browning?

If the top of your shepherd’s pie isn’t browning it either needs more time in the oven OR the potatoes were spread on too smoothly. You need some roughness on the top of the pie in order to create little peaks that will turn golden brown as it bakes. If the shepherd’s pie is ready and just won’t brown, turn the broiler on high for a few minutes to brown the top before removing it from the oven.

What is cottage pie versus shepherd’s pie?

Cottage pie and shepherd’s pie are very similar. They both originated in the United Kingdom, but shepherds pie is made with lamb (as the name shepherd implies) whereas cottage pie is made with beef.

Both shepherd’s pie and cottage pie are topped with potatoes, but the original cottage pie used sliced potatoes (like the tiles on the roof of a cottage) rather than mashed.

These days, cottage pie is often made with mashed potatoes just like shepherd’s pie is. You probably won’t hear an American call it cottage pie, but that name for the recipe is still pretty common over in the U.K.

What is Quebec-style shepherd’s pie, or Pâté Chinois?

Quebec-style shepherd’s pie is a variation on the typical shepherd’s pie and called Pâté Chinois in French. When making a Quebec-style shepherd’s pie you use ground beef rather than ground lamb, and include a layer of creamed corn between the beef and mashed potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef & Creamed Corn

Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food. Flavorful ground beef and gravy, topped with creamed corn and velvety mashed potatoes, all baked together in one dish. This is a great recipe that your entire family will love!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• 2 quart baking dish or casserole dish

Ingredients

  

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion (1/2 a medium onion) finely chopped
• 1 cup carrot finely diced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 5 medium potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tsp flour gluten-free or regular
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups creamed corn (or a 14-oz can)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large skillet and fry the diced onions and carrots over medium heat until they start to brown.
• Add the ground beef to the skillet and use your spatula to break up the meat and combine it with the carrot and onion mixture. Stir often, just until the beef is cooked through.
• While the beef is browning, start the water boiling for your potatoes. They will boil while you simmer the beef and gravy in the next step.
• Add the flour, ketchup and beef broth to the skillet and stir well to combine. Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. A lovely gravy will form in the pan.
• When the beef is done simmering, taste it. Does it need salt or pepper? Chances are it won’t need salt because of the salt in the beef broth, but there’s a good chance you may want to add some ground pepper.
• Once your potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and mash them well with a tablespoon of butter. It’s important that the potatoes are mashed to the point of being creamy so you can spread them on top of the shepherd’s pie.
• Pour the hot beef and gravy mixture into your baking dish and spread it out evenly over the bottom.

  Top the meat layer with a creamed corn layer.

  Then top the creamed corn layer with your mashed potatoes. See the Recipe Tips and Tricks section for how I spread out the potatoes without disturbing the layers below.

  Use the back of a spoon to smooth out any crack or holes in the potatoes so the filling doesn’t bubble out all over the top of your pie.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F until the top starts to turn golden brown and the filling is bubbling. This will take around 30 minutes.

Notes

Use at least 90% lean ground beef to avoid needing to drain off a lot of fat

If the top of your shepherd’s pie isn’t browning, but the filling is getting very bubbly, you can turn the broiler on high for a few minutes to brown the potatoes.

Keyword beef, entree, grass-fed beef

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