Shepherds Pie Stuffed Potatoes (Print Version)

Baked potatoes filled with savory ground beef, vegetables, and topped with creamy mashed potato for a cozy meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 4 large russet potatoes
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Filling

04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 medium carrot, diced
08 - 1 pound ground beef or lamb
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1/2 cup beef or vegetable broth
12 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Mashed Potato Topping

14 - Potato scooped from baked potatoes
15 - 1/4 cup milk
16 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnish

18 - Chopped fresh parsley

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes thoroughly, prick each multiple times with a fork, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place directly on oven rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
02 - While potatoes bake, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrot; cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
03 - Add ground beef or lamb to skillet. Cook while breaking up meat until fully browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, cook for 1 minute. Pour in broth and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Add peas, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 additional minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice off top third of each. Carefully scoop out insides, leaving 1/2 inch border. Set potato shells aside.
06 - In a bowl, mash scooped-out potato with milk, butter, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon meat and vegetable filling into each potato shell, pressing down gently. Top with mashed potato, smoothing with a spoon or piping for decorative finish.
08 - Place stuffed potatoes on baking sheet and return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes until tops are lightly golden.
09 - Garnish with chopped parsley before serving if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks fancier than it actually is, which means you can feed people without spending all evening in the kitchen.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 90 minutes, and most of that is just the potatoes doing their thing in the oven.
  • You get that perfect shepherd's pie filling with the creamy potato topping, but somehow it tastes even better when it's stuffed into its own little edible bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip pricking the potatoes or you'll hear a pop from your oven and wonder what went wrong; I learned this the messy way.
  • If your beef filling looks watery after cooking, simmer it without the lid for a few extra minutes so it thickens before you stuff the potatoes.
03 -
  • Choose potatoes that are similar in size so they finish baking at the same time, which saves you from having some ready and others still hard.
  • Let the beef filling cool slightly before stuffing the potatoes so the mashed potato on top doesn't melt immediately.
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