Shepherds Pie Baked Potatoes (Printable)

Fluffy potatoes stuffed with savory beef and vegetables, topped with creamy mashed potatoes for a warm meal.

# What You Need:

→ Potatoes

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

→ Filling

04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 large carrot, diced
08 - 1 stalk celery, diced
09 - 1 pound ground beef or lamb
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 cup frozen peas
12 - 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Mashed Potato Topping

16 - Reserved potato flesh from baked potatoes
17 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 - ¼ cup milk or more as needed
19 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnish

20 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes and prick several times with a fork. Rub with olive oil and season with salt. Place directly on oven rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until tender.
02 - While potatoes bake, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add peas, broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
05 - Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice off the top third of each potato. Carefully scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl, leaving a ¼-inch border to maintain structural integrity.
06 - Mash the scooped potato flesh with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
07 - Fill each potato shell with the beef and vegetable mixture. Spoon or pipe mashed potato mixture evenly on top.
08 - Place stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the topping is golden brown and heated through.
09 - Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything is contained in one potato, so there's no messy plating and each serving feels like its own complete meal.
  • You get that classic comfort of shepherd's pie but with the bonus of eating the vessel it comes in.
  • The timing works beautifully—potatoes bake while you make the filling, and everything comes together in under two hours.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of cooking the tomato paste for a full minute—this removes the raw taste and concentrates the umami that makes the filling taste restaurant-quality.
  • Leave that quarter-inch border of potato when scooping; if you go too thin, the shells collapse when you fill them and everything becomes a beautiful but unfortunate mess.
03 -
  • Chill your mashed potato mixture slightly before piping or spooning it on top—this prevents it from sinking into the hot filling and helps it brown beautifully under the broiler.
  • Keep a close eye during broiling because the difference between golden and burnt is about 90 seconds, and you want that moment when the edges just start to caramelize.
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