Freezer Shepherd's Pie

There's no easier dinner than popping a freezer Shepherd's Pie into a baking dish, then relaxing until it's hot and bubbling. This version has a butter parmesan top added to the mashed potatoes halfway through baking. You'll want to keep this on hand at all times!

This is the first dish I ever made with our Souper Cubes, and it's the one I make again and again. Sausage tortellini soup is another favorite, with the filling for birria tacos being a close second. Almost every meal I serve now comes straight from the freezer, and has reduced the time I actually spend cooking to just a couple days a month!

Ingredients

The ingredients for this freezer Shepherd's Pie are for two 13x9 baking dishes (so you can make one and freeze one). If you're using Souper cubes, it will fill two 2-cup trays plus two 1-cup trays (fill them to the top, not according to the marks on the side of the wells).

• Ground beef or lamb: Lamb is traditional and is what makes it a Shepherd's pie. I usually go with ground beef since it's not easy to find lamb where I live. Both are delicious!
• Sweet onion: We're onion lovers and will often add a little extra.
• Dried thyme: Make sure the dried herbs are fresh so they have a lot of flavor. The recipe adds them during the sautéing stage which will also help to bring out their flavors.
• Dried rosemary: see above!
• Garlic cloves: Yes, my garlic lovers, you may add more if you like.
• All-purpose flour: This is an important ingredient as it thickens the sauce and makes it more gravy-like.
• Tomato paste: If you have extra, freeze it into 1-2 tablespoons cubes for use later (for the next time you make freezer Shepherd's Pie)!
• Worcestershire sauce: I usually just eyeball this. Measure with your heart!
• Beef broth: The last time I made this, I didn't realize I was out of beef broth and had to use chicken broth. It still turned out delicious and no one even noticed!
• Frozen peas and carrots: No need to thaw, just add them straight from the freezer.
• Frozen corn: See above.
• Yellow potatoes: No need for peeling unless you substitute these for russets.
• Butter: Make sure this is softened enough to melt easily when added to the potatoes. You'll add butter directly to the potatoes and some to the top during baking.
• Heavy cream or half & half: Add more cream if you prefer the mashed potatoes to be on the looser side. The recipe is very forgiving!
• Grated parmesan: Possibly my favorite ingredient in the entire recipe! It forms a nice crust and adds a lot of flavor to the overall dish.

These are frozen 1 and 2-cup cubes that I've placed into a small baking dish. I wanted to show that you can "tetris" the cubes if necessary to fit more servings if necessary. They don't fit this dish exactly, but they spread out a bit while baking so it still works.

The first image is the freezer Shepherd's pie just before going into the oven, and the second shows the same dish after adding the butter and parmesan before going back into the oven for round two.

(For what it's worth, I gave my parents a few 2-cup cubes and my dad called after they baked their first cube and said "this is the best 'pot pie' I've ever had"!)

Instructions

1. The first "phase" is cooking the ground beef or lamb, then adding the onions and herbs. Adding the herbs at this stage helps bring out their flavors, which is especially helpful if your herbs are on the older side. Then you'll add the garlic and cook about another minute.
2. Next you'll stir in the tomato paste, then the flour, and cook for a few minutes so there's no remaining raw flour taste.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the beef broth, bring it to a strong simmer, and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Then you'll add the frozen vegetables, give it a good stir, and remove it from the heat. Congrats, your filling is ready!
4. While all that's going on, you'll cook the potatoes until they're soft and just starting to fall apart. Then you'll drain them, return them to the same pot, letting them sit a few minutes so any excess moisture evaporates. Add the butter and cream, stirring well until they're nice and smooth, season to taste, and the potatoes are also done!
5. The next "phase" is assembling the freezer Shepherd's pie: you'll simply divide the filling among the baking dishes or freezer cubes, then top each with equal amounts of the mashed potatoes. Cover them with either both saran wrap and foil or the freezer cubes covers. Place them in the refrigerator so they're completely cooled before going into the freezer (this helps prevent any ice crystals from forming).
6. Now comes the freezer: place them in the freezer overnight or until they're frozen solid. Transfer the cubes to freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months (or vacuum seal and freeze for up to 6 months).
7. And finally, it's baking time! Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   • 13x9 PANS: Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the parmesan. Return to the oven and bake another 60 minutes or until it's bubbling hot and the top is golden brown.
   • FREEZER CUBES: Place a cube in a small baking dish the same size as the cube. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the parmesan. Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes for a 1-cup serving or 1 hour for a 2-cup serving (or until it's bubbling hot and the top is golden brown).
   • ALL SIZES: Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Use either ground beef or lamb, or make a chicken version with ground chicken and chicken stock.
• Swap mashed cauliflower for the mashed potatoes
• Use different frozen veggies like green beans in place of the peas and carrots and/or the corn
• Add a few tablespoons of pureed chipotles in adobo sauce to the filling for a little smoky spice
• Swap the butter and parmesan topping for shredded cheddar cheese
• Add a little cream to the filling for a creamy version

Related Recipes

Looking for more freezer meals? Try these:

Continue to Content

Freezer Shepherd's Pie

Yield: 16-20 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

This is the perfect recipe for freezer meal prep. It freezes beautifully and can go straight from the freezer into the oven!

Print

Ingredients

Filling

• 4 pounds ground beef or lamb
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 ounces tomato paste (one small can)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups beef broth
• 24-ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
• 12-ounce bag frozen corn

Mashed Potatoes

• 4 pounds yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 ½ sticks butter, cut into 12 pieces, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream or half & half, gently warmed
• Salt & pepper

Topping

• 1 stick butter, cut into tablespoons then quartered
• 1 cup grated parmesan (or more, depending on your preference)

Instructions

1. Preheat a very large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until almost no pink remains. Drain off all the fat except about a tablespoon.
2. Add the onions, dried thyme, and dried rosemary to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic cloves and cook another minute.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir well until the it's thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet, stir it well until it's combined, and cook for 2-3 minutes to remove any raw flour taste.
4. Add the Worcestershire and beef broth and bring it to a strong simmer, them cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the bags of peas, carrots and corn, stirring to mix well. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and just starting to fall apart.
6. Drain the potatoes well, then return them to the warm pot. Let them sit uncovered for 2–3 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate, shaking the pot occasionally.
7. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, directly to the hot potatoes. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the butter melts and coats the potatoes.
8. Slowly pour in the warm cream, stirring gently between additions until the potatoes reach your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Assemble in freezer cubes or two freezer-safe 13x9 baking dishes: Divide the filling between the freezer cubes or pans. Top evenly with the mashed potatoes. Place them in the refrigerator to cool completely before freezing.
10. Cover the baking dishes with saran wrap, then very tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. OR place the lids on the freezer cubes, place in the freezer overnight or until they're frozen solid. Transfer the cubes to ziploc freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months (or vacuum seal and freeze for up to 6 months).

BAKING FROM FROZEN

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. 13x9 PANS: Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the parmesan. Return to the oven and bake another 60 minutes or until it's bubbling hot and the top is golden brown.
3. FREEZER CUBES: Place a cube in a small baking dish the same size as the cube. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the parmesan. Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes for a 1-cup serving or 1 hour for a 2-cup serving (or until it's bubbling hot and the top is golden brown).
4. All sizes: Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 631Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 17gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 42g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a chef, recipe developer, and five-time cookbook author. A former personal chef and cooking instructor, she loves creating easy, delicious recipes to share!

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