These Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes are a hearty comfort-food dinner for the perfect kid-friendly meal. These loaded baked potatoes are filled with savory ground beef in gravy and corn shepherd’s pie gravy.

loaded baked potatoes on a platter with cheese on top and glasses of beer in the background

I originally shared this recipe on October 25th, 2013. I have updated some of the content to share it with you again today.

Why We Love Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes

These Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes are a mash-up of loaded baked potatoes and shepherd’s pie. They’re a new comfort food classic to serve for a family-friendly dinner.

The first time I made this recipe was a chilly evening early last spring. I think it sort of happened by accident. It was dinner, and I was making shepherd’s pie with potatoes and frozen corn from our CSA. And I ran out of time. Instead of making buttermilk mashed potatoes, I ended up throwing the potatoes in the microwave to bake them. Then I just topped the potatoes with the beef and corn mixture sort-of like loaded baked potatoes.

So I have been thinking about them since. This time they were even better because I baked the potatoes in the oven, which as you know, gives them that nice crusty skin. I also topped them with sharp cheddar cheese, like a real loaded baked potato. Of course, you can bake the potatoes in under a half hour if you microwave them so that’s always an option for a busy weeknight.

Ingredients For Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Potatoes

  • Baking potatoes: scrubbed (about 2 ½ pounds)
  • Neutral cooking oil: such as Canola oil or avocado oil
  • Ground beef: Traditional Shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb which would also work well. Or ground turkey or chicken would be great in these too
  • Garlic + Onion: for the base of the beef gravy
  • Seasoning: dry thyme, salt, ground pepper
  • Dry red wine: for the sauce- omit if you do not cook with alcohol
  • All-purpose flour: to thicken the sauce. You can thicken with a cornstarch slurry to make gluten-free
  • Chicken broth: for the sauce. You can use homemade chicken stock instead.
  • Worcestershire: the secret ingredient! It adds so much flavor to the beef mixture
  • Corn kernels: green beans would also work
  • Tomato paste: to thicken the sauce and make it richer tasting
  • Shredded extra sharp cheddar: this is optional

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Bake Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes in oven and bake until the exterior is crispy and the interior is soft and fluffy, about 1 hour.

Step 2: Brown Beef

When the potatoes have about 20 minutes left, heat 1 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape beef mixture into a sieve and drain off fat.

Step 3: Cook Onion

Return skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, onion, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often until the onions are browning, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4: Make Shepherd’s Pie Filling

Add red wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits until the wine is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture, and stir to coat. Add broth, Worcestershire and the beef and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and tomato paste and simmer until the beef is cooked through, the sauce is thick and the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 5: Stuff the baked potatoes

Transfer the potatoes to plates or shallow bowls. Split the potatoes open lengthwise with a knife. Ladle the beef mixture over the potatoes. Top with cheese if using.

loaded baked potatoes on a platter with cheese on top and glasses of beer in the background

Expert Tips and FAQs

Make Ahead

This is a great meal prep meal. Bake the potatoes and keep separate. The shepherd’s pie filling can be made and kept in a separate container in the fridge. Reheat and stuff the potatoes with the filing before serving.

Storage

Keep the gravy filling separate from the baked potatoes if possible. Wrap the potatoes in foil and refrigerate. Cool the beef filling and transfer to a resealable container. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat until steaming hot to serve.

Reheating

Using the microwave: Heat the potatoes separately from the gravy. Heat the gravy, stirring occasionally until hot. Cut the baked potatoes open and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 2 minutes per potato to heat through. Fill the potatoes with the beef mixture.
Using the stovetop and oven: Wrap the potatoes in foil so that they will not get too brown. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot all the way through (you can cut open with a knife to check if they are hot in the middle.) Heat the beef mixture in a saucepan over medium-heat while stirring. If necessary add a little broth or water to thin the beef mixture.

Substitutions and Variations To Try

Use green beans instead of corn.
Use lamb instead of beef for traditional English Shepherd’s pie.
Use the lentil filling from our Lentil Shepherd’s Pie recipe to make this vegetarian.
Use the chicken filling from our Chicken Shepherd’s Pie recipe.
Used Baked Sweet Potatoes for a healthier twist.

What to serve with Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Potatoes

We love them with simple sauteed green beans, roasted broccoli with garlic and almonds, or a simple side salad like our Garden Salad or Massaged Kale Salad.

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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four stuffed baked potatoes with beef and corn on a platter

Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.2 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

These Shepherd’s Pie Loaded Baked Potatoes are a hearty comfort-food dinner for the perfect kid-friendly meal. These loaded baked potatoes are filled with savory ground beef in gravy and corn shepherd’s pie gravy.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • 12 ounces ground beef, preferably grass-fed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes in oven and bake until the exterior is crispy and the interior is soft and fluffy, about 1 hour.
  2. When the potatoes have about 20 minutes left, heat 1 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape beef mixture into a sieve and drain off fat.
  3. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, onion, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often until the onions are browning, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add red wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits until the wine is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture, and stir to coat. Add broth, Worcestershire and the beef and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and tomato paste and simmer until the beef is cooked through, the sauce is thick and the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer the potatoes to plates or shallow bowls. Split the potatoes open lengthwise with a knife. Ladle the beef mixture over the potatoes. Top with cheese if using.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Oven and Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 potato plus 3/4 cup shepherd’s pie beef gravy
  • Calories: 555
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Sodium: 627 mg
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Saturated Fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 62 g
  • Fiber: 7 g
  • Protein: 27 g