Freezer Friendly Shepherd's Pie Recipe - About a Mom (2024)

This freezer friendly Shepherd’s Pie recipe is affordable and easy-to-prepare. It’s a great make-ahead freezer meal that the whole family will enjoy. A traditional Irish Shepherd Pie is typically made with lamb but this ground beef version is just as good. You can even make Shepherd’s Pie with leftover pot roast!

Freezer Friendly Shepherd's Pie Recipe - About a Mom (1)

You seriously can’t go wrong with this easy meat and potatoes dish. I have come to rely so heavily on Freezer Meals. A couple of weeks ago my sister came over on a Sunday afternoon, and we made a bunch of freezer-friendly meals for our families. It is so nice to have them on hand during the busy week.

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Related: Check out these 5 Healthy Slow Cooker Freezer Meals. You might also like this Freezer Lasagna recipe or my Baked Spaghetti Freezer Meal.

For this shepherd’s pie, I used my favorite freezer mashed potatoes. The link to that recipe is in the ingredient list below. It makes a little more mashed potatoes than you’ll need for this recipe, but I love having the leftovers for later in the week.

The recipe is enough for 1 9×13 baking dish or 2 8×8 square foil pans. The 8×8 pans will easily feed 4 people.

Pro Tip: If you are using your regular baking pans, line the pans with this pan liner. It makes clean up much easier. I prefer to use disposable pans. That way I do not have to worry about clean up or not having one of my pans available when I want it.

Freezer-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 recipe Freezer Mashed Potatoes (you’ll have a bit leftover to snack on)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, shredded or finely diced
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:

Prepare mashed potatoes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions start to become translucent.

Add the carrots, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the worcestershire sauce, salt and allspice seasoning into the cooked meat mixture and stir until incorporated.

Sprinkle flour over the top of the mixture and pour in the beef stock. Stir together and allow sauce to bubble and thicken some.

Once the sauce has thicken add the frozen vegetables. Give it a quick stir to combine and remove from the heat.

Spread the meat mixture out evenly along the bottom of a 9×13 or 2 8×8 casserole dishes or foil pans.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over top of the meat. Use enough of the mashed potatoes to make about 1/2 inch layer on top of the meat.

Cook in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through and the potatoes are golden brown on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Or, prepare for the freezer by wrapping in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Tip: Save yourself some time by using pre-shredded carrots. I always have a bag on hand for salads, and it works perfectly in this recipe.

Tip: Make this dish extra special by sprinkling with 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese before baking.

Freezer Friendly Shepherd's Pie Recipe - About a Mom (8)

Freezer-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie

About a Mom

This freezer-friendly Shepherd's Pie recipe is affordable and easy to prepare. It's a great make-ahead freezer meal that the whole family will enjoy.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Freezer Mashed Potatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 carrots shredded or finely diced
  • 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp allspice seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup beef stock
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  • Prepare mashed potatoes. Set aside.

  • Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over MEDIUM heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent.

  • Add the carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat.

  • Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and allspice seasoning into the cooked meat mixture and stir.

  • Sprinkle flour over the top of the mixture and pour in the beef stock. Stir together and allow sauce to bubble and thicken some. Once the sauce has thickened, add the frozen vegetables. Give it a quick stir to combine and remove from the heat.

  • Spread the meat mixture out evenly along the bottom of a 9×13 or two 8×8 casserole dishes or foil pans. Spoon the mashed potatoes over top of the meat. Use enough of the mashed potatoes to make about a 1/2-inch layer on top of the meat.

  • Cook in the oven at 350°F until heated through and the potatoes are golden brown on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Or, prepare for the freezer by wrapping in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Notes

  • Save yourself some time by using pre-shredded carrots. I always have a bag on hand for salads, and it works perfectly in this recipe.
  • Make this dish extra special by sprinkling 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top before baking.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Enjoy!

Freezer Friendly Shepherd's Pie Recipe - About a Mom (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to freeze shepherds pie cooked or uncooked? ›

You can freeze shepherd's pie before baking it. This way, you can save time by defrosting your oven-ready shepherd's pie whenever you want to enjoy it.

Can you cook home made shepherd's pie from frozen? ›

The pie can now be chilled and frozen for up to a month. Bake for 20-25 mins until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges. (To bake from frozen, cook at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins until piping hot in the centre. Flash under the grill to brown, if you like.)

How long can you keep homemade cottage pie in the freezer? ›

Once sealed, the assembled and ready to heat cottage pies will keep fresh for 5 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months. Thaw frozen cottage pies in the fridge overnight before cooking.

How long does cottage pie take in oven from frozen? ›

Make sure the pie is completely cold, then cover it well with cling film and freeze. Always freeze the pie on the day that you make it. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then cook as per the recipe. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, cover with foil and cook for 1½ hrs.

What is the best way to freeze shepherd's pie? ›

Wrap cooled pie in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Label with contents and date; place in freezer. For best quality, serve within 2-3 months; however, shepherd's pie will remain safe indefinitely, stored at 0° F. When ready to eat, thaw for about 24-hours in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze shepherds pie in a pyrex dish? ›

If you baked a casserole in a Pyrex dish and wanted to freeze the leftovers, don't transfer the still-hot dish to the freezer. Instead, let the casserole cool to room temperature, then cover the dish, and store it in the freezer.

Should you thaw frozen shepherd's pie before baking? ›

Place frozen Shepherd's Pie on a baking sheet and bake 60 - 90 minutes or until 180 degrees in the centre. From Thawed in fridge night before: Preheat your oven to 325.

Do you have to bake shepherds pie before freezing? ›

Freezer Instructions: After baking, let pan cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat the shepherd's pie (still covered with the foil) for 1 hour in a 350ºF oven.

Should you thaw a frozen meat pie before baking? ›

Do I need to thaw the meat pies before cooking? No, you do not need to thaw meat pies before cooking them. In fact, cooking them directly from frozen helps ensure that the pastry cooks evenly and the filling stays moist. How do I know when the meat pies are done cooking?

How do you keep mash from sinking in shepherd's pie? ›

A layer of frozen peas! I let the mince mixture sit for a few minutes and cool, add in a layer of frozen peas and then put the mash on in scoops before spreading them out - never sinks!

Can I freeze potatoes? ›

You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

Do mashed potatoes freeze well? ›

Schmidt tells us that, for best results, you can keep mashed potatoes in "a freezer set to 0°F or colder" for "up to one year." At this temperature and for this length of time, frozen mashed potatoes can be thawed and reheated without losing texture or flavor (and without risking the transmission of foodborne bacteria) ...

Does shepherds pie freeze well? ›

You may be concerned about freezing shepherd's pie because potatoes don't always do well in the freezer. Because of the added fat in the mashed potatoes, this casserole freezes really well. Freeze for up to 3 months using the instructions in the link below.

Can you reheat homemade cottage pie from frozen? ›

You can absolutely reheat a cottage pie straight from frozen and still get tasty results. Hopefully, you've frozen it in an oven-safe dish, but if not, you'll have to transfer it to one now.

Is it better to freeze a meat pie before or after baking? ›

It depends on your needs, if you want it to be ready super fast when you want it, cook first and then freeze, reheating will be quicker than cooking from frozen. If it doesn't matter, then go with whatever seems like a better option to you.

How long can you keep shepherds pie in the fridge before cooking? ›

A Shepherd's Pie is the perfect make-ahead food. In the fridge Cook up to point 11 in the recipe below and you can keep this recipe in the fridge for 2 days. Then bake as normal.

How long can I keep a cooked shepherds pie in the fridge? ›

Freshly baked shepherd's pie will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

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