Shepherds Pie Baked Potatoes (Printable)

Fluffy baked potatoes filled with beef, vegetables, and topped with creamy mashed potatoes in a comforting dish.

# 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 0.5 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 - 0.25 cup milk or more as needed
19 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnish

20 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes thoroughly and prick multiple 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 apart with a spoon, until completely 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, then remove from heat.
05 - Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice off the top third of each potato. Carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a quarter-inch border to maintain structure.
06 - Mash the scooped potato with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, adjusting milk consistency as needed.
07 - Fill each potato shell with the meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon or pipe mashed potato on top.
08 - Place stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is golden and piping hot.
09 - Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen but comes together in less time than you'd think.
  • The beef filling can be made ahead, so you're really just baking potatoes and finishing them when hunger strikes.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about eating dinner out of its own edible bowl.
02 -
  • If you try to stuff the potatoes while they're still hot, the skin tears and the flesh turns gluey; give them at least 10 minutes to cool enough that you can hold them without wincing.
  • The beef filling is actually better made a few hours ahead or even the day before because the flavors marry together and taste less raw.
03 -
  • Make the beef filling ahead and reheat it gently before stuffing so you're really only waiting on the potatoes and the final broil.
  • If your broiler is temperamental, you can also bake the stuffed potatoes at 350°F for 15 minutes to heat through and crisp the top instead of using the broiler.
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