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Crispy baked potatoes are filled with hearty meat and vegetables and topped with creamy mashed potatoes in these Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes.
Cottage Pie vs Shepherd’s Pie
What’s the difference between cottage pie vs shepherd’s pie? In traditional shepherd’s pie, the filling is made with lamb. It’s called shepherd’s pie, after all. This version is made with ground beef, which technically makes it a cottage pie.
Most people today tend to use the terms interchangeably. The difference is negligible. Both versions are absolutely delicious, with a hearty meat and vegetable filling and a mashed potato topping. So, use whichever meat you prefer.
Baked Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Depending on the size of your potatoes, you’ll likely have both leftover filling and mashed potatoes. I like to combine the two in a small pan to make a mini shepherd’s pie for additional servings.
I tend to err on the side of extra vs less when cooking, especially when the recipes are a little more involved like this baked potato shepherd’s pie. It doesn’t take much more time to make enough to ensure leftovers. That is always satisfying when I’ve spent a little extra effort making dinner.
Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes
This recipe is perfect for my family. Feel free to reduce the recipe as desired for fewer servings. A halved recipe makes four servings.
If your potatoes are on the smaller side, you’ll have more than 8 potatoes to work with in this recipe. I prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes, and they tend to be smaller than Russets most of the time.
As a result, I was able to make 12-14 smaller stuffed potatoes with about 3 pounds of potatoes when I was photographing this recipe.
Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potato
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- Yukon gold or Russet potatoes
- olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- butter and milk
- shredded cheddar
Filling Ingredients
- ground beef
- flour
- onion, carrots, and garlic
- salt and pepper
- parsley, thyme, and basil
- petite diced tomatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
- water or beef broth
- frozen peas
- fresh Italian parsley
Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt and then rinse and dry them well. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and place them on a baking sheet.
Drizzle each potato with oil and sprinkle each potato generously with salt. Next, rub with your hands to coat and place in the oven. Bake for about an hour, until fork tender. They should be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Then, slice the top off of each potato and scoop out the potato center, leaving a thin but sturdy wall with the skin. Place the removed portion in a large bowl.
Add the butter, milk, half of the cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to the bowl with the potato fillings. Then, mash everything together and taste. Adjust the salt and/or pepper, then set aside.
Shepherd’s Pie with Cheese
While the potatoes are cooking, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium heat. When it is almost browned, drain off any excess grease and sprinkle with flour. Continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute, to coat well.
Add the onions and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic, parsley, thyme, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and cook for another couple of minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add a splash of water or broth along with the peas.
Continue stirring, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from the heat.
Spoon the beef filling into the potatoes and top each with a heaping of mashed potatoes. Then, sprinkle the remaining cheese over each potato.
Place the potatoes back on the metal sheet pan, then return them to the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Stuffed Vegetables
Looking for more recipes with stuffed vegetables?
Dive into this timeless combination of flavors with savory chicken, gooey mozzarella, and marinara sauce, nestled in tender crisp squash, and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats are a big hit!
Savory and sweet, with a touch of heat, blends perfectly in this sausage and apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. And, saucy barbecue Chicken Stuffed Potatoes, topped with melted cheese are mealtime perfection.
If you like the idea of stuffed vegetables, but don’t want to do as much labor, give this one pot Stuffed Pepper Skillet a try. It’s loaded with ground beef, rice, and bell peppers in a flavorful tomato sauce.
Tender carrots and broccoli and a rich, creamy sauce are nestled under a layer of golden, flaky biscuits just begging to be enjoyed with this vegetable pot pie casserole.
Zucchini Pizza Boats are proof that everything is made better with the amazing glory of cheesy pizza toppings. Fluffy baked potatoes stuffed with spicy beef and black beans and plenty of melting cheese are always a hit for dinner.
Italian stuffed bell peppers are an elevated version of classic stuffed peppers with spaghetti sauce, beef, and generous Italian seasonings.
Creamy, classic mashed potatoes are elevated with the sharp and tangy flavor of white cheddar cheese in these White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes.
Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Potato Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold or Russet potatoes about 8 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt divided, adjust to taste
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper adjust to taste
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided
Filling Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 small yellow onion diced into ¼-inch pieces, about ¾ cup
- 3 medium carrots diced into ¼″ pieces, about 1 cup
- 4 large cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 14 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ cup water or beef broth only as needed
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley for serving
Instructions
Potato Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt and then rinse and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and then place them on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle each potato with oil and sprinkle each potato generously with salt. Rub with your hands to coat and then place in the oven.
- Bake for about an hour, until fork tender. The potatoes should be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
- Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Slice the top off of each potato (about ¾ of the way up) and scoop out most of the potato center. Be sure to leave a thin wall of potato along each skin to keep the potatoes sturdy.
- Place the removed potato portions into a large bowl. Then, add the butter, milk, half of the cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mash together and taste the potatoes. Adjust the salt and/or pepper, then set aside.
Filling Instructions
- While the potatoes are cooking, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium heat. When it is almost browned, drain off any excess grease and sprinkle with flour. Continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute, to coat well.
- Add the onions and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic, parsley, thyme, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add a splash of water or broth along with the peas.
- Stir to combine. Taste and then season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from heat. Spoon the beef into the potatoes, then top each potato with a heaping of mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each potato, then place back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 9/4/23 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/10/25}
fireee
I’m so glad you like them!
These were delicious! I only switched out frozen peas and used canned French- style green beans (drained) since I don’t like peas. I will definitely be making this again and again!
I’m so glad you loved the baked potatoes, Tina. Everyone has different tastes; a couple of my boys tend to prefer green beans instead. Enjoy, and happy cooking!
good taste and look nice
What a great idea. They look delicious.