Mini Shepherd’s Pies

Gather Your Ingredients

🧈 Oil & fat – Olive oil is used to sauté the onions and garlic and start building flavor in the filling. Butter is added with the flour to create a roux that thickens the gravy. The amount of butter depends on how much fat is rendered from the beef.

🧅 Produce – Onion (white or yellow) and garlic create a flavorful base for the ground beef. Chopped parsley (optional) adds a fresh, colorful garnish just before serving.

🍖 Ground beef – Lean ground beef is recommended. We used 90/10 for a flavorful but not greasy filling. 85/15 is the highest fat ratio you’ll want to use.

🧂 Seasoning – Salt, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and black pepper make a simple seasoning mix that adds lots of flavor.

🥫 Pantry – Tomato paste brings concentrated flavor to create a rich gravy base. All-purpose flour is used to thicken the sauce. Beef broth forms the base of the gravy—use a good-quality broth for the best flavor. Worcestershire sauce adds a savory, umami depth.

🥕 Frozen mixed vegetables – An easy way to add volume, texture, and color to this classic dish.

🥔 Mashed potatoes – Use homemade, store-bought refrigerated, or your favorite boxed brand—whatever’s convenient.

🧀 Shredded cheddar cheese (optional) – Sprinkle a little on top near the end for a cheesy finish.

📸 Optional ingredients like shredded cheddar cheese and parsley aren’t pictured, but they’re nice finishing touches if you want to include them.

📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.

How to make mini shepherd’s pies (step-by-step)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef, salt, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Stir to combine, then spread the beef into a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Stir and continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, or until browned. Break up large pieces as it cooks.

5. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, depending on how much fat is in the pan (if there’s about 2 tablespoons already, add just 1 tablespoon).
6. When the butter melts, stir in the flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring often to remove the raw taste.
7. Slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring, scraping up any browned bits. Stir until smooth, then add the Worcestershire sauce.
8. Bring to a simmer (raise the heat if needed). Lower to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to maintain a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, defrost the vegetables by cooking them for about half the time listed on the package.

9. Stir the vegetables into the skillet. Raise the heat to return to a simmer, then lower to medium-low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as the mixture thickens.
10. Taste and adjust salt if needed. (We didn’t add any extra.) Remove from the heat and let cool slightly—it will continue to thicken as it rests. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
11. Divide the mixture evenly between five 8-ounce ramekins (or similar baking dishes), using about ¾ cup of filling per dish. Leave 1 inch of space for the mashed potato topping.
12. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over the filling, smoothing or swirling the tops. Place ramekins on a baking sheet to catch drips and for easy handling.

Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden and the filling is bubbly.

Optional: Remove from the oven, sprinkle each with ½–1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, and return to the oven for 3–5 minutes until melted.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or other fresh herbs, if desired. Serve and enjoy.

Try These Variations

Ground beef swap: Ground turkey is a good substitute. Use lean ground turkey (not turkey breast) to avoid a dry filling. For a hearty, homestyle meal, try our ground turkey shepherd’s pie.

Sweet potato topping: For a slightly sweet twist, use mashed sweet potatoes in place of traditional mashed potatoes.

Spice it up: Add a pinch of cumin or chili powder for extra flavor. Use fresh herbs instead of dried if you have them on hand. For a little kick, try a tiny pinch of crushed red pepper or a dash of hot sauce.

Party-size portions: Make these in small 3½-inch disposable aluminum baking tins for parties or game day. You’ll get about 9–10 individual servings.

Make-ahead tips

You can assemble the shepherd’s pies in the ramekins up to 1 day in advance. Let them cool completely, then loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate on a baking sheet.

Before baking, take them out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This helps remove the chill and avoids temperature shock, especially if you're using ceramic or glass bakeware.

Bake as directed until golden and bubbly. If baking straight from cold, add about 5 extra minutes to the cook time. (We baked ours for 28 minutes.)

Storing and reheating

Refrigerator – Let the shepherd’s pies cool completely, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.

Freezer – Use freezer-safe ramekins or disposable aluminum baking cups. Once cooled, wrap each pie tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of foil, or place in a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Label with the contents and date. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Reheating

• Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen.
• Oven – Preheat to 350°F. Remove any plastic wrap and place pies on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover during the last few minutes if you want to firm up the mashed potatoes.
• Microwave – Transfer to a microwave-safe dish if needed. Heat on medium power in 30–60 second intervals, checking in between, until hot all the way through.
• Skillet – Carefully scoop the contents into a nonstick skillet. Cover and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

Food safety reminder – Don’t leave food out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. If the room is above 90°F, reduce this time to 1 hour. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.