Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Potatoes

Two of any guy’s favourite dishes, at the same time!

Let’s take two comfort foods: shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie, to actually be more accurate, since I’m using beef) and baked potatoes and turn them into one handy little meal.  This is a great meal to prep ahead, since the filling can be made and stored in the fridge till needed.  In fact you could even freeze the filling!  And whether you are two people, four, or more, it is an easy method to accommodate the number of bellies you are feeding. 

Let’s Start With the Filling

We’re going to use the classic beef and veggie filling that I use for my Not So Classic Shepherd’s Pie  It is a simple sauté of aromatics, veggies, beef (you can easily switch this out for chicken, turkey or lamb) and stock. In no time you have a rich, flavourful filling that is ready to be used.  Whether spooned into a pie plate or baking dish and covered with cheesy mashed potatoes, or in this case, stuffed into hollowed out baked potatoes, this filling is perfect, and so easy to make.  The flavour profile is classic, not too hot, but if you feel like extra heat, just add a bit more dried chilli flakes.

Feel free to make the filling the day before, or even prep and freeze for the future.  Then all you will  need to do is warm it up to room temperature and then warm gently on low till just warmed through so that it won’t take too long in the oven to warm through to nice and hot for eating.

My filling is enough for eight average sized baking potatoes.  So it is easy to cut the filling recipe in half.  This will give you enough for four potatoes.  I often do this for just Jim and myself: It will give us two meals during the week this way.

Making the Potato Topping

This is as simple as baking off the russet potatoes in the oven till tender enough for a knife to slip straight into the potato. 

How to Bake Potatoes: This is how I bake potatoes, it’s the method I would use to feed 50-60 people at a time when I was doing volunteer work.  All you need to do is scrub the dirt off the potatoes, use a fork to pierce steam holes all over the potatoes, and then rub them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt.  Place them directly onto a rack set onto the middle in your pre-heated 425F oven.  Russet potatoes are the best, they create a fluffy interior, and a crispy skin which is totally edible.  Bake for 50-60 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.  If you are just baking off smaller potatoes that won’t be stuffed, feel free start checking at 45 minutes.  For this meal, I do suggest trying to find potatoes that are all of similar size, and are not too small. I aim for a medium to large baking or russet potato.

Let them cool off till you can handle them.  Slice off the top of each potato, giving you enough room to extract all the potato flesh from inside, but leaving enough of the potato around the exterior so that the potato will maintain its structure when returned to the oven with the filling.   Scoop the filling to a large bowl.

To the filling you will add butter, milk, nutmeg, seasoning, and cheddar cheese. You can use a fork to blend, don’t worry about perfectly smooth potatoes, this is a rustic dish, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Assemble the Stuffed Potatoes

Now comes the fun part, let’s add the filling to the hollowed out potatoes, and top with the cheesy potatoes.  It is as simple as spooning the meat filling into the potato cavities, gently but firmly pushing the filling into all the corners, so that each potato is filled enough to be a substantial meal.  Fill right up to the top.

Then divide the mashed potatoes between the potatoes.  Fluff it up, using your fork to create patterns that can get golden brown in the oven. That is where the crispy bits will happen.  Top with a bit more cheese, and even some parmesan cheese if you desire, and place each potato onto a baking sheet. Return this to the oven and bake till the topping is golden brown and the interior is warmed through, about 20-25 minutes.  You may end up with more potato topping than can comfortably be spooned on to of the meat filling.  Just save this to snack on!  Or make mini cakes and fry up for breakfast the next day.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley or chives, and extra chilli flakes if you want.

Final Thoughts

Depending on the size of your potatoes, one of these can easily be dinner for you.  Just add a green salad, or roasted or steamed broccoli on the side.  And don’t forget to eat those skins, they are packed with nutrients!

Because the filling can be made in advance (you can even add it to your Sunday prep for the week ahead) the only work is baking the potatoes and stuffing them.  Even the potatoes can be baked off in advance.  Just scoop out and make the potato mash, assemble and bake. 

And yes, if you have a leftover stuffed potato, just store in a sealed container in the fridge. Re-heat in a toaster oven or oven set at 300F to warm the filling through without scorching the outside.  If you find the top getting too brown, top with foil until the inside is warmed through.

A fun alternative to my Shepherd’s Pie filling, is my Bolognese Sauce.  Cook it down till a little thicker than normal so that it won’t be too watery in the potato.  Substitute mozzarella cheese for the cheddar cheese to the potatoes when you make up the filling.  Or what about using my Sloppy Joes filling instead!? Add some diced jalapeno on top of the mashed potato topping before putting them into the oven So good!!

If you make these fun and easy Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Potatoes, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen

5 from 2 votes

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Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes

Taking everyone's favourite meat and potato meal, and giving it a fun twist. Adding the filling to baked potatoes, and topped it with a cheesy kicky mash, and then baking till golden and bubbling creates a fun meal, which is even great the next day!

Course dinner

Cuisine North American

Keyword baked potatoes, cheesy potatoes, sheperd's pie

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

Shepherd's Pie filling, enough for eight medium to large potatoes

• 2 lb lean ground beef, see Notes
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp pepper, divided
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium leek, finely sliced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1/4 tsp paprika, optional
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, can use a gluten free blend instead
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 3/4 cups beef broth, can use turkey broth as well
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

Baked Potatoes

• 8 medium to large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried, ensure that they are all of similar size
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small chunks (3 oz or 85 g)
• 3/4-1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper, can use black pepper if this is all you have
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3-1/2 cup milk, or more if needed, depending on the size of your potatoes.
• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 3-4 tbsp parmesan cheese, or more if desired
• chives or parsley chopped for garnish
• chilli flakes, optional

Instructions

Shepherd's Pie Filling

1. Break up the ground beef in a medium mixing bowl. In a small cup combine the baking soda with 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to dissolve. Pour the baking soda mixture over the ground beef and toss it all to combine. Set the meat aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Filling:

1. In a large skillet (at least 12-inches wide) add the butter and olive oil. Heat over medium until butter is melted and just starting to foam. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrots, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and paprika, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and carrots start to soften. About 7 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly until the mixture darkens and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.
4. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and bring to a boil, still over medium heat.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and spread out the vegetables evenly. Add the beef in small portions on top of the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, stirring regularly to break up any large clumps. By the end you want all the meat in a regular small size
6. Whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the beef. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas and remove the skillet from the heat. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The filling can be made ahead and stored in the fridge till needed. Return to room temperature before assembling.

Potatoes

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
2. Using a fork, pierce steam holes evenly over each potato. Rub with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Place the potatoes directly onto a rack set in the centre of the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Once a knife slides in right to the middle, they are baked through.
4. Remove and cool till you can handle them. Slice off the top section, exposed enough of the interior that you can get a spoon in to scoop it all out.
5. Scoop out the filling, but leave a wall of flesh around the exterior so that the potato will maintain its structure once filled with shepherd's pie filling and placed in the oven to continue baking. I leave around 1/6 inch but no more than 1/4 inch of 'wall'.

6. Place all the scooped out filling into a bowl. Add the butter, milk (start with less), salt, pepper (start with less of the salt and pepper), nutmeg and cheddar cheese. Blend with a fork till rustically smooth (it doesn't have to be perfect, without lumps! If you need more milk to break up the potatoes, only add 1 tbsp at a time, you don't want them to become too loose. You want just a little firmer than classic mashed potatoes. The size of your potatoes will determine how much milk and even cheese to add.

   Taste and re-season as desired.

Assemble

1. Place all the hollowed out potatoes onto a baking sheet. Spoon in the filling, packing it in without pressing so hard that the potato breaks. Gently but firmly press into all the corners. Fill it right to the top.

2. Divide the mashed potato mixture between the potatoes. Don't be stingy, but not so much that they teeter over! Fluff the tops up lightly with a fork, creating a pattern of sorts, this is where the browning will happen. If you have too much filling, no worries, just make mini cakes and fry them up for breakfast the next morning.

3. Sprinkle with more cheese, even some parmesan cheese and chilli flakes if so desired.

4. Bake until the cheeses have melted and are starting to bubble, the exterior is nice and golden brown, and the filling is warmed through, about 20-25 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or chives, and even more chilli flakes if you want.
6. Serve with a side salad or roasted or steamed broccoli etc.
7. See blog post for more details and serving suggestions.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead.

The filling can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed. If you make the full batch, feel free to freeze half and make only four large potatoes at a time.

Leftover baked stuffed potatoes can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Re-heat in a toaster oven or oven at 325F till warmed through. If exterior starts to brown too much, just cover with foil.