Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

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Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie is an easy way to enjoy a classic casserole. Fork-tender roast beef simmered with veggies & topped with cheesy mashed potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie is Matt’s favorite dinner. I don’t make it nearly enough for him, but when I do, I make this Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie and the whole family is thrilled when I do.

This is one of those slow cooker recipes that is not necessarily fix and forget, but it is classic comfort food and one of those delicious recipes that’s just worth it. 

overhead view of slow cooker shepherds pie with a spoon

You’ll also love our healthy shepherd’s pie with ground beef and our cottage pie

Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie Recipe:

  • It’s made with roast beef. Fork-tender, simmered in the slow cooker in a 100% from-scratch sauce with veggies. Anytime roast beef replaces regular ground beef in a recipe, it’s instantly a hit.
  • It’s topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. I think my family now thinks that cheese needs to be added to mashed potatoes every.single.time.
  • It’s thick and stew-like. Add just a few tablespoons of flour towards the end of baking and the sauce thickens right up to the consistency of stew.

Ingredients for Crockpot Shepherd’s Pie

ingredients for slow cooker shepherds pie on a table
  • Chuck Roast. Chuck roast is marbled and full of flavor. When you let it simmer all day in the crockpot, it falls apart and is fork tender. It makes such as delicious gravy.
  • Mushrooms. I won’t lie. I often leave mushrooms out of this recipe because several in our family are not fans. But if you dice the mushrooms, it’s also hard to tell they are there.
  • House seasoning. This is a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt created by Samantha from Five Heart Home. The recipe notes in the recipe card below show exactly how to mix it. It’s great to keep on hand to add to soups and stews.

✨ See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients. ✨

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie in a Slow Cooker

This shepherds pie recipe 

  • Place the beef cubes in a large slow cooker. Top with the garlic, carrots, mushrooms and corn.
corn, mushrooms, beef and carrots in a slow cooker
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and House Seasoning. Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the slow cooker and stir to combine.
tomato sauce over veggies in a slow cooker
  1. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, until the beef is tender.
  2. To make the mashed potatoes, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with 2 inches of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and stir in the salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork (start checking them at 15 minutes).
  3. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Gently mash the potatoes with a handheld potato masher.
collage of how to make mashed potatoes
  1. Use a large spoon to skim any fat from the surface of the beef and veggie mixture in the slow cooker.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the flour and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water until smooth, then slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
  3. Add the peas. Adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.
peas over roast beef in a slow cooker
  1. Mix the cheddar cheese into the mashed potatoes and spread in an even layer over the top of the beef and vegetables.
  2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15-30 minutes, until the gravy has thickened and the mashed potato topping is heated through.
slow cooker shepherds pie with fresh parsley on top

Shortcut

Homemade mashed potatoes are unbeatable. In fact, this is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

But if you are short on time, make instant potatoes with our best instant potato recipe. This makes this slow cooker dish into a fast, easy recipe!

slow cooker roast beef shepherds pie
about tastes of lizzy t

Make it a meal.

​With meat, veggies and potatoes, this classic recipe is a meal in one pot. If you’d like to add side dishes, try one of these:

And how about some peanut butter mousse for dessert?

Freezer Meal Prep

A friend from church told me she prepares this as a freezer meal, and since she mentioned it, I do it too! Here’s what to do:

  • Slow cook the meat and veggies together as the recipe states until the beef is pork tender. Add the peas, flour and water to thicken, then mix.
  • Allow the beef mixture to cool, then place it in an airtight container or ziplock storage bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
  • When you’re ready to serve the shepherd’s pie, allow the beef mixture to thaw, place it in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350ºF or until the beef and potatoes are heated through.
overhead view of slow cooker shepherds pie with a spoon
overhead view of slow cooker shepherds pie with a spoon

Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

4.62 from 49 votes
Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie is an easy way to enjoy a classic casserole. Fork-tender roast beef simmered with veggies & topped with cheesy mashed potatoes.
Servings 8
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes 680 g
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped 227 g
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed 217 g
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth 180 ml
  • 6 tablespoons tomato paste 100 g
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 10 ml
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 g
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons House Seasoning* 18 g
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 24 g
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed 240 g
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Mashed Potatoes:

  • 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt 6 g
  • 1 cup milk, warmed 240 ml
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted 85 g
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 6 ounces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the beef cubes in a large slow cooker pot. Top with the garlic, carrots, mushrooms and corn.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and House Seasoning. Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, until the beef is tender.
  • To make the mashed potatoes, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with 2 inches of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and stir in the salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork (start checking them at 15 minutes).
  • Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Gently mash the potatoes with a handheld potato masher.
  • Use a large spoon to skim any fat from the surface of the beef and veggie mixture in the slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, mix the flour and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water until smooth, then slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
  • Add the peas. Adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the cheddar cheese into the mashed potatoes and spread in an even layer over the top of the meat mixture.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15-30 minutes, until the gravy has thickened and the mashed potatoes are heated through.

Video

Notes

  • Recipe Source: Real Food Slow Cooker Suppers
  • Switch up the meat if you’d like. Try ground turkey, ground lamb, or even lean ground beef. Make sure ground meat is lean so that there isn’t too much fat.
  • Freezer meal prep. Slow cook the meat and veggies together as the recipe states until the beef is pork tender. Add the peas, flour and water to thicken, then mix. Allow the beef mixture to cool, then place it in an airtight container or ziplock storage bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
  • When you’re ready to serve the shepherd’s pie, allow the beef mixture to thaw, place it in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350ºF or until the beef and potatoes are heated through.
  • Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
  • The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 1462mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6020IU | Vitamin C: 26.7mg | Calcium: 247mg | Iron: 4.5mg
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 539
Keyword cottage pie, roast beef, shepherd’s pie, slow cooker recipes
slow-cooker-shepherds-pie
Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie is an easy way to enjoy a classic casserole. Fork-tender roast beef simmered with veggies & topped with cheesy mashed potatoes.

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Ferryden
7 years ago

A shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. This is a cottage pie.

Erik G
4 years ago

5 stars
I have made this twice and it is spectacular. One quick hack though. I put the whole thing under the broiler to brown the potatoes and it really improved their texture. Will be making it again this year as part of St Patrick’s day meals.

Josh
2 months ago

I made this, but adding the mashed potatoes for the last 30 minutes kind of made it all mush together. Can you just broil the potatoes and add them on top when everything is cooked?

Or, did I do something wrong?

Brittany
1 year ago

2 stars
Just made this recipe. I do not think I am a big fan of it. I followed directions exactly. It is way to tomato-ey. It was also very hard to scoop out to put on a plate. As soon as you take the first scoop out the rest of it just goes everywhere and makes a big mess. I was really excited to try this recipe so I am a bit disappointed.

Melinda
2 years ago

I’m making this tomorrow for my family! Should the beef chuck be frozen or thawed?

Susan Smith
2 years ago

My mother-in-law is originally from Scotland. I am an educator. She always made the best gravy with BISTO. Try it for sauces and gravy.

Mackenzie
2 years ago

Is the pot roast cubes frozen or refrigerated?

Jenn
2 years ago

Making this right now and it looks great! Do you happen to know strictly the amount of ingredients needed for the house seasoning in this recipe? Don’t want to waste extra ingredients I don’t need, thanks 🙂

Lisa Burr
2 years ago

5 stars
This is simply amazing! Easy to prepare and delicious!

Joe Petry
3 years ago

Is this recipe good with a bottle, or partial bottle, of Guiness? If so, does it goof up the liquid ratio?

P.J.
5 years ago

5 stars
So delicious! I bought a chuck roast trimmed what fat I could and browned it. Then followed the cooking directions. When time was up I pulled the roast out and shredded it with 2 forks into bite size pieces while removing fat from roast. Added the the flour slurry and peas and returned the meat. So delicious can’t say enough about it. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.

Amy Lewis
5 years ago

5 stars
My husband and brother had the same reaction as your husband. I simplified by using Idaho instant potatoes ( I didn’t have enough potatoes to make my own) and added the cheese. Very good!

Angels
5 years ago

Can I thicken the mixture with corn starch instead of all purpose flour? I have to cook gluten free and I’m not sure if a gluten free flour will yield the same results.

Laura
5 years ago

5 stars
I made this today and I am commenting because I think it is the best thing I’ve ever made in my crockpot. It wasn’t gummy or tasteless … it was perfect. Great recipe.

Daniel
5 years ago

If you use beef, it then becomes a ranchers pie, lol