Our gluten-free Shepards Pie is filled with ground beef and vegetables topped with homemade mashed potatoes then baked into a savory dinner the whole family will love.
Shepard’s pie with ground beef has always been a family favorite. Of course, any recipe with mashed potatoes is sure to be requested time and time again. This easy shepherd’s pie along with Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Mashed Potato Bites, and Gluten Free Cheesy Potatoes make frequent appearances on the dinner table any time of the year.
Made from start to finish in only 45 minutes, this dish feeds up to 8 making it the perfect recipe for large groups or cooking and storing leftovers. From holiday potlucks to family gatherings, gluten-free Shepard’s pie is a great go-to!
Whether you are creating this celiac-safe dish for your family or cooking the casserole for someone, it is important to double-check the ingredient labels before cooking while paying special attention to the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup for any hidden sources of gluten.
Feeling overwhelmed about making dishes gluten-free? Reach out as we are here to help!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 – 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup chicken broth check for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce check for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons ketchup check for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
How To Make
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Carefully toss the peeled and diced potatoes into the boiling water.
When dicing, aim to slice each potato chunk approximately the same size to help the potatoes cook evenly. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Russet or Yukon gold are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes because of their high starch content, which creates the creaminess we all love.
Add the oil to a large skillet. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent.
“Sautéing” is a cooking method that cooks the ingredient(s) quickly in a small amount of oil or fat. For this recipe, you will sauté the vegetables in olive oil.
Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high and heat for 1 minute. Then, add the diced onion, carrots and celery and sauté for about 4-5 minutes. “Translucent” means that you should be able to almost see through the vegetables. Watch for the onions to turn from solid white in color to translucent while shrinking in size. The onions will also start smelling sweet as cooking develops their sweet flavor.
Once the vegetables are sautéed, add the beef and cook until browned.
To the beef mixture, stir in the broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Ingredient Swap: The gluten-free chicken broth can be replaced with vegetable or beef broth if preferred.
Add the frozen corn and peas into the mixture and sprinkle the cornstarch on top then stir. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. During this time, the cornstarch will thicken the beef mixture while creating a creamy gravy in the dish.
Drain the cooked potatoes then add them back to the stockpot. Add the butter, milk, garlic, and salt into the pot. Use a potato masher (or handheld mixer) to mash until creamy.
Add the meat mixture to the bottom of the baking dish. Place spoonfuls of the potatoes on top of the mixture. Using a spoon, carefully smooth out the potatoes all the way to the edge of the pan, creating a seal to keep the meat mixture from bubbling on top.
Mix It Up: If your family loves cheesy potatoes as much as time, sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the mashed potatoes before baking. Always double-check the ingredients of shredded cheese to ensure the bag is gluten-free.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the inside to thicken and not be runny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes; however, we would only freeze the beef mixture as mashed potatoes do not freeze well and result in a unappetizing consistency when reheated. Cook the beef mixture, add to a baking dish, wrap with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight then make the mashed potatoes to spread on top and bake for the 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F.
The beef mixture of our shepards pie is completely dairy free; however, the mashed potatoes do contain dairy when the butter and milk are added. Swap the butter with a vegan substitute or dairy-free butter. For the milk, use 2 Tablespoons of the boiling water the potatoes were cooked in or 2 Tablespoons of chicken broth.
The casserole can be prepped up to a day ahead then wrapped with tin foil or plastic wrap. When ready to bake, instruct your family or friends to bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Tossing one of our Printable Freezer Meal Labels on the outside of the dish is a friendly way to provide cooking and storing directions.
Gluten-Free Dinner Ideas
If you enjoy this dinner recipe, you’ll have to try our other family-friendly gluten-free dinner meals.
- Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner
- Gluten Free Meatballs
- Gluten Free Christmas Dinner Recipes
- Roasted Chicken Sausage & Veggies
- Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Gluten-Free Shepards Pie Recipe
Equipment
- potato masher or hand mixer
- collander
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 – 1.5 pounds lean ground beef ✅
- 1 cup chicken broth ✅
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce ✅
- 2 tablespoons ketchup ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme ✅
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- ⭐️Preheat the oven and boil water. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Cook potatoes until soft, about 10 minutes.1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
- ⭐️Saute onion, carrots, and celery and cook the beef. Add the oil to a large skillet. Saute the onions, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, diced, 1/2 cup carrots, chopped, 1/2 cup celery, chopped, 1 – 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- ⭐️Add the broth and spices. To the beef mixture, stir in the broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the frozen corn and peas. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top then stir. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup frozen peas, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⭐️Make the mashed potatoes. Drain the potatoes and add them back to the stockpot. Add the butter, milk, garlic, and salt. Use a potato masher (or handheld mixer) to mash.2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Layer the meat and potatoes. Add the meat mixture to the baking dish. Place spoonfuls of the potatoes on top. Use a spoon to carefully smooth out the potatoes all the way to the edge of the pan, creating a seal to keep the meat mixture from bubbling on top.
- ⭐️Bake. Bake for 25 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the inside to set up and not be runny.
Notes
- If freezing, only freeze the beef mixture as mashed potatoes do not freeze well and result in a unappetizing consistency when reheated. Cook the beef mixture, add to a baking dish, wrap with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight then make the mashed potatoes to spread on top and bake for the 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F.
- For dairy-free shepards pie, swap the butter with a vegan substitute or dairy-free butter and use 2 Tablespoons of the boiling water the potatoes were cooked in or 2 Tablespoons of chicken broth when making the mashed potatoes. The beef mixture is dairy-free.
Nutrition
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