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Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie

By Cheryl Johnson

3.75 from 4 votes

on Mar 12, 2024

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An easy recipe for gluten-free shepherd’s pie. This gluten-free shepherd’s pie recipe features lean ground beef, plenty of veggies, and a fluffy mashed potato topping. It is naturally flourless and eggless and can easily be made dairy-free.

Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

You might think that shepherd’s pie is gluten-free, but most recipes include Worcestershire sauce for flavor and all-purpose flour to thicken the filling. For this gluten-free shepherd’s pie recipe, we use certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce so we don’t have to compromise on taste, and we swap out the flour for naturally gluten-free corn starch. And to make it dairy-free, there are just a few simple swaps– use dairy-free butter, sour cream, and heavy cream. Omit the Parmesan, or use nutritional yeast for a similar flavor.

We have created an easy-to-follow gluten-free shepherd’s recipe. Follow the detailed recipe technique notes and tips along with step-by-step photos to guide you to perfect flavorful gluten-free shepherd’s pie.

Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Helps the onion cook without burning.
• Yellow Onion: Adds an earthy and slightly sweet flavor to the pie.
• Ground Beef: We prefer 90% lean ground beef so the filling isn’t too greasy.
• Dried Herbs: Dried parsley and thyme add rich herbal flavor to the filling.
• Minced Garlic: Adds an earthiness and depth of flavor to the meat.
• Salt & Pepper: Enhance the natural flavor of both the meat and the mashed potatoes.
• Gluten-Free Beef Broth: Use the reduced salt version if available, or omit the salt from the meat mixture if using full-sodium broth.
• Tomato Paste: Adds a slight acidity and deepens the flavor of the filling.
• Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce: Enhances the umami flavor of the meat.
• Water & Corn Starch: Create a roux to thicken the filling.
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables: We like a mixture of diced carrots, corn, and peas.
• Russet Potatoes: Starchy potatoes make the fluffiest mashed potatoes.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the potatoes. You can sub a plant-based butter for a dairy-free option.
• Sour Cream: Adds richness and tanginess to the potatoes. You can sub a dairy-free alternative.
• Heavy Cream: Enhances the overall richness of the potatoes. You can use whole milk, plant-based cream, or plant-based milk.
• Parmesan Cheese: Adds a bit of salty umami flavor to the potatoes. You can omit the cheese or try using nutritional yeast for a similar flavor.
• Garlic Powder: Adds a touch of earthiness to the potatoes.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9”x11” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Sauté the olive oil with the onions until the onions have softened slightly. (pic 1)
3. Add the ground beef, dried parsley, dried thyme, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and cook until beef is fully cooked and browned. (pic 2)
4. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the frying pan and simmer over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.
5. In a small cup, stir the water with the corn starch until the corn starch is fully dissolved. Pour this into the beef mixture and stir well. Let simmer on low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly. (pic 3)
6. Stir the frozen vegetables into the beef mixture and let simmer until the vegetables have softened. (pic 4)
7. Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish and set aside.
8. Peel the potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes, place the potatoes in a large pot covered with water, and boil until softened. (pic 5)
9. Drain the water from the potatoes but keep the potatoes in that pot and mash them with the butter. (pic 6)
10. Once the potatoes are mashed with the butter, add in the sour cream, heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mash into the potatoes until fully mixed and the mashed potatoes are smooth.
11. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over top of the meat mixture in the baking dish. (pic 8)
12. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the potatoes have started to brown slightly (a golden color). Serve hot.

Tips and Kitchen Notes

• To save yourself time on baking day, you can cook the beef mixture and potato mixture ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Do not assemble the meat with the potatoes until right before you are ready to bake it.
• If using fresh diced carrots instead of frozen, cook the carrots at the same time as the onions because the carrots will need extra time to soften.
• If the beef broth you’re using has added salt, omit the salt called for in the meat mixture ingredients. We love to always taste as we cook to make sure the salt is to our family’s liking.

Lamb or Beef

Traditional shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, but nowadays it is often made with lamb, beef, or a combination of both. A beef shepherd’s pie is also commonly known as a cottage pie.

Why Is My Shepherd’s Pie Sloppy?

If you don’t add the necessary amount of cornstarch and continue to cook the filling, it won’t thicken up properly, which could lead to a loose or sloppy filling.

Storing Instructions

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let the shepherd’s pie cool completely before transferring to sealed food containers for storage. You can freeze shepherd’s pie for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to eat.

Easy Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day and Beyond

We love this recipe for St. Patty’s Day or anytime you’re craving comfort food. It’s so easy to make shepherd’s pie gluten free with just a few simple ingredient swaps! This naturally flourless and egg-free recipe is easy to adapt to a dairy-free diet as well.

More Gluten-Free Beef Recipes to Try!

• Beef Stew
• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Gluten-Free Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
• Gluten-Free Lasagna
• Gluten-Free Chili

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★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★

3.75 from 4 votes

Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie

By: Cheryl Johnson

Servings: 8

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

An easy recipe for gluten-free shepherd's pie. This gluten-free shepherd's pie recipe features lean ground beef, plenty of veggies, and a fluffy mashed potato topping. It is naturally flourless and eggless and can easily be made dairy-free.

Ingredients 

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Meat Mixture

• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1½ pounds lean ground beef
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1½ cups gluten-free beef broth, reduced salt version preferred
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon corn starch
• ▢ 1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, diced carrots, corn, and peas

Potato Mixture

• ▢ 2½ pounds russet potatoes
• ▢ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream
• ▢ ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions 

Meat Mixture

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9”x11” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large frying pan set over low-medium heat, sauté the olive oil with the onions until the onions have softened slightly.
• Add the ground beef, dried parsley, dried thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper to the frying pan and cook until beef is fully cooked and browned.
• Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the frying pan and simmer over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally (until the tomato paste is mixed in smoothly with the other ingredients).
• In a small cup, stir the water with the corn starch until the corn starch is fully dissolved. Pour this into the beef mixture and stir well. Let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Stir the frozen vegetables into the beef mixture and let simmer on low for about 3 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
• Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Potato Mixture

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes.
• Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover potatoes with water.
• Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and boil for 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Do not overcook the potatoes or they will turn into a gummy texture.
• Drain the water from the potatoes but keep the potatoes in that pot.
• Remove the pot of drained potatoes from the heat and mash the potatoes with the butter.
• Once the potatoes are mashed with the butter, add in the sour cream, heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mash into the potatoes until fully mixed and the mashed potatoes are smooth.
• Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over top of the meat mixture in the baking dish. You can use a fork to add lines down the potatoes for added texture if you’d like – this is just for looks so you can keep it smooth if you’d like.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes have started to brown slightly (a golden color).
• Remove from oven and serve hot.

Notes

• To save yourself time on baking day, you can cook the beef mixture and potato mixture ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Do not assemble the meat with the potatoes until right before you are ready to bake it.
• If using fresh diced carrots instead of frozen, cook the carrots at the same time as the onions because the carrots will need extra time to soften.
• If the beef broth you’re using has added salt, omit the salt called for in the meat mixture ingredients.
• To store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let the shepherd’s pie cool completely before transferring to sealed food containers for storage.
• To freeze: You can freeze shepherd’s pie for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 25gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 1166mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2203IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

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