Cozy Mini Shepherds Pies (Printable Version)

Savory mini pies with ground meat, vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes baked in muffin tins.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Mashed Potato Topping

01 - 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1/3 cup whole milk
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Meat Filling

06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 medium carrots, diced small
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 pound ground beef or lamb
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
15 - 1 cup frozen peas
16 - 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
17 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
18 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

→ Assembly

19 - Nonstick cooking spray or melted butter for greasing
20 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or melted butter.
02 - Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork-tender, approximately 15-18 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
03 - Mash the cooked potatoes with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
04 - While potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef or lamb, salt, and pepper. Cook while breaking up the meat until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-7 minutes.
06 - Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce; cook for 2 minutes.
07 - Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir well. Add broth, peas, and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
08 - Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of meat filling into each muffin cup, pressing down gently.
09 - Pipe or spoon mashed potatoes over the meat layer, smoothing the tops. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese if desired.
10 - Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and lightly crisped.
11 - Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before removing gently with a spoon or offset spatula. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're individual portions, so nobody fights over who gets the crispy bits on top.
  • Make them ahead and bake when you're ready, which means you can actually relax before dinner.
  • The muffin tin trick makes plating look effortless, even when you're tired.
  • Ground meat stretched with vegetables means the cost feeds more people than you'd expect.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step for the meat filling; hot filling will make your potato layer soggy and defeated-looking.
  • Fill the muffin cups about halfway with meat so there's room for a generous potato top that actually bakes instead of just steams.
  • The flour in the filling needs to cook with the broth for a full minute or two to actually thicken; raw flour just floats around.
03 -
  • Use a piping bag to apply the potato topping if you want it to look restaurant-fancy, but honestly a spoon works just fine and nobody cares once they taste it.
  • If your mashed potatoes are too thick, thin them with a splash more milk; they should spoon easily but still hold their shape on top of the filling.
  • Let the meat filling cool completely before filling the tins so the heat doesn't make the potatoes sweat and weep.
Go Back