Tender, flavorful beef tips enveloped in buttery mashed potatoes might just be the ultimate comfort food! My twist on Beef Tips Shepherd’s Pie is a family favorite meat and potatoes meal that wins rave reviews every time I serve it, and for good reason – it’s delicious.
It’s hard to beat an easy recipe like this or Crock Pot Beef Roast. When you mix in a fresh salad and warm bread, you’ve got a home-cooked masterpiece.
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If comfort food favorites were listed in the dictionary, Beef Tips Shepherd’s Pie would be at the top! Because, come on, y’all—tender, juicy beef in gravy topped with mashed potatoes, then baked until there’s a gold crust on top? This is home cooking that feels like a warm hug.
Several years ago, I created this Southern version of Shepherd’s Pie. It meets all the requirements of a “hungry man” meal, yet it’s homemade and full of amazing flavors.
What Is Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort food dish from the UK and Ireland. It’s a savory pie (often called Cottage Pie) made with a layer of cooked meat, traditionally lamb, and mixed with vegetables. For depth, the meat mixture is flavored with gravy or broth and sometimes tomato paste. The meat and vegetable mixture is then topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown.
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Beef Tips: Tender pieces of beef that are the star of this dish.
- Butter: Makes everything richer and tastier.
- Onion: Yellow onion adds a sweet and savory flavor to this savory pie.
- Garlic: Brings a bold and slightly spicy taste.
- Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the gravy, giving it a smooth texture.
- Tomato Paste: A thick, concentrated tomato flavor that deepens the taste of the gravy.
- Beef Broth: Adds a meaty flavor to the sauce.
- Red Wine: Gives a rich and slightly tangy taste to the beef tips and gravy.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Basic seasonings that enhance the overall flavor.
- Mashed Potatoes: Soft, creamy, buttery, and the perfect topping for Shepherd’s Pie.
Recipe Variations
- Add a layer of frozen peas, carrots, and corn between the ground beef and the mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese or Parmesan over the top of the mashed potatoes before baking.
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie With Beef Tips
- Over medium high heat, add olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven. Add beef tips and brown, working in 2 batches. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add onions to the pan with beef dripping and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Add flour and stir to incorporate.
- Cook for 1 minute then add tomato paste stirring all ingredients together.
- Pour in the stock, red wine, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Stir. Add the beef, then, cover the pot, leaving a vent, and simmer for approximately 1 hour until the sauce has thickened. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water, about ¼ cup at a time.
How To Assemble A Shepherd’s Pie
- Make the mashed potatoes and set aside.
- Put the beef mixture with the thickened sauce (gravy) in a deep-dish baking dish. Spoon over mashed potatoes and smooth to cover the beef. Bake for 45 minutes until the mashed potato topping is golden.
Easy Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Rustic Mashed Potatoes: Cut russet potatoes into large chunks. Add the potatoes to the pot, and pour the chicken broth. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure for 8 minutes. Quickly release the pressure and drain the potatoes, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the potatoes back in the Instant Pot bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add butter, half and half, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and stir to combine.
- You can also use store-bought mashed potatoes.
Common Questions
Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb. Cottage Pie is a meat pie made with ground beef.
The wine adds a depth of flavor to the recipe, and most of it cooks off, but you can substitute beef stock or broth if needed.
Sure! Make and assemble the pie in a casserole dish, cover with foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Yes! To freeze, assemble, bake, and cool. Then tightly wrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Dinner Ideas
I love serving Shepherd’s Pie as a classic meat and potatoes meal with a fresh green salad, and warm Beer Bread. It’s great for Sunday Supper wtih Southern Green Beans, Skillet Cinnamon Apples and cornbread.
Craving More? Try These Easy Recipes
If you tried this Beef Tips Shepherd’s Pie Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
Beef Tips
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds beef tips cut into about 1 inch pieces (you can also use beef stew)
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic – minced, about 3 cloves
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use the concentrated version in a tube)
- 3 cups beef stock (bone broth can be used)
- 1 cup red wine (stock or water can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 pounds red potatoes – scrubbed scrubbed clean
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup half & half
- ¾ tablespoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Beef Tips
- Heat olive oil and butter in a dutch oven. Add beef tips and brown, working in 2 batches. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add onions to the pan with beef dripping and cook, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Add flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute, then add tomato paste, stirring all ingredients together. Pour in stock, red wine, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Stir and add the beef tips.
- Cover the pot, leaving a vent, and simmer beef for approximately 1 hour until sauce has thickened. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water, about ¼ cup at a time.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cut potatoes into large chunks. Add the potatoes to the pot, and pour the chicken broth over the top.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release the pressure and drain the potatoes, reserving cooking liquid. Place the potatoes back in Instant Pot bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add butter, half and half, and salt and pepper, garlic powder and stir to combine.
Shephard’s Pie
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put cooked beef tips along with sauce in a deep dish pie pan. Spoon over mashed potatoes and smooth to cover beef. Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden.
Video
Notes
- Make Ahead: Make and assemble the pie in a casserole dish, cover with foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- To freeze, assemble, bake, and cool. Then tightly wrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition
5 Days of Southern Summer Comfort Food!
My go-to summer recipes!
Loved this recipie!!! I added frozen peas, carrots and pearl onions right before I added it to the casserole dish. Didn’t have potatoes on hand so I used instant and it was a hit. Keeping this in the rotation.
That sounds like a great way to make it your own! Thanks for cooking with me! ~Donya
I enjoyed this. I have no idea how to buy red wine. Many brands. I like the flavor of this recipe.
Thank you so much, Carla!
~Donya
Do you peel the potatoes?
I don’t but you can if you want.
~Donya
Great flavor – my husband loved it!
Hey there Becky!
My goodness, thank you so much for your kind words and this fantastic rating, I am so happy to hear that y’all enjoyed this tasty meal! If you liked this dish, you should check out my Skillet Beef Stew, it’s super easy to make and just as warm and comforting as this recipe. If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please feel free to reach out, I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
This recipe was delicious. I cut it in half to make a smaller dish for just my husband and I. I don’t have an IP so I just made my regular sour cream mashed potatoes. I also added a layer of frozen/thawed peas on top of the meat/under the mashed potatoes. Yum. My husband is a big fan.
Hey April!
I am so happy to hear y’all enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you put a fantastic twist on it! Thank you so much for your sweet comment and fantastic rating, I hope you try more recipes!
~Donya
Your recipe for the instant pot mashed potatoes says to drain potatoes but reserve the liquid. Where do you use the liquid once it’s reserved? This is the recipe for the beef tips shepherds pie.
Hey Denny. It might have been unclear in the recipe but in the “notes,” I say use the reserved liquid to add back to the mashed potatoes to get the consistency that you like. I hope this helps. What a great idea to use this potatoes for the Shepherd’s Pie! I never even thought of that. I hope you like both recipes.
XO,
~Donya