Easy Shepherd's Pie with Tater Tots

This post has been sponsored by McCain Foods USA, Inc. ©. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are few things I love as much as a cozy weeknight dinner that tastes as if it’s cooked all day or required a full culinary prep team, but it’s really a one-pan wonder. And this Easy Shepherd's Pie with Tater Tots is exactly that!

It's made up of mostly pantry ingredients and comes together in only one pan in under an hour! The trick? McCain© Potato, Spinach & Asiago Veggie Taters™ from Shaw's.

Shepherd's Pie is a humble meal all in all. Traditionally, it's a meat pie topped with a crust of mashed potatoes. If you want to get technical, it’s called cottage pie when made with beef and shepherd’s pie when made with lamb … but since we’re getting a bit non-traditional here anyway, today, we’ll just call it by the name we’re familiar with here in America: Shepherd’s Pie.

Now, let’s chat about that crispy mashed potato topping. Unless you're working with leftover mashed potatoes, making them from scratch means a lot of extra work (and extra dishes)! You have to get the meat and vegetable base cooking at the same time that you're boiling, seasoning, mashing and whipping potatoes.

Whew! Who has time for that?!

Instead, simply pick up these Potato, Spinach & Asiago Veggie Taters in the frozen aisle at your local Shaw's. They make the whole Shepherd's Pie process easier, tastier and crispier!

These Veggie Taters™ are a better-than option than traditional tater tots because they're potato based, like your average tater tot, but they have the added flavor punch from the cheese and vegetables. They're made with real vegetables and no artificial flavorings. So, you're adding more sneaky veggies to the dish without anyone really noticing!

I found mine at my local Shaw's. I love shopping there because of how quick it is to get in and out. Plus, it's always fun finding new products! If you don't have their mobile app, I highly suggest you download it. You’ll get tons of coupons and deals sent straight to your phone.

This Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tots makes for the perfect weeknight dinner with minimal prep and an added veggie impact thanks to the McCain Veggie Taters.

Here’s what we do!

Simply grab a saute pan and saute down your meat and veggies in a cast iron pan.

Then, layer on the Veggie Taters in concentric circles…

And bake!

How to Make an Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tots

1. Saute down your vegetables
2. Brown the beef with a little seasoning
3. Add in flour for thickening
4. Stir in some beef stock and seasonings
5. Then, top with Veggie Taters, bake, and enjoy!

The best way to reheat leftover Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tots

Store your leftover Shepherd’s Pie in an air-tight container. It will last in the fridge for about 5 days. Any leftover Shepherd’s Pie can either be reheated in the microwave for a minute or two or placed into a small oven-safe container and heated in a 300 F oven for 15 minutes to re-crisp the veggie taters.

Print Pin

Easy Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tots

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 4 oz. chopped mushrooms
• 2 medium carrots finely diced
• 2 stalks celery finely diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• fresh parsley for serving
• 2 packages McCain© Potato Spinach & Asiago Veggie Taters ™

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  
  
• Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes—stirring occasionally until softened.
  
  
• Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
  
  
• Stir the flour in until evenly combined. Then, continue to sauté for 1 minute more—stirring frequently. Stir in ½ cup stock, and then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  
  
• Immediately stir in the rest of the stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and frozen peas until combined. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a low simmer and continue cooking for 5 more minutes—stirring occasionally. Taste and season the mixture with salt and pepper as needed.
  
  
• Remove from the heat and layer the veggie tots over the top in an even layer.
  
  
• Bake uncovered at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until the tots are lightly golden and the filling has started to bubble up around the edges.
  
  
• Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle a few extra herbs on top if you would like, and then dish up your servings while the shepherd’s pie is still nice and warm. You can store the pie in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Save now at your local Shaws!