Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

This Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie is so easy to make and it’s perfect for an easy dinner all year round.

The Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie is a modern twist on a classic comfort food, tailored for convenience and rich flavor.

This recipe brings together seasoned minced meat, tender vegetables, and a savory gravy, all layered beneath a blanket of creamy mashed potatoes.

Using a slow cooker, this dish allows for a hands-off cooking experience, where ingredients meld together over hours, enhancing the depth of flavors.

Perfect for busy families or those seeking a hassle-free dinner, the Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie offers a hearty, satisfying meal with minimal preparation and cleanup.

Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe by Stay at Home Mum

0.0 from 0 votes

This hearty slow cooker shepherd’s pie layers savoury mince with creamy potato topping and slow-cooks to perfection. A fuss-free, comforting family meal that’s deliciously rich, comforting, and easy to let do its thing while you focus on other things.

Course: Beef Recipes, Mince, Recipes, Slowcooker Recipes, Special Occasions, Under Difficulty: Easy

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

5

hours 

Calories

400

kcal

Total time

5

hours 

15

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 500 g Lamb Mince

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• 420 g Tomatoes, Diced

• 1 Carrot, Diced Finely (or a bag of mixed vegetables)

• 1 Brown Onion (diced Finely)

• 1 Celery Stick chopped

• 1 tbsp Tomato Sauce

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 tbsp Gravy Mix

• 4 Potatoes peeled

• 1/4 cups Milk

• 1 tbsp Butter

• 1/2 cups Cheese (grated) (optional)

Directions

• In a frypan heat the olive oil until hot.
• Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until soft and starting to colour.  Add the mince and cook until browned well.
•  Pour the mince mixture into the slow cooker.  Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and gravy mix.
• Cook on HIGH for four hours.  Stir every so often.
• Cut the large potatoes into quarters and boil in salted water until tender.
• Add the milk and butter and mash until smooth.
• Take the lid off the slow cooker and if there is a lot of liquid pooling on top of the mince, remove it with a spoon and discard.
• Spoon the potato neatly over the top of the mince and top with the cheese.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for a further hour or until the cheese is melted.
• Alternatively you can remove the crockery and brown the cheese under the grill (if your slow cooker bowl is suitable to do so).
• Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Notes

• Slow Cooker Shepherds Pie can be frozen but is quite messy to scoop out.  It can be kept in the fridge for up to three days.

Now I do get the question quite often ‘If you are making a Shepherd’s Pie anyway, why would you make it in the slow cooker?’ – and it is a legit question.

The answer is preference and situation. There is a slight – really slight difference in the sauce and dryness. I find that in the slow cooker, it is more runny, while the original version is just a little bit thick.

When it comes to the situation, if you want to leave all the cooking to the slow cooker and do other chores, then you can let it slowly simmer there for hours, with the flavours just intensifying. 

It is also great for serving at a party or a crowd because it can be served straight from the slow cooker.

Personally, I am not complaining. Both are two great options to make shepherd’s pie and they all turn out delicious!

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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