Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins! Making this my “express” way, it takes just 15 minutes to prepare to pop into the oven to get those gorgeous brown crunchy bits on the mashed potato!
“That moment when you cut through the creamy mashed potato with the golden crunchy ridges and the filling comes oozing out….I can’t describe how satisfying it is!”
As a potato-obsessed-carb-o-holic, I take great interest in any potato related dishes. However, with potato skin recipes, the thought that always crosses my mind is, “what shall I make with the potato I scoop out?” That’s why I love making these Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins. It’s efficient. And there’s a double potato hit. Win, win!
Here’s a bit of food trivia for you: Shepherd’s Pie vs Cottage Pie. Do you know the difference? The recipe is the same – a mince filling topped with mashed potato. The only difference is that Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb mince whereas Cottage Pie is made with beef mince. I always get the names confused!
I first saw this Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins recipe in a Women’s Weekly magazine way back in the 90’s. Well, not this exact recipe because I make the filling “my way” which is super fast. And a few weeks ago I saw it on Instagram and it prompted me to make it. The Instagram post was by Christina’s Cucina, a Scots-Italian food blogger based in LA. I mean, with that bloodline, how could you not be a great cook, right?? So thanks Christina, for reminding me of this!!
I made a bit of an effort to make these Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins pretty by piping on the potato, but ordinarily I would just dump the potato on with just a spoon. It doesn’t impact the flavor at all. Just fluff up the potato with a fork and you pretty much get the same amount of brown crunchy ridges.
As a “fast food” blog, I make this the express way. Firstly, I microwave the potatoes. It takes about 10 minutes, compared to 50 minutes to bake. And because you pop the potatoes in the oven after filling it, the skin crisps up a bit so I don’t really see any difference between roasting or microwaving them. But you can bake the potatoes if you have an aversion to microwaving. 🙂
Secondly, I make my Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins filling using frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas and carrots). A decade ago I never would have done this, but nowadays the frozen vegetables are really great for dishes like this. Saves a whole lot of chopping! But if you prefer to use fresh vegetables, feel free to substitute!
I am not sure what moment is better – when it’s fresh out of the oven, ready to dig into, or that moment when you cut through the golden crunchy top through the creamy mashed potato and the filling oozes out…..What do you think??
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Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 250 g / 8 oz lamb or beef mince (ground meat)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion (brown, white or yellow), diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (pea, corn, carrots) (or fresh)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup beef stock/broth (or 1 stock / bouillon cube dissolved in hot water)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper
Potatoes and Mash
- 4 large potatoes , scrubbed clean (about 400g/13oz each)
- ½ to 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
- 2 tbsp butter (optional – but highly recommended)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Prepare the Potatoes and Mash
- Prick the potatoes with a fork (about 6 times on each potato) and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Then turn and microwave for a further 5 minutes. Pierce with a knife to check if they are cooked.
- Remove from microwave (use a dish cloth). Cut off the tops and scoop out the center using a spoon, leaving a fairly thin skin (about 0.5 cm / 0.2”).
- Place the potato scooped out in a bowl. Add milk, butter and salt and mash with a potato masher until smooth, or to your liking.
- If you want to pipe the filling, place the mashed potato into a piping back with a large star tip nozzle.
Filling
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Turn up heat to high. Add mince beef (ground beef) and cook, breaking up the mince as you go, until nicely browned and cooked – about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over flour and stir to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to simmer and continue to stir until the sauce is thick and glossy – around 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
Assemble Potatoes
- Fill each potato with the Filling so it is slightly heaped. Push down lightly to pack the filling in well.
- Pipe over the mashed potato, or scoop it on with a spoon then fluff it up with a fork. You probably won’t use all of it – save the remainder or serve it on the side.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the mashed potato is starting to brown on the ridges.
- Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
i don’t know I’ve ever had Shepard’s pie. I’ve had chicken pot pie though. I’m a crazy potato addict too so this would be great for my first shepard pie try!
Jo, as a fellow potato lover, if you have never tried Shepherd’s Pie before then I can assure you that this is the one to start with!!
this is such a creative and great idea! love it
Thanks Janelle!
i made those today and OMG! delicious!!!
Thanks so much Verena! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear when people try my recipes and enjoy them! Nx
only ‘problem’ it took me a total of 1 hour lol!
Practice practice practice!! I promise it really is fast to make 🙂 Did you microwave the potatoes?
These look so delicious and portable. I too hate to heat up a big oven for a couple of items so I use my toaster oven. It has a convection setting so does the job with less power usage, and being convection also makes it quicker. Thanks
Oh I’m so glad it isn’t just me about heating up a big oven for a few little potatoes!! I have a toaster oven as well for small things and yes, I often make this in that but I didn’t think most people would have one which is why the directions are written for a normal oven 🙂
You got my attention with 15 minutes – Potatoes, vegetables and protein. I am soooo making this! Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks for your message Imma! I would LOVE to hear what your family thinks! Always open to suggestions and improvements 🙂
I’m definitely a carboholic too, these look amazing! Love that they’re so quick to prepare too, nothing beats a quick meal.
Thanks Danielle! Nice to hear from a fellow carb-o-holic 🙂
GREAT idea and I just have to say those mashed potatoes look so pretty! I usually do the fluff with fork option but always wondered how they would look like with a piping bag. I’m with you on baked potatoes the lazy way. Microwave for me!
I know! I never have the patience to roast potatoes in the oven….plus I feel like it consumes a lot of energy, heating up a big oven to roast 4 little potatoes…
I know where you are coming from, but baking in the oven adds another layer of flavor. I brush my potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. The skins get crispy and yummy! I’m defiantly going to try your recipe. It sounds quite delicious,
I absolutely agree and if I am cooking to impress, I most certainly bake instead of microwave the potatoes! I do find that the baking time after filling the potato skins crisps it up and I sometimes brush it with olive oil for extra flavour! 🙂
GREAT idea to brush the outside of the taters with olive oil and add sea salt (my FAVORITE spice!) Shepherd’s Pie is a HUGE hit and regular in our small home (just hubby and I). I’m the cook, but also have a rare genetic disease that drags me down many days (the typical “I have good days and bad days” type of ailment). My husband works his butt off to provide for us AND to continue to take care of me when I’m down, so the least I can do is share my talent of cooking, especially after he has had a wicked work day (he’s an auto detailer- very physical work). On my “down days”, baked potatoes make a big appearance, LOL. This is a dream come true! I always tell him “what’s for dinner” during the day. You betcha I will surprise him with this one. I can see him crinkle his nose now at “Ohhhhhh, it’s just a ‘stuffed baked potato night'”, only to cut into it and find his idea of nirvana! I can’t wait to see the look on his face, as he will be getting these for dinner this week. AND I CAN MAKE THEM AHEAD AND FREEZE THEM! AWESOME!
I’m sorry to hear about your hard days but you sound like a really positive person Windy, and it is so great to hear about your enthusiasm for cooking! I find that even after a bad day, once I get into the kitchen it really perks me up 🙂 Potatoes can “pick me up” any day!! 🙂
Omg….I wish I lived closer, like WAY closer! I’d be knocking on your door right now – in a totally non-stalker way 😉 This dish is speaking to my inner carb and savory sensibilities! Love!
Double carbs. All the way!!
OMG! It looks gorgeous, I love shepherd’s pie, I think who ever invented this dish was a real genius. Your pics are perfect 🙂
My only comment is that as the name suggests, Shepherds tend the sheep and usually spent 24/7 looking after them so the pie is traditionally made with minced Lamb. and in past times the ‘stockman, or herdsman’ looked after the cattle and was provided with a cottage to live in, hence the difference in the names. The recipe however is great and is one that the kids love as well. One final tip, DON’T prick the skins before you put the potatoes in the microwave oven.
Don’t prick the skin? When I don’t prick the skin, sometimes the skin breaks! And yes, I love the story behind the name!
These potato skins look beautiful! It is amazing how you can make them in just 15 minutes! Just looking at them makes me happy!
Thanks Mira!! Makes me pretty happy looking at them too! 🙂