Shepards Pie with Tater Tots

This Shepards Pie with Tater Tots is a modern twist on a classic dish. With a vegetable and beef base, then topped with gooey cheese, and crispy tater tots, you can't go wrong.

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slice of shepards pie with tater tots on a plate.

Shepards pie with tater tots is one of our family’s favorite weeknight meals. Seasoned ground beef, a blend of vegetables, and tomato-based broth are topped with tater tots and baked to golden perfection. This is a fun twist on a classic shepherd’s pie.

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This is a total comfort food meal that is a complete meal in one. The whole family goes nuts for this tater tot shepherd’s pie recipe. Grab that casserole dish and get to cooking this hearty casserole.

Craving more tasty dinner ideas to try out? Here is a great slow cooker taco potato casserole! You might find this baked chicken ravioli is another great option for your family.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips
FAQs
Shepards Pie With Tater Tots

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

bowls of pepper, salt, tomato paste, w sauce, tater tots, ground beef, broth, carrots, peas, onion, cheese and garlic on the counter.

Ground beef or ground lamb
onion
garlic
frozen peas
carrots
tomato paste
beef broth or beef stock
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Black Pepper
tater tots
shredded cheese
parsley

Instructions

This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.

onions and ground beef being cooked in a large skillet.

Cook your meat and onions in a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat until it is fully browned. Drain the fat.

carrots being added to cooked meat in a skillet.

Then add in the minced garlic, and diced carrots. Stir and cook until all vegetables are tender.

vegetables being added to cooked beef in a large skillet.

Next, work in the tomato paste, the broth, peas, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low for about 5-7 minutes. Next, pour the meat into a prepared baking dish. Then add a single layer of tots all over the top.

baked shepards pie with tater tots in a casserole dish.

Bake until golden brown. Once brown add the shredded cheese to the top and bake until melted and bubbly.

Hint: Make sure to take time to simmer the meat mixture before you go to bake it as it is going to really help richen all the flavors of this casserole and offer flavors of the classic dish.

Variations

Here are a handful of ways to make this shortcut shepherd’s pie recipe in a few different ways. This is an easy recipe that is adaptable to fit your taste buds.

Mixed Vegetables: You can use any vegetables you want for the filling. You can do green beans or buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Feel free to customize.
Extra Cheese – Add a layer of cheese on top of the meat filling, before you add the layer of tater tots. That will add more cheesy goodness to the mixture. Then you can add more shredded cheddar cheese on top of the extra crispy tater tots, or skip that final step.
Spices – Feel free to add in more spices to the meat to deepen the flavor even more. Onion powder, garlic powder, season salt, and more can be used to help flavor the ground meat more.
Meat – Any ground meat works, from ground turkey to chicken or even pork. Just fully cook the meat and drain off any grease and excess fat before you add in the veggie mixture.

See this meatball dump and bake casserole for another easy casserole to throw together on a busy weeknight.

Equipment

All you need for equipment for this recipe is a skillet, a 9×13 casserole dish, and, of course, something to stir the mixture with. I will say if you don’t have a meat chopper it is a wonderful investment for cooking up the ground beef mixture.

Then consider a food chopper to make chopping vegetables a whole lot quicker and easier.

Storage

Store your leftovers in the fridge in a sealed, airtight container. They will be stored for 3-4 days and are great reheated. You can heat them up in the microwave or place them in an oven-safe dish and bake covered until warmed through.

You can freeze any of the dishes you don’t eat. When you freeze them properly, they will freeze for 2-3 months. Then, just thaw them in the fridge overnight before you plan to eat them. I recommend heating them up in the oven so the frozen tater tots get crispy again. Otherwise, they will offer a soggier texture.

Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips

Make sure to do a single layer of tater tots on top of the meat mixture, otherwise you will not have a crispy potato topping. You will find the areas that overlap will be soft.

Another great tip is to make sure that when you are cutting up any vegetables, you chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces that are uniform in size. This is going to ensure an even flavor in the dish, and all the veggies cook up evenly in the oven.

The easiest way to make this is by using frozen tots and vegetables, so the prep work is minimal. This is a delicious recipe that truly is quick to whip up and get baking in the oven.

FAQs

Can I half the recipe?

You can cut the recipe in half if you want to make a smaller batch of this easy shepherd’s pie. Use an 8×8 size or 9×9 size pan. Then you will bake the same and you can potentially reduce the cook time by just a bit. But the biggest thing is making sure the potato topping is fully cooked.

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can mix this up and store it in the fridge, waiting to bake until the next day. Or you can pre-bake it and store it in the fridge, then just reheat it in the oven until it is warmed all the way through and you have a crispy potato on top.

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.