Shepherd's Pie Loaded Fries - Easy 30-Minute Dinner Recipe! (2024)

Ingredients

This entire meal is made with just 9 ingredients. And they are all so basic that you might keep them in your pantry and fridge at all times. I know I do. So here is a quick overview of what you’ll need, with the full amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• French fries. You can use frozen or homemade. Crinkle-cut fries, steak fries, or another thicker French fry will work the best.
• Ground beef. I like to use 90% lean, but you can use what you prefer. Just be sure to drain the grease so the mixture isn’t oily.
• Onion.
• Garlic.
• Beef broth. From a box or can is fine.
• Tomato paste.
• Worcestershire sauce. Make sure your brand is gluten free, if needed. In the United States, Lea & Perrins is a safe option at the time of writing this. You can omit it, but it adds depth of flavor.
• Frozen mixed vegetables. Try a mixture that has carrots, peas, corn, and green beans, like the one from Costco.
• Cheddar cheese. It’s your choice whether you use yellow or white cheddar.

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie Loaded Fries

This easy recipe is ready in about 30 minutes. While the frozen French fries are baking in the oven, you can prepare the easy ground beef topping. Let’s get started.

Make the beef mixture. Brown the beef with onion and garlic, then drain any excess grease. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, followed by the frozen vegetables. Bring it to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly while the fries finish baking.

Top the French fries. When the fries are done, you can either leave them on the baking sheet, or transfer them to a cast-iron skillet or a smaller baking dish. Pour the meat mixture over the fries and top with shredded cheese.

Melt the cheese. Pop the loaded French fries back in the oven or under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Then dig in!

Tips for Success

Choose your fries. The easiest way to make this is to use frozen French fries, but you can also make your own oven fries or air fryer French fries. make your own. Crinkle-cut fries or another thick shape, such as steak fries, will work best. If you are gluten free, read the labels to choose a gluten free brand, such as Ore-Ida.

Change the meat. Because this recipe uses ground beef, some people would say that it is technically a variation of cottage pie, but you can definitely replace the beef with ground lamb. You can also lighten it up with lean ground turkey.

Double the meat mixture. If you double the ground beef mixture, you can freeze half of it to use later to make a classic Shepherd’s Pie or any of these variations:

• Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie
• Shepherd’s Pie Loaded Baked Potatoes
• Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers
• Individual Shepherd’s Pies
• Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Things You’ll Need

SHEET PANS: The baking sheets from Nordicware are sturdy, easy to clean, and versatile. It’s worth having several of these in your kitchen for baking cookies, roasting veggies, or just baking frozen fries.

STAINLESS STEEL SAUTE PAN: Another piece of cookware that is easy to clean, you’ll find food doesn’t stick, the high sides give it a large capacity, and the heat distributes evenly. It’s an investment that will pay off.

CAST IRON SKILLET: This will be a workhorse in your kitchen because it can go from to stovetop to the oven, and allows you to sear over super high heat. Every home should have at least one.