A classic dish gets a fun twist by adding pulled pork to this Pulled Pork Shepherd’s Pie! It’s the perfect way to use up any extra pulled pork you have. If you don’t happen to have excessive amounts of pulled pork as I do, feel free to make traditional Shepherd’s Pie (also known as Cottage Pie because it uses ground beef).
Pulled Pork Shepherds Pie
If I am being honest, I will tell you that this one threw me. Could it taste good? Or would it be some weird food mash-up that just should not ever happen again? Wow were we pleasantly surprised by how great this tasted!
We recently had a party and my husband smoked 80 pounds of pork. (Here is that awesome Pulled Pork Recipe.) While it was a big hit at the party, we did have some left over. I have been coming up with new recipes to incorporate the pulled pork leftovers into our meals and it has been fun not to mention delicious! I had no idea how versatile pulled pork was and am thrilled to be able to use it up in such mouth-watering ways. We have made Pulled Pork Hash and Pulled Pork Nachos and both were fantastic!
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
Simply put, Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie is a meat pie with a topping using potatoes, usually mashed. The recipe has lots of variations, but the main ingredient in a Shepherd’s Pie is usually lamb. In a cottage pie, it is beef. There is a gravy sauce added to the meat (like tomato sauce) as well as onions and other vegetables. It is topped with mashed potatoes and usually, a grated cheese melted on top.
This recipe should be called Pulled Pork Cottage Pie, but I worried folks wouldn’t recognize that name. So technically speaking, I named this incorrectly. 😂
Mashed Potatoes in Shepherd’s Pie
Skins-on Mashed Potatoes! Skins-on Mashed Potatoes! Skins-on Mashed Potatoes! I feel like if I say it enough times people will get used to the idea and at least try them. It is the only way our family makes mashed potatoes anymore and they are the best. The recipe is here, and definitely one to consider the next time you make Shepherd’s Pie!
Can I use fresh vegetables instead of canned?
Yes, you can. However, you will want to cook them first, anywhere from 8-10 minutes in a skillet over medium heat. You can also use frozen vegetables, you will want to thaw and cook those before adding to the dish as well. Want another fun variation? Try using Beef Stew as the base! Just pour it into your pan and spread mashed potatoes over top. Dreamy!
BBQ Sauce vs Tomato Sauce
We used BBQ sauce in this recipe but you can certainly use tomato sauce or ketchup. The trick is to pick your favorite BBQ sauce. I used one that is a bit sweet, but my husband prefers when I used a spicy BBQ sauce. I have tried many variations and they are all delicious!
More Pork Recipes
Pulled Pork Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups pulled pork
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) mixed veggies
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn, drained
- 4-5 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix together pulled pork, BBQ sauce, mixed vegetables, and corn.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Spread mashed potatoes over top of mixture, smoothing out as needed.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven and sprinkle shredded cheese over top.
- Return to oven and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until cheese is fully melted.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
Can I use instant mashed potatoes?
Of course
Recipe was fantastic! We used shredded smoked pork butt and the flavors mixed very well together! Will eat this over and over! Thank you for sharing!
SO glad you enjoyed it!
I love shepards pie and this is a great twist on the classic. I changed up some things a little and it was still great.
1. I added a can of green beans.
2. I only used three cups of pulled pork instead of four.
3. I used mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.
4. I did it all in a cast iron skillet and gave the cold pulled pork a little bit of a grill before adding everything else so there were some crunchy bits.
Looks delish!! Gojng to try it tonight. Do you know how well it freezes?! Could be an excellent freezer meal option.
It came out great. Everyone enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing👍🏻
Very yummy !! Even my picky husband liked it. I used Shredded BBQ chicken. It turned out perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this tonight with leftover pulled pork. So very yummy. Thank you for sharing!
I would like the recipe it looks really good