These Shepherd’s Pie Twice-Baked Potatoes are a cozy, all-in-one stuffed potato loaded with everything you love about classic Shepherd’s Pie! Each one is filled with savory ground beef, creamy mashed potatoes, and melty cheese, all tucked into a crispy potato shell. Perfect for weeknight dinners, game days, or holiday comfort food. These potatoes did not last long; everyone went back for seconds! It’s right up there with my popular Pot Roast Twice Baked Potato, another hearty, meat-and-potatoes dinner that always hits the spot.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: For the best results, use a starchy potato like Russet or Idaho potatoes. These bake up fluffy and hold their shape well when stuffed. Yukon Gold potatoes can also work, though they’ll be a bit creamier. Be sure to wash the potatoes and pierce them with a fork before rubbing them with oil and sprinkling with salt. For the first bake, you can use the oven, follow my Air Fryer Baked Potato method, or even cook them in the microwave for a quicker option.
- Meat: Traditional Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb or mutton. I used ground beef in this recipe, which is more commonly called Cottage Pie. You can also experiment with other meats like ground turkey for a lighter twist.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Cream of mushroom soup adds creamy richness and binds the filling. You can substitute it with cream of chicken soup or make homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup!
- Corn: Corn adds sweetness and texture. Use frozen or fresh corn instead of canned. Or, substitute with peas if preferred!
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, makes the mashed potatoes rich and creamy. You can substitute with half-and-half or whole milk for a lighter option.
- Cheese: I added sharp cheddar cheese to the mashed potato mixture and as a topping. You could also try Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a cheese blend you like.
What to Do With Leftover Potato Tops?
Don’t let those leftover potato tops go to waste! My favorite way to enjoy them is simple—brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and your favorite seasonings, then bake until crispy. Or, dice them and add them to recipes like my Kielbasa Hash for extra flavor and texture.
Make-Ahead Tips for Twice-Baked Potatoes
It’s easy to prep parts of this recipe ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble and bake when you’re ready to eat. Here’s how to get a head start:
- Bake and Prep the Potatoes: Bake the potatoes and scoop out the insides up to 2 days in advance. Store the potato shells and the mashed potato flesh separately in the refrigerator.
- Make the Beef Filling: Cook the ground beef mixture (with soup and corn) ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Mash the Potatoes: You can also mix the mashed potato portion—adding the cream, butter, garlic powder, cheese, salt, and pepper—a day or two ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
- Assemble and Bake: When ready to serve, fill the potato shells with the beef mixture, top with the mashed potatoes and remaining cheese, and bake until hot and bubbly. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
How To Store and Reheat Twice Baked Potatoes
To store these Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes, let them cool completely first. Then, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2–3 days. When ready to eat, reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes?
Yes! These potatoes freeze well before the second bake. Assemble, cool, and freeze them unbaked. Wrap individually and freeze for up to 2–3 months. When ready to enjoy, bake from frozen at 350°F until heated through, about 35–45 minutes.
Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 8 baking potatoes, washed
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup canned corn, drained
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mashed Potato Mixture
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Baked Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Scrub the potatoes clean and poke each a few times with a fork.
- Rub potatoes with canola oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 1 hour, or until fork-tender.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Filling
- While the potatoes bake, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, corn, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Let the mixture simmer on low until heated through and slightly thickened. Set aside.
Assembling & Baking the Twice Baked Potatoes
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Use a knife to slice the tops off of each potato lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the center of the potato and place it into a large mixing bowl, leaving a sturdy shell intact. Be very careful not to tear the potato skin. Lay the hollowed-out potato shells on a baking sheet.
- To the bowl of potato flesh, add heavy cream, butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mash until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Evenly divide the beef filling among the hollowed-out potato shells, spooning it into the bottom of each one.
- Evenly top each potato with the mashed potato mixture, mounding slightly if needed. Then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese evenly over all the potatoes.
- Return the filled potatoes to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. (For a golden, bubbly top, broil for an additional 1–2 minutes.)
- Garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These are so good and I could not stop eating it!!! Seriously, one of my favorite twice-baked potato recipes!
Elizabeth
Everyone loved these potatoes, including me! Excuse me while I finish my potato. I will definitely be making these at home!
Stephanie
These are great, especially for a meat and potaotes kind of person!
Bella
These are impressive in taste and how stuffed they are! I loved them.
I always wanted to try this and when I did, oh my goodness! Delicious and so good.
There would be cottage pie, not shepherds pie. Shepherds pie has lamb, for obvious reasons, not beef.
Having said that, I look forward to making them!