Shepherd's Pie Twice Baked Potatoes

Easy and flavorful beef Shepherd's Pie filling is stuffed inside of a baked potato, topped with creamy parmesan mashed potatoes, and baked to golden brown, delicious perfection! This is the ultimate cozy fall comfort meal that the whole family will love.

You can also easily make this vegetarian or vegan with a lentil shepherd's pie filling!

I didn't think shepherd's pie could get much better, but there's something about serving it inside of a baked potato that makes it extra delicious (and so much fun!). This is one of the best recipes we've made all year.

The filling is super savory and flavorful (thanks to the addition of a bouillon cube, worcestershire sauce and red wine), and you can't really ever go wrong with mashed potatoes. (If you end up with extra, try mashed potato waffles!)

If you want to keep things on the lighter side, feel free to substitute ground beef with ground chicken or even turkey. For a meat-free option, lentils are perfect! Pair this with a quick and refreshing fall salad (like this one with kale, apples, feta and an apple cider vinaigrette) for a full meal.

Russet potatoes work best here – they tend to be big enough for filling, and they hold up well when you add filling. Make sure to choose potatoes that are all similar in size.

Pro tip: A potato ricer is the best way to get super creamy mashed potatoes!

Step-by-step instructions

Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place them in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle salt on top, then toss again until evenly coated. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet, then bake at 400˚F for 45-60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the potato meets no resistance. Set aside until they are cool enough to handle.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is translucent.

Add in the ground beef and use a spatula to break it into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink, then add in the garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, thyme, rosemary and salt and pepper and stir until well incorporated.

Stir in the flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, and let it simmer for 1 minute before adding in the peas and beef broth. Stir well and bring to a simmer, cooking for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly. (It should still be saucy, but not soupy.)

Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then scoop out the filling, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges and bottom of each potato.

Use a ricer (or potato masher) to mash the potato flesh in a medium sized bowl, then stir in the butter, milk, parmesan and salt until well combined. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a piping bag with a star tip. (If you don't have one, you can just spoon the potatoes right on top of the filling.)

Spoon the ground beef filling into each potato skin, filling to the top.

Pipe mashed potato atop each potato half, then place on the middle rack of your oven. Broil until the potatoes are golden brown on top (ours took between 10-15 minutes, but keep a close eye on them as every oven is different!).

Prep and Storage Tips

To speed things along, you can bake the potatoes up to several days ahead of time. Keep them stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them. You can even make the filling up to 5 days in advance and bake just before eating.

These store well in the refrigerator. To warm them up, the oven is your best bet. Place them on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and heat in a 350˚F oven until warmed through (10-15 minutes).

These are also surprisingly good for freezer meal prep! You can freeze them baked or unbaked. Either way, freeze them individually on a sheet pan until frozen solid before wrapping tightly to prevent freezer burn. Let them defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven.

If you're craving fall comfort food right now (like we are!), try this easy pot roast next.

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