Mexican Shepherd's Pie - Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

Published: Dec 28, 2013 · Modified: Dec 6, 2021 by Colleen 13 Comments

Mexican Shepherd's Pie is a classic shepherd's pie with a Mexican twist. It's an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love and just may become a permanent part of your standby dinner rotation.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Shepherd's Pie is a classic comfort dish that's fun to customize, and just like thisSweet Potato Shepherd's Pie this Mexican-inspired version livens up that classic in a delicious way.

This recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Mexican shepherd's pie is very easy to make, especially if you have those leftover mashed potatoes.

Finally, if you do have leftover mashed potatoes, this is a simple, one-pan meal, making cleanup a breeze.

Here's What You Need To Make It

Potatoes

A starchy potato, like a russet, is the best potato for mashing. The starch gives the mashed potato a creamy texture. However, you can also use Yukon Gold or any other variety. Here's is a guide to all the different potato varieties: A Guide To Every Type of Potato.

Onion

I use a smallish onion, which, when diced, should yield half to three-quarters of a cup.

Lean Ground Turkey

Lean ground turkey is ground turkey breast and has fewer calories and less fat than regular ground turkey. You also can use regular ground turkey, ground beef, pork, or chicken.

Bell Peppers

Although you can certainly use green peppers, I like to use the more colourful yellow, orange, and red ones for their higher nutritional values, and appearance.

Chillies

Canned green chillies are usually Anaheim chillies and they are mild, without a lot of heat. You can use a hotter chilli, such as jalapeno if you prefer.

Corn

Frozen, canned, or fresh corn kernels would all work equally well in this recipe.

Cheese

Sharp cheddar is my choice, but a milder cheddar will still be just as good, and Monterey Jack works well, too

Tips For Success

• Try making extra mashed potatoes for another meal so that you have them to make Mexican shepherd's pie the next day.
• Use light cream cheese, instead of butter and milk in mashed potatoes. If you use light cream cheese, you get about half the fat and calories that you get with butter and milk. And the cream cheese makes the potatoes taste incredibly rich and creamy.
• An oven-safe skillet like a cast iron pan will take the dish from stovetop to oven in just one pan, but you can also transfer the cooked turkey mixture to a 9x9 baking dish for the oven.

Make It Ahead

You can make this recipe up to a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. Just allow it to cool completely, then cover with foil before putting it in the fridge. Alternatively, you can make the two components (potatoes and filling) and keep them separate until it's time to bake.

To reheat, put it, still covered in foil, in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes, until heated through.

Freeze It

To Freeze a cooked shepherd's pie, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight freezer container. Freeze up to 2 months. Cook from frozen, covered in foil, at 350° for one hour, or until heated through.

What to Serve with Mexican Shepherd's Pie

A salad is always a good side for such a hearty meal. Some great choices include andWatermelon Salad with Jalapeno and Bacon

If you are craving more cheesy comfort dishes, check out , or Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas.

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