Dump Meals

Dump and Bake

Cowboy Shepherd's Pie

dumpmeals.com/recipes/cowboy-shepherds-pie/

Browned ground beef, pork and beans, corn and barbecue sauce under mashed potatoes and cheddar, baked until bubbling.

Cowboy Shepherd's Pie, served
A computer-made picture of the finished dish, not a photo of this recipe.
Serves
8
Prep
20 minutes
Bake
375°F, 35 to 45 minutes
Pan
9-by-13-inch dish, at least 3 inches deep

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Cowboy shepherd's pie trades the usual peas, carrots and gravy for a smoky, sweet filling: browned ground beef and onion, a can of pork and beans, corn and barbecue sauce. It is topped the traditional way, with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and then cheddar, and baked until the edges bubble.

Ready-made refrigerated mashed potatoes keep it a dump-and-bake supper. Brown the beef, stir the filling together right in the baking dish, spread the warmed potatoes on top and slide it into the oven. Leftover mashed potatoes work just as well; you need 6 to 7 cups, warmed first.

Serve it with a green salad or coleslaw to balance the sweetness. Let it stand 10 minutes before you cut it, so the filling settles and the squares hold their shape.

Ingredients

Into the dish

  • 1½ pounds ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (28-ounce) can pork and beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • ¾ cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 (24-ounce) packages refrigerated mashed potatoes
  • 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray the dish and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Brown the beef and onion in a skillet, breaking it up, until the beef reads 160°F on a food thermometer (no pink is not proof). Drain the fat. Wash your hands and anything the raw meat touched with hot, soapy water.
  3. In the dish, stir together the beans with their sauce, corn, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and the beef and onion.
  4. Warm the mashed potatoes as the package directs, stir until smooth, and spread over the filling.
  5. Top with the cheddar. Bake uncovered 35 to 45 minutes.
  6. Check the center with a food thermometer. It must read at least 165°F. If it doesn't, bake 5 minutes more and check again. Let it stand 10 minutes.

It's done when the filling is bubbling at the edges, the cheese is melted, and the center reads at least 165°F. Check with a food thermometer.

Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them until hot all the way through (165°F).

Tips

  • The dish is full to the top, so the baking sheet under it catches any drips.
  • Barbecue sauces vary a lot in sweetness. Start with 1/2 cup, taste the filling, and add the rest if you like.

Food-safety sources

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