Our Most Popular Casserole Recipe of All Time

There’s something about the word “casserole” that immediately triggers comfort and safety for me. It’s likely because casseroles were a mainstay on my family’s dinner table growing up—everything from tuna noodle casserole to bubbling lasagna. While the latter was far and away my favorite and what I requested for many birthdays, shepherd’s pie was my sister’s top choice. 

Anytime we’d have leftover mashed potatoes from another meal, she’d ask my dad to use it to make the hearty dish. She clearly wasn’t (and still isn’t) alone in her sentiment, since our most popular casserole recipe of ALL time is our shepherd's pie. With nearly 15 million clicks, it’s a recipe that’s truly beloved by our readers, and for good reason: It’s the perfect combination of ease and comfort.

Why Shepherd's Pie Is the Casserole to Beat All Others

If you’re unfamiliar with shepherd’s pie, it’s a humble dish of ground meat and vegetables baked with a mashed potato topping that has roots in both the U.K. and Ireland. There, it’s made with lamb or mutton (hence the “shepherd” in the name), but in the United States, we more commonly use ground beef (which, across the pond, they call “cottage pie”). We have no shortage of casseroles on Simply Recipes, but this cozy combination of meat and potatoes undoubtedly resonates. It’s just one of those dishes that warms you from the inside out. 

It’s also make-ahead-friendly: You can prepare the entire casserole up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate it or, even better, freeze it for up to three months. 

How to Riff On This Recipe

What’s more is that shepherd’s pie is infinitely riffable. Here are just a handful of ways to make this recipe your own:

• Swap in ground lamb for a version they’d be sure to approve of in the U.K. and Ireland, or try ground turkey for a lighter rendition.
• While our recipe calls for a mix of carrots, corn, and peas, you can use just about any vegetable like chopped green beans, cabbage, or broccoli florets, or even wilt in some tender greens like spinach. 
• Stir grated cheese like cheddar, Parmesan, Monterey Jack, or Gouda into the mashed potato mixture for a cheesy, even more golden-brown topping.
• Start with leftovers! Reader Rhonda utilizes chopped leftover roast beef, carrots, celery, and potatoes from her crockpot dinners to make shepherd’s pie.
• Add garlic to the ground meat mixture for extra flavor or fresh or dried herbs like thyme or rosemary.
• Replace the mashed potatoes with mashed sweet potatoes, winter squash, or cauliflower.
• Reader Marty dressed up servings with sour cream and balsamic vinegar. You could also bring ketchup, hot sauce, or strong mustard to the table. 

Get the recipe: Easy Shepherd’s Pie