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Southwestern Shepherd's Pie | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this #Southwestern version of #ShepherdsPie is phenomenal! Every bite will rock your world. The #cheesy #MashedPotato topping is wonderful too. Great for company dinners or potlucks since it makes a lot. Make in the #SlowCooker or bake in the oven. #TexMex #beef #ItalianSausage #SouthwesternShepherdsPie #GlutenFree

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

Teresa Ambra
Southwestern Shepherd's Pie is one of the most awesome recipes for Shepherd's Pie ever! This lovely Tex-Mex casserole includes Italian sausage, diced tomatoes with green chiles and jalapeno pepper for heat. Add three kinds of beans, Fiesta corn and chili powder and the combination is unbeatable. The Cheesy Mashed Potato Topping is the perfect complement to this hearty, mouthwatering sumptuous meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Beef, Main Dish, Pork Main Dish
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 15
Calories 586 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 deep dish 9x13" glass baking dish not the typical pyrex clear baking dishes (those don't have deep enough sides)
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 sharp knife to cut and pare vegetables
  • 1 stock pot with lid
  • 1 potato masher
  • 1 colander
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 14-inch skillet
  • 1 crockpot if you don't wish to make this in the oven
  • 1 spatula to serve

Ingredients
  

BEEF FILLING:

  • 2 lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced
  • 1 leek green top removed, washed thoroughly and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 29 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (two 14.5-ounce cans)
  • 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 15 oz. can Fiesta corn Mexicorn or Southwestern corn, undrained
  • 15.25 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 15.5 oz. can chili beans in chili sauce, undrained
  • 15.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/3 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 bay leaves

CHEESY MASHED POTATO TOPPING:

  • 4 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes boiled until tender
  • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese divided use
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish

Instructions
 

BEEF FILLING:

  • Brown ground beef and Italian sausage in large saucepan over medium heat and cook until no longer pink.
  • Use a hamburger chopper to break the meat up into tiny pieces while frying.
  • Add onion, garlic, leek, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno pepper and about ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves.
  • Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.
  • Transfer ingredients to a crock pot.
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
  • Cover with lid and cook on high about one-and-a-half hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove bay leaves.
  • Top with Cheesy Mashed Potato Topping.
  • Reduce heat to low; cook an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese melts.

CHEESY MASHED POTATO TOPPING:

  • Peel and boil potatoes until tender.
  • Drain potatoes in a colander.
  • Transfer potatoes from colander back to the Dutch oven used to cook them.
  • Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
  • Add butter, half and half, salt, pepper and 1 2/3 cups Cheddar cheese.
  • Stir until well-combined.
  • Spoon over top of beef mixture to the edges of the crockpot.
  • Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over top.
  • Then sprinkle the paprika as evenly as possible over top of the cheese and potatoes.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Cook an additional 20 minutes or until the potatoes are hot and cheese has melted over top.
  • Sprinkle with diced cilantro as garnish over top.

Notes

NOTE: OVEN METHOD: Transfer beef mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour mixture into a 9x13” glass baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350º about 30 minutes until hot. Remove bay leaves. Spread Cheesy Mashed Potato Topping on top of the beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and paprika. Bake about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and potatoes are hot. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro to garnish casserole before serving.
 
NOTE: I did not have to drain any grease after cooking the ground beef, sausage and veggies. But if you use an 80% beef you will probably have a lot of grease that will need to be drained off.
 
NOTE: I used Bush’s Taco Fiesta black beans in a taco-style chipotle sauce with corn and bell peppers. I didn’t drain the beans.
 
NOTE: Use a deep-dish 9x13” glass baking dish (not a regular glass pyrex dish) or an even larger baking dish (10x15”) or roaster pan for this recipe to fit ingredients without excessive dripping.
 
NOTE: If you want the dish to be hotter and spicier, use two or three jalapenos instead of one.
 
NOTE: I prefer Yukon gold potatoes because of their great flavor and texture.
 
NOTE: You may want to use gloves when handling the jalapeno pepper. Be careful not to touch your eyes before washing your hands thoroughly after handling jalapeno peppers.
 
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 586kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 33gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1233mgPotassium: 1523mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1531IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 258mgIron: 6mg
Keyword beans, cheddar cheese, ground beef, Italian sausage, jalapeno peppers, mashed potatoes, shepherd's pie
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