Keith’s Casserole

Keith’s Casserole–a warm, comforting shepherd’s pie made in the slow cooker with a savory blend of ground beef, tender carrots, and a creamy layer of cheesy mashed potatoes. Perfect for a no-fuss dinner, it’s a comforting classic.

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Keith’s Casserole

This dish combines protein (beef), veggies (carrots and onions), and carbs (potatoes) all in one pot, your slow cooker. It made a perfect Sunday supper after church. The fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and gooey cheese make it feel like comfort food, but it’s also packed with protein and veggies that leave you feeling satisfied. The slow cooker method also means the flavors have plenty of time to develop and meld together. Enjoy!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
• Onion–yellow or white
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Baby carrots–or peeled carrots cut into chunks
• Tomato sauce
• Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
• Quick cooking tapioca*–or cornstarch (see notes)
• Potatoes–I used russets
• Butter
• Milk
• Cheddar cheese–I like sharp

Steps

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Brown for 5 minutes. Add beef to the slow cooker. (I use a slow cooker that has a stovetop setting so I just use that instead of doing this step on the stove).

Stir in the carrots, tomato sauce, broth and tapioca.

Quarter the potatoes and place them on a sheet of foil. Curl up the edges of the foil to make a bowl shape. Place the foil bowl into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Remove the potatoes and toss them into a mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes. Stir in the butter, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Spread the potatoes over the top of the meat mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potatoes and let it melt. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Notes/Tips

• Serve with garlic green beans, a simple side salad, crusty bread or dinner rolls or apple slices.
• Tapioca?? The tapioca in this recipe acts as a thickening agent. As it cooks, it helps the tomato sauce and beef broth turn into a slightly thicker, more cohesive sauce that coats the beef and vegetables. This creates a richer texture and prevents the filling from becoming too watery. If you don’t have tapioca then you can stir 2 Tbsp of cornstarch in with the beef broth until smooth. Then stir that mixture into the slow cooker in step 2.
• This recipe is gluten free.
• I used my 6 quart ninja slow cooker. I like my slow cooker because it has the stovetop setting which allows me to brown my meat in it before slow cooking.
• Leftovers of this shepherd’s pie will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container*. The flavors actually get even better as they sit, so it’s a great meal for reheating! If you want to keep it longer, you can also freeze individual portions for up to 2 to 3 months; just make sure to wrap or seal them well to prevent freezer burn.
• Another recipe you can make with smoked paprika is Instant Pot Smoky Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup.
• This recipe is adapted from Keith Richard’s Shepherd’s Pie on Food.com.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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