Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie Casserole—a beefy savory casserole with potatoes, green beans and cheddar cheese. The flavors from shepherd’s pie made with a super easy, crockpot method.
Related: Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie Casserole

Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie Casserole
When I was growing up my mom would make her version of shepherd’s pie whenever we had leftover mashed potatoes to use up. It was a baked casserole of ground beef with canned tomato soup, canned green beans, mashed potatoes and then cheese on top. It sounds weird but I absolutely loved it. My sister, Gina, hated it…lol. There’s always one picky kid, right?!
My spin on shepherd’s pie is an easy version that uses cubed potatoes instead of mashed, fresh green beans instead of canned, no tomato soup but tomato paste and worcestershire instead. Of course my version is also topped with grated melty cheddar cheese.
No picky kids saying “ew!” with my version. Everyone loved it including a friend that was over. If you have never made shepherd’s pie or if you’re traumatized from your mom’s version as a kid, try my version. I think you’ll really love this fast and easy, updated shepherd’s pie.
More Ground Beef Slow Cooker Recipes…
Slow Cooker Southwest Tavern Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Stroganoff
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
To make Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie Casserole I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.* My favorite feature of this slow cooker is that it has a stove top function. This is perfect for browning the beef before you slow cook.
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Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Total Time: 54 minute
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
A beefy savory casserole with potatoes, green beans and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 pound yellow or red potatoes, cut into cubes (skins off or on)
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed (or you can use canned, see note)
- 1 cup grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and onions. Break up the ground beef. Brown the ground beef for about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Add in the garlic and saute for 20 seconds. Then stir in the tomato paste, worcestershire, salt, garlic powder and oregano.
- Add the mixture to the slow cooker and then stir in the broth. Add in the yellow potatoes and then top with the green beans.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, or until potatoes are tender. All slow cookers cook differently.
- Remove the lid. Stir in the cheddar and then scoop onto plates and serve.
Notes
If you prefer, you can use canned green beans instead of fresh. Don’t add the beans until after the food has slow cooked. Just drain the green beans and stir them in along with the cheese. They’ll warm through quickly.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I’m with Gina.
Can’t win ’em all! 😂
I made this last night and it was great. I added some Bisto Best gravy powder for a bit of extra flavour, and a lot more Henderson’s Relish (similar to Worcs sauce) and a few shakes of Tabasco for a warming sensation.
★★★★★
Sounds like an amazing version!
Can I use frozen green beans in this recipe the same as fresh?
★★★★★
I haven’t tried it. They may get mushy. You may want to steam them in the microwave and then stir them in.
I made this last night with frozen green beans and they were fine, however they lose a lot of their bright green colour, I would maybe add them in the last hour or hour and half as this will allow them time to cook through and retain their colour.
Thanks for sharing your experience Mark!