Mexican Shepherd’s Pie

Mexican shepherd’s pie is simply addicting. I’m not sure if it’s the ooey-gooey cheesy potato topping or the bold chili flavor in the filling, but I was quite literally eating this out of the pan even after I was truly full from my meal.

♥ Related: Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes

A little Tex-Mex and a little Irish, this one pan meal crosses continents and brings the best of both worlds to one cast iron skillet. This is really easy to pull together—most of the recipe calls for ingredients that are easy to keep on hand in the pantry.

I liked the turkey in this recipe, but you could use any ground meat you like. If you choose to use ground turkey or ground chicken, select a mix that contains both white and dark meat. Using only white meat will make the filling too dry. I also used black beans, but use any canned bean you have on hand.

I created this recipe for Mexican shepherd’s pie as a way to use leftover mashed potatoes. If you don’t have mashed potatoes in the fridge, make a quick batch from your favorite recipe. Instant mashed potatoes would also work pretty well here because the cheese and herbs really level-up the flavor and texture, so don’t be too bashful to reach for a box for this recipe.

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Mexican Shepherd’s Pie | Easy One Pan Meal!

Mexican shepherd's pie is a Tex-Mex twist on a classic comfort food recipe. It's quick, too, using just one pan for a quick and easy dinner with bold flavors and a cheesy mashed potato topping.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Irish, Mexican

Keyword Beef, Chicken, Comfort Food, One Pan Meal, Potatoes, Turkey

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey see note below
• ½ small onion peeled & diced small, ~¼-inch
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced small, ~¼-inch
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tbsp ground cumin
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced; see note below
• 1 tsp adobo sauce from your can of chipotle peppers
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 15.5 oz can black beans see note below
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes see notes
• 4 oz pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese grated
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 scallion sliced thin
• 1 tbsp butter melted
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400F.
• Season ground turkey with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and ground black pepper. Lightly fold in the salt and pepper to incorporate it throughout the meat.

  Heat a 10-12-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil.

  Press your ground turkey into a large patty. It will look like a giant burger. Add it to the skillet and let it sear for about 3 minutes or until the first side is browned.

  Then flip the patty over to sear the other side. It's likely to break up a bit, and this isn't a problem. Just flip in large sections. Let sear for another 3 minutes.

  Then use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat up into crumbles. Cook until the meat is mostly cooked through. Then remove from the pan an into a bowl.
• Add the other 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, and a good pinch of salt. Cook this until the vegetables start to soften and the onion becomes translucent. This will take about 5 minutes.

  Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for another minute.
• Add the tomatoes with all of their juice, the chipotle chili pepper, adobo sauce, chicken stock, and cooked ground turkey. Stir to combine well.

  Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the black beans to the skillet.
• While the shepherd's pie filling is simmering, combine the mashed potatoes, grated cheese, cilantro, and scallions in a bowl. Mix well.
• After the shepherd's pie filling has simmered for 10 minutes, top with the mashed potato mixture. Use a large spoon or disher scoop to portion the potatoes evenly over the top of the filling. Then use a spatula to smooth evenly over the top. I like to leave about 1/2 inch uncovered on the edges because it looks pretty.

  Pour the melted butter over the top of the potatoes.
• Place the skillet in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then flip your oven to broil and let this broil for an additional 5 minutes or so until the mashed potatoes are starting to brown on top.

  Keep a close eye while your pie broils to ensure you don't burn the top.

  Remove from oven and serve. Hot sauce is a great condiment for this dish.

Notes

• Use any ground meat of your choice here, but if you’re using poultry, I recommend a mixture of both dark and white meat for best flavor and texture. White meat only might be too dry. 
• Feel free to use more or less chipotle pepper based on your spice tolerance. 
• Use any canned bean you have in the pantry, I bought black beans at Costco, so I needed to use those! 🙂
• If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, use your favorite recipe to whip up a batch. Or use instant mashed potatoes or pre-made from your grocery store.