Craving some comfort food but don’t want to feel weighed down? This Mason Jar Shepherd’s Pie Meal Prep is packed with veggies and is the perfect grab and go lunch!
How To Lighten Up This Shepherd’s Pie Meal Prep
I love shepherd’s pie. Like really love shepherd’s pie. I hated the taste of lamb growing up but when shepherd’s pie was served, I was the first to grab seconds! Every once in a while, I’ll get that craving for shepherd’s pie but holy smokes is lamb expensive. To make it more affordable, I usually substitute for ground beef. Also, I love packing a bunch of veggies into my shepherd’s pie to make it healthier/not have to serve an extra side of vegetables but it’s a great method of lightening up the shepherd’s pie!
I love using the “blend and extend” method where I cut down the beef by around 25%. The blend and extend method is where I blend mushrooms into a dish to bring an additional serving of vegetables to the recipe and add volume so the portions can be extended despite there being less meat. It saves me a bit of money, bulks up the dish without it feeling heavy, and I get my veggies in. It’s a win-win!
Also – before I get yelled at that this isn’t a traditional shepherd’s pie, I just wanted to say I know!!! This is just one of the many ways that I like to make mine as while I really would love shepherd’s pie at lunch, I don’t want something super heavy as it’ll put me in a food coma at work.
Quick tip: the fastest way to dice up a bunch of mushroom quickly and finely is to just toss it into a food processor and have that do the work for you! I also tossed my garlic, carrots, and onions into the food processor for this recipe as well to save time and chopping!
What You’ll Need To Make This Mason Jar Shepherd’s Pie Meal Prep
- olive oil
- onion
- ground beef
- salt and pepper
- garlic
- mushrooms
- broccoli
- carrots
- tomato paste
- Worcestershire Sauce
- peas
- mashed potato recipe of your choice!
How To Meal Prep Shepherd’s Pie
- In a pan on medium heat, add in some olive oil and onions. Let the onions sweat out for 2-3 minutes before adding in the ground beef.
- Once the ground beef starts to brown, add your salt and pepper. Give it a good stir before adding in the minced garlic.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding in mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce.
- Continue cooking and stirring for another 4-5 minutes until the beef is cooked all the way through and your vegetables are tender or cooked to your liking.
- Right before you are done, stir in your frozen peas. After they’ve been heated through, take the dish off the heat.
- Portion into your meal prep containers and then top with some mashed potatoes.
Tips and Notes On Making This Shepherd’s Pie Meal Prep
- If the mushrooms release too much liquid, be sure to drain it before serving.
- I add my broccoli and carrot closer to the end because I want them to still have a crunch to them. However, if you prefer your vegetables to be softer, add them earlier such as with the onions.
- I skipped the traditional flour + broth simmer route for this shepherd’s pie rendition as I wanted to cut down on time. Traditionally, you add in flour and broth and then summer for up to 20 – 30 minutes to make a thick sauce for shepherd’s pie – if you have an extra 20 – 30 minutes, you can totally go for it but this recipe was designed to be quicker for weekly meal prep sessions. It’s totally up to you! :)
- The easiest way that I make mashed potatoes is I cut + peel 1 lb of russet potatoes and put it in a Dutch Oven with water. Bring it to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water, mash with a masher and add in 1/2 cup of milk and a bit of butter until it’s smooth.
- If you don’t want to use mashed potatoes, an alternative is to top with mashed sweet potato, tater tots, or cauliflower mash!
- I used a mix of mason jars to store this recipe – from leftover jam jars, to weck jars, to regular mason jars. If properly sealed in an airtight container, this shepherd’s pie meal prep should last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Mason Jar Shepherd’s Pie Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 0.8 lbs ground beef
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 454 grams mushrooms, diced finely, approximately 5 cups worth after diced.
- 1 broccoli crown, cut into small florets
- 2 carrots, diced finely
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1-1.5 cup peas
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
Instructions
- In a pan on medium heat, add in some olive oil and onions. Let the onions sweat out for 2-3 minutes before adding in the ground beef.
- Once the ground beef starts to brown, add your salt and pepper. Give it a good stir before adding in the minced garlic.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding in mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce.
- Continue cooking and stirring for another 4-5 minutes until the beef is cooked all the way through and your vegetables are tender or cooked to your liking.
- Right before you are done, stir in your frozen peas. After they’ve been heated through, take the dish off the heat.
- Portion into your meal prep containers and then top with some mashed potatoes.
Notes
- I add my broccoli and carrot closer to the end because I want them to still have a crunch to them. However, if you prefer your vegetables to be softer, add them earlier such as with the onions.
- I skipped the traditional flour + broth simmer route for this shepherd’s pie rendition as I wanted to cut down on time. Traditionally, you add in flour and broth and then summer for up to 20 – 30 minutes to make a thick sauce for shepherd’s pie – if you have an extra 20 – 30 minutes, you can totally go for it but this recipe was designed to be quicker for weekly meal prep sessions. It’s totally up to you! 🙂
- The easiest way that I make mashed potatoes is I cut + peel ~1 lb of russet potatoes and put it in a Dutch Oven with water. Bring it to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water, mash with a masher and add up to 1/2 cup of milk and a bit of butter, mix until it’s smooth.
- The mushrooms are 454 grams = 1 lbs. My grocery store packages mushrooms in 227 grams packages and I used two.
Nutrition Per Serving
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR MEAL PREPPING
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
- Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget
- 7 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
- 5 Freezer Friendly Marinades
MORE MEAL PREP RECIPES TO TRY
- Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Vietnamese Grill Chicken Meal Prep
- Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- Instant Pot Coconut Thai Curry Chicken
- Curry Shrimp Meal Prep
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
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