This Beef and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie is big time comfort food! I took a tasty twist on the traditional filling by adding lentils, barley and lots of veggies. I’m all about simple cooking with nutritional impact, and lentils in particular, pack a punch of protein, fiber and minerals.
Lentils can go way beyond the soups and stews, y’all. Think salads, smoothies and even desserts! But for now, they’re going into this yummy beef and lentil shepherd’s pie recipe, and it’s delicious!
Try my chicken Mexi-bowl recipe with lentils too!
The lentils you see most often on grocery store shelves are whole green lentils and split red lentils. Split lentils have their seed coat removed, and the inner part of the lentil has been split in half. Here’s a pic of the lentils in my pantry, so you can see the difference in thickness. (It takes split lentils about half the time to cook.)
Pssst, packaged lentils should be stored in airtight containers in a dry, dark cool location (like in a pantry or on a cupboard shelf) for up to a year.
Lentils are simple to cook (rinse, simmer, serve), but here’s a tip to make preparation even easier. You can puree and freeze lentils in specific quantities, so the next time you need some for a recipe, just thaw out the needed portion. Smart, right?
I love them because in spite of their tiny size, there’s a whopping amount of protein and fiber. In a 100 gram serving of whole green lentils, there are 26 grams of protein, and in the same size serving of split red lentils, there are 18 grams of fiber.
Now you can see why I used them in my shepherd’s pie recipe.
To make the filling for the beef and lentil shepherd’s pie, I sauteed some carrots, onion and garlic, and separately browned some ground beef.
I added everything to a big stockpot along with beef broth, lentils, barley, tomatoes, peas, corn and seasonings and let all those flavors simmer together for 30-40 minutes.
While that was simmering, I made some homemade mashed potatoes for the topping.
The filling went into the bottom of a large casserole dish.
And the mashed potatoes were smoothed over the top.
The whole thing went into the oven for 30 minutes.
I stuck mine under the broiler for just a couple minutes at the end to brown the potatoes too, and then I let the meal sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before serving.
It was oh, so yummy!
Tip: Individual servings can be frozen and reheated.
Beef and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup diced carrots
- ½ sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup split red lentils rinsed and drained
- ½ cup pearl barley
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 14.5- oz can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 14.5- oz can green peas drained
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
- 4 pounds golden potatoes peeled and quartered
- â…“ cup milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute carrots and onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Transfer to large stock pot and add beef broth, lentils, barley, thyme and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in corn, green peas and tomatoes; continue simmering another 10 minutes.
- While lentils are simmering, brown ground beef, and cook potatoes. Place potatoes in large stockpot; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover loosely and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Mash. Season with butter, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add ground beef to beef stock mixture.
- Lightly grease a 3 quart baking dish and pour lentil mixture into dish. Use a spatula to spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef/lentil mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned on top. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving.
Jill Brown says
A soupy soggy mess. It was a lot of work, requiring several pans but the end result wasn’t there, We ate it but any leftovers went to the disposal.
Liz says
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out the way you liked. It’s definitely more of a casserole, so it won’t hold its shape, but I totally understand that’s not for everyone.
Ruth says
I made a few changes to accommodate ingredients on hand (less meat, more lentils, way less potato) but otherwise stayed basically true to the recipe. My “ew lentils?!” teen gobbled it up so it’s clearly a winner and was a perfect after work dinner on this early fall evening. Thank you!
Liz says
Wonderful! That’s saying a lot when a picky person does some gobbling! Yay!
Sharon says
Great recipe, and it freezes well. Thanx for sharing.
Jackie Comeau says
Hi! Looks great – how many servings does this recipe yield (and approximate size of each serving)? Thanks in advance!
Liz says
I was able to get 12+ servings out of it, but you could potentially get even more. My servings were big spoonfuls about 1 to 1 1/2 cups in size. 🙂
Janet Vinyard says
Hi Liz, This recipe sounds so delicious – I love lentils! Welcome to NC – I live in Charlotte. Thanks for sharing this great recipe! Blessings, Janet
Jake Tyler says
I love comfort food, and this looks delicious! YUM!
Lisa Favre says
It’s nice to see a different take on the Shepherd’s Pie. I always loved it growing up but I’ve been wanting to try one with a different twist!
Christina Aliperti says
I may or may not have just drooled on my desk! This looks absolutely delicious and so hearty.
Louise Bishop says
I was just getting ready to fix dinner and now I want this instead of my planned dinner. haha This looks divine!
Joyce Brewer (@MommyTalkShow) says
I’ve had canned lentil soup, but never made it myself. Thanks for the reminder that it’s a healthy, protein-filled meal.
Rosey says
I haven’t tried lentils!! Unreal because I’m guessing I’d like them. I like the long shelf life they have too. Sheperds Pie is a favorite of my oldest son. Bet he’d love if I made this the next time he’s over for a dinner visit. Comfort food at its finest. 🙂
Dawn McAlexander says
That looks amazing! I would love to try this recipe. I bet it is really filling and delicious. It’s the type of recipe that I love to try.
Kiwi says
Liz you are making me drool! This looks delish great shepherd pie recipe!
Kristi says
Oh this looks like a great meal on a cold winter day and a chance for me to try using lentils for the first time. Thanks for the idea!.
Liz says
You’ll be hooked on lentils after this!
Tonya says
This looks like a yummy recipe and I love that it’s so easy to make. This would make the perfect comfort meal sometime this winter.
Liz says
Yep, it’s all about comfort food for me at this time of year!
Ann Bacciaglia says
I am always looking for healthy twists to recipes. This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to get the ingredients I need to make some for dinner this week.
Liz says
I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did.
Seattle Travel Blogger says
I like your pictures here.
This looks like an excellent dish to prepare.
Liz says
Thank you! We loved it, that’s for sure!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This looks SO flavorful! My family loves shepherd’s pie, this looks amazingly delicious!
Liz says
Isn’t it just the most comforting meal?!
dana vento says
I love to eat beef shepherds lentil pie. The recipe and the instructions are very great.
Liz says
It’s such a great cold weather food!
Ourfamilyworld says
Looks so healthy and delicious. I am not familiar about lentil and it sounds interesting.
Liz says
This would make a perfect intro to lentils for you. 🙂
Tonia @TheChattyMomma says
I hadn’t ever heard of beef and lentil shepherds pie. I’m always up for trying new things though.
Liz says
I get stuck in a rut too often, so I like trying new things as well!
Kristin says
I love lentil soup. They are so under used. I need to try this.
Liz says
They really are under used! I think people just don’t know how to work with them.
Janell Poulette says
I love shepherds pie, and this sounds like a yummy twist. I never cook with lentils because i guess i didnt know how versatile they were. I am going to add this to the dinner plan for this week!
Liz says
I think your family will love it! Enjoy!
Theresa says
I just started cooking with lentils recently (I’ve been living under a rock, obviously!) I love how you incorporated them into shepherd’s pie. It sounds like an awesome way to stretch the meat budget!
Liz says
For sure! The price of meat sure isn’t going down, and lentils have lots of protein!
Reesa Lewandowski says
I was just talking about how I have never tried lentils before! I would love to make this!
Liz says
It took me a long time to start using them too. I love them now though!
Pam says
I don’t really cook with lentils, and I don’t know why. They’re really versatile and healthy.
Liz says
Now’s the time to start!
Kelly Hutchinson says
This is a recipe my husband would love. It is hearty and healthy and perfect for a winter night!
Liz says
I’m thinking the same thing!
Colleen Lanin says
That looks absolutely amazing. I love shepherd’s pie. I make it all the time, in fact. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Liz says
Really? I’ve been missing out for years. I’ve eaten it many times, but never made it.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That sounds really good! I love that you included lentils. They’re one of my favorite legumes, and they’re incredibly healthy.
Liz says
I’m so glad they worked out so well in the recipe. The extra nutrition is a big plus!
Meagan says
This sounds delicious. I have never tried lentils in a shepherds pie before.
Liz says
They work really well, and they’re a great source of protein and fiber.
Chanelle says
Give this to me
Liz says
It’s your fault for moving an hour away. lol