Flavorful leeks, tender mushrooms, and gooey white cheddar take this leek mushroom shepherd’s pie over the top! Easy to throw together on a weeknight and everyone’s favorite comfort food.

While we’re definitely not winning any dinner beauty contests today, can we all just agree that shepherd’s pie takes home the comfort food prize every dang time??
I mean, we’re talking rich beef gravy, hearty vegetables and beef, a generous layer of creamy mashed potatoes, and lots of gooey cheese baked on top. It’s the king of comfort food dinners.
Definitely not pretty to look at but dang, if it doesn’t just hit the spot during these cold winter-to-spring transition days.

Our version of shepherd’s pie today is SUPER veggie heavy with lots of lovely mildly-flavored leeks, tender mushrooms, hearty carrots, and peas. It bulks up the beef gravy to the point where it makes this a super filling, stick-to-your-ribs dinner!
This Leek Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie features…
- A rich stout beef gravy with browned ground beef
- Tender leeks, mushrooms, carrots, and peas
- Layers of creamy mashed potatoes and white cheddar cheese baked on top

Making the Leek Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ground beef
- Vegetable oil
- Leeks
- Carrot
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Thyme
- All-purpose flour
- Beef broth
- Stout beer
- Peas
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Milk
- White cheddar cheese
- Parsley
Choosing Your Potatoes
We recommend using a mild, creamy potato for this shepherd’s pie such as Yukon golds, baby golds, or yellow potatoes.
We prefer to peel the potatoes for a super-creamy texture, but you could also keep them on for some added nutrients and texture (plus ease!)

Tips for Perfect Shepherd’s Pie
- Wash leeks well – leeks hold a lot of dirt, so make sure you peel back all the layers and rinse them off in cold water to remove all the dirt.
- Cut vegetables into uniform size – you want the vegetables the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Cook beef and vegetables separately – they will cook at different time rates so for best results cook them separately.
- Dry potatoes before mashing – once the potatoes are boiled and drained, allow them to sit in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel about 10 minutes to dry them out. This makes for a creamier mash.
- Heat butter and milk for mashed potatoes – you want the butter melted and the milk warm for the best mashed potatoes. We typically heat them on the stove or in the microwave until just steaming.
- Broil cheese top – optional, but we love the touch of crispiness the cheese gets!
Recipe Variations
Want to change up this recipe a bit? Try these modifications!
- Skip the meat – you can easily leave out the ground beef (or replace with another veggie) and replace the beef broth with veggie broth for a vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
- Swap out veggies – try zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, or sweet pepper.
- Make it alcohol-free – simply replace the beer with another 1/2 cup beef broth.
Make Ahead Instructions
This shepherd’s pie is so easy to prep ahead of time for an easy weeknight dinner! Once everything is assembled in the pan, you can bake it right away or store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Leftovers of the baked shepherd’s pie may be stored in the refrigerator up to 6 days and reheat well in the microwave.

This is just one of those hearty dinners you’ll want to hang on to! The flavorful leeks and mushrooms add the perfect savory element and combined with the gooey white cheddar topping…it’s one for the cozy food record books.
Definitely isn’t the prettiest, but heck is it ever the tastiest.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More potato favorites to add to your dinner menu!
- Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes
- Pan Fried Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
- Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes
White Cheddar Leek Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
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Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups finely-chopped leeks
- 1 cup carrot, sliced into 1/4-in thick coins
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms (shiitakes, buttons, etc)
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup stout beer
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
Potato Topping
- 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-in cubes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup 2% or skim milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Filling
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef in skillet until no longer pink, then drain and transfer to a bowl.
- Heat oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, mushrooms, and carrots and saute 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender. Add garlic, thyme, and flour and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Fold beef into vegetables then gradually begin to add beef broth and beer to pan, stirring until sauce is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until sauce is bubbly and thickened.
- Remove filling from heat and fold in peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pour into the bottom of a Dutch oven pot or a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside for a moment.
Potato Topping
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and allow potatoes to dry out 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, swirling pan occasionally. Add milk to butter and heat until milk is just steaming.
- Mash potatoes well with butter/milk mixture until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over shepherd's pie filling. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake shepherd's pie at 400F 25-30 minutes until potato topping is golden-brown and filling is bubbly. Optionally, broil shepherd's pie 2-3 minutes to crisp up top a bit. Top shepherd's pie with parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
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