Easy weeknight comfort food recipe that's done in less than an hour!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Six simple, low-cost ingredients
- Ten minutes (or less) of prep time
- No sides needed—that's the beauty of a pot pie!
This easy ground beef pot pie recipe is 1/10 on the difficulty scale but a 10/10 pure comfort food.
And, if you've seen my old fashioned beef and noodles recipe you know how I feel about comfort food.
This homemade pot pie is the answer whether you're a culinary pro looking for a quick, hearty meal (like this hamburger noodle casserole), or a newer cook looking to build some kitchen confidence!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Instead of lean ground beef, try ground turkey, pork, or sausage.
- Make it a chicken pot pie by using leftover shredded chicken.
- Use store-bought pie crust or dough if you prefer it to hamburger pot pie with crescent rolls.
- Stir in some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, or minced clove of garlic if you enjoy those flavor profiles.
- You can use fresh vegetables or canned instead of frozen—whatever is easiest for you! Just make sure they're cut into smaller pieces to cook evenly (I'm looking at you, fresh carrots!)
- Crescent roll dough adds such a delicious sweetness to the savory pie, but your favorite homemade flaky pie crust recipe would be great too. Or, use flattened canned biscuit dough, frozen pie crust, or pastry dough sheets.
- If you don't like using canned ingredients, try my traditional white sauce recipe, and add some mushrooms and beef stock (or beef broth) to make your own cream of mushroom soup!
- No skillet? No problem. Transfer everything to a baking dish or an (at least) 9-inch glass pie plate.
- Out of heavy cream? That's fine: make an egg wash instead with a tablespoon or two of water and the white of one egg. Use it in place of the heavy cream.
- Some people like to serve hamburger pot pie with some fresh parsley and a dollop of sour cream on top. I say, give me some red wine and my meal is complete!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In a large skillet, cook beef and onions.
- Add the mixed vegetables and potatoes.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup.
- Top with refrigerated crescent roll dough and bake.
🥫 Storage
Easy recipes AND delicious leftovers? Count me in!
Refrigerate
Homemade beef pot pie is best served warm out of the oven, but leftovers are tasty the next day, too. Any extras will last a couple of days if they are refrigerated in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
Freeze
You can also seal leftovers in a zipper freezer bag or freezer container and freeze them for up to three months!
Portion out small pieces of pot pie before freezing for easy lunches.
Reheat
The best way to heat leftover beef pot pie is in the oven (or toaster oven) covered with foil.
You can use the microwave, but the buttery pie crust or puff pastry dough may be a tad soggier that way.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Homemade beef pot pie is moist and juicy already. Be sure to use lean ground beef ( I prefer 90/10) or drain off any excess oil from the ground beef mixture left in your skillet.
- Buy pre-diced onion near the produce section to make prep even faster!
- You don't have to remove the skin from the potatoes as long as you use Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes.
- However, the skin from brown potatoes, like Russet potatoes, is a little too tough and not enjoyable to eat.
- Don't forget to salt your water when boiling potatoes.
- Use canned potatoes to make this recipe quicker and easier.
- Season your pot pie to taste after adding the soup! Condensed soups add salt, black pepper, and other flavors, so taste test right before adding the dough on top.
- The heavy cream helps the top crust to get nice, shiny, and crisp—it's a simple step that makes a tasty difference.
- Vent the top crust by making a few holes or slits in it with a sharp knife. This allows excess steam to escape and keeps the crust crisp, not soggy.
- Let the dish cool before cutting into it. Just like fruit pies, pot pie recipes are easier to scoop and portion out if the yummy meat and vegetable filling can thicken up a bit—that only happens as it cools.
👩🍳 FAQs
To make this recipe as easy as possible, we don't use a bottom crust. If you have a second crust left over, I'd recommend making two pot pies and freezing one for another time!
However, if you really want to add a bottom crust, I would pre-bake the bottom crust almost completely in a pie dish first. Then, add the pot pie filling and top crust and bake again.
Typically, one cup of diced onions is about one medium white onion or two small onions. Adding a little less or a little more won't hurt a thing.
It tastes like comfort food in a bowl, similar to a shepherd's or cottage pie recipe. It's loaded with savory beef, gravy, potatoes, and mixed veggies. Can't forget the classic, buttery crust topping! Yum!
📚 Related recipes
- Leftover holiday food? Use it up in this amazing Pot Roast Shepherd's Pie—so good, no one will know it's the remnants from last night's dinner... or, maybe they will, but they definitely won't be mad about it!
- Chicken Pot Pie Skillet is made with yummy, soft biscuits, and flavorful gravy, plus it comes together in just about 30 minutes—triple win!
- With a Southern twist on traditional ingredients, peppery Smoked Sausage Shepherd's Pie is an easy meal full of fantastic flavor.
- We love this Crescent Roll Taco Bake, too. If you have an extra can of crescent rolls give it a try.
🍽️ Serve with...
This hearty meal doesn't need much of a side dish. A quick salad or fried cabbage, some 30-minute Dinner Rolls, and an apple spice bundt cake work together to bring comforting country flavors to your table.
You'll also love this southern meatloaf recipe! Mmmmm!
📞 The last word
I love this easy ground beef casserole all year long. Every bite is full of buttery crust, rich gravy, and seasoned meat and veggies!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Pot Pie
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1-½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 2 cups potatoes, cubed - you can leave the peels on if they are the yukon gold or red skinned types
- 2 cups mixed vegetables, frozen or canned (drain)
- 21 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 ounces crescent roll dough
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
- Add ground beef and onion to a cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are transparent.
- Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile boil the cubed potatoes until tender.
- Drain.
- Add the potatoes to the beef mixture in the skillet.
- Add in the frozen vegetables.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup until well blended.
- Top with the crescent roll dough - you may need to trim the pieces that are too long and use them for the sides.
- Cook for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Brush with heavy cream if desired and return to the oven for 10 minutes. This will give the pot pie a glossy top.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef or drain off any excess fat from the ground beef mixture. left in your skillet.
- Buy pre-diced onion near the produce section to make prep even faster!
- You don't have to remove the skin from the potatoes as long as you use Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes.
- However, the skin from brown potatoes, like Russet potatoes, is a little too tough and not enjoyable to eat.
- Don't forget to salt your water when boiling potatoes.
- Instead of boiling the potatoes, you could use canned potatoes (homemade or store-bought) to turn this into a delicious one-dish casserole recipe!
- Season your pot pie to taste after adding the soup! Condensed soups add salt, black pepper, and other flavors, so taste test right before adding the dough on top.
- The heavy cream helps the top crust to get nice and shiny and crisp—it's a simple step that makes a tasty difference.
- Vent the top crust by making a few holes or slits in it with a sharp knife. This allows excess steam to escape and keeps the crust crisp, not soggy.
- Let the dish cool before cutting into it. Just like fruit pies, pot pie recipes are easier to scoop and portion out if the yummy meat and vegetable filling can thicken up a bit—that only happens as it cools.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published June 5, 2023. Last updated September 10, 2023, for editorial corrections and more helpful content .
Karin Meeks says
can I make this in a glass oblong 9x13 for a pot luck dinner?
Marye says
Yes - you'll likely need to double the recipe. 🙂
Dan says
Easy peasy!
Michelle Bogart says
This is my second recipe of yours that I have made since I started cooking again. The first was the Cowboy Casserole. I have been told your pot pie is another keeper. Thanks also for the tip on the frozen onions. I hate cutting up things and some of my cooking reticence is all the chopping. I worried because the bag says chopped onions and shows large pieces - but it's actually diced! I did use the canned potatoes in this, and they worked just fine. We will be trying your easy chicken taco casserole recipe on Wednesday.