Costco Shepherd's Pie Review

This review will walk you through our review of the Costco Kirkland Shepherd's pie, what we liked about it and what we didn't.

Does Costco Make Shepherd's Pie?

Yes! There have been a few versions of the Costco shepherd's pie, some with shredded cheese, some in a circle-shaped baking dish. This is the current 2023 version of the Costco Kirkland Signature Shepherd's Pie in Canada that you will see in my photos. There might be variations depending on where you live.

While picking up a pre-cooked meal last weekend in the refrigerated section of the store, I was immediately drawn to this simple meal that is a classic in many family households. The price wasn't too bad so I knew I had to try it!

This shepherd's pie has a good weight to it, probably because there are a lot of mashed potatoes inside! This could potentially provide 8 servings, but most people will probably want to eat more than that in order to feel full.

Costco Shepherd's Pie Ingredients

Wondering what's inside Costco's shepherd's pie? There are quite a few ingredients as you can see in the image above. I've also listed them out nicely for you here as they can be hard to read from the photo.

Ingredients: Beef and/or veal, vegetable sauce (water, onion, green peas, corn, seasoning [sugars [glucose solids, dextrose, maltodextrin], flour, modified cornstarch, canola oil, hydrolyzed soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, [ tomato, onion, beet, garlic], modified cellulose, beef extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, yeast extract, citric acid, salt, color, artificial flavor] , chicken base [sugars [maltodextrin, dextrose, sugar, glucose solids], chicken fat, corn flour, hydrolyzed soy and corn proteins, flavor, silica, salt, spices, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, turmeric, citric acid, herbs] modified cornstarch, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate), mashed potatoes (potatoes, milk ingredients, cheddar cheese, salt, water, potassium sorbate, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, spice) dried parsley.

Costco Shepherd's Pie Directions

This shepherd's pie from Costco is very easy to bake! Just preheat the oven, remove the lid and bake straight from the dish. Here's a quick overview:

1. Preheat the oven to 320F (160C).
2. Remove the plastic lid and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the shepherd's pie is fully heated all the way through. The internal temperature should reach 170°F (77°C) to be fully cooked.
3. Let it cool slightly then use a spatula or large spoon to scoop the shepherd's pie into bowls to serve.

Helpful Tip: I recommend using bowls to serve this recipe as there is an oily liquid that comes from the ground beef layer. Eating in a bowl will help to avoid any spills.

How Long Do You Cook Costco Shepherd's Pie?

You can cook it for 35 to 40 minutes. This should be long enough to heat it all the way through. I do recommend checking to make sure that everything is hot before serving. You can use a meat thermometer and check to see if it reaches 170°F (77°C).

Helpful Tip: I also found the container that the Shepherd's Pie came in was a little wobbly and hard to hold. By placing it on a baking sheet you have something wider and sturdier to grab while you remove it from the oven. This will prevent any possible spilling in the oven.

Can You Freeze The Shepherd's Pie From Costco?

Yes! This meal freezes very well! Just place in the freezer for up to 3-4 months for maximum freshness. You can actually freeze it for up to 1 year, but the longer you freeze, the more freezer burn can happen.

Cooking Instructions From Frozen

If you freeze this Costo meal before preparing it, you can easily add it frozen to the oven! Here are the instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F.
2. Remove the lid and cover the top with foil. Bake for 15 minutes covered. This will create a steam pocket helping the meal to thaw faster.
3. Remove the foil then bake another 30-40 minutes, or until the meal is fully heated through and reaches an internal temperature of 170°F (77°C) to be fully cooked. I would check after 20 minutes to see how it's doing, you don't want to overbake it.

How To Store Leftovers

Leftover shepherd's pie makes the perfect hot lunch! This meal can easily be stored in the fridge or freezer.

• REFRIGERATE – Leftover shepherd's pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• FREEZE – You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can also freeze the entire shepherd's pie directly in the container it came in the freezer for up to 6 months. We recommend placing it in the fridge to thaw overnight before you plan to cook, but you can also cook from frozen.
• REHEAT – Use a microwave to reheat leftovers or add them back to an oven-safe dish and reheat at 350°F until it is warmed all the way through.

What Does Shepherd's Pie Taste Like?

We found this Costco meal to have a pretty good flavor! The top layer tastes like yukon gold mashed potatoes, but there are certainly spices added to them so they are not just boring and bland.

Some people have complained that there used to be more salt added to the mashed potatoes. This will depend on your personal taste and how much salt you like. For us, we thought it was fine.

Below the mashed potatoes is a layer of meat made from ground beef or veal in a gravy sauce with peas, corn and chopped onion. The gravy sauce was pretty delicious, but it was also a bit oily which we didn't love.

This oily liquid is why I recommend serving in a bowl. There is a lot of liquid that come out of Shepherd's pie and a plate would make it easier to spill.

As I dug around the tray (you know, for the review purposes that we're doing here) I noticed that there wasn't an even layer of the meat. There were some holes where there were just mashed potatoes. I'm not sure if every Shepherd's Pie tray is like this or if we just got one.

The layers in height were not even. About ¼ of it is ground beef in gravy, and ¾ make up the mashed potato layer.

The meal is more similar to a cottage pie than a shepherd's pie. Traditionally a Shepherd's pie is made using minced lamb. Cottage pie is traditionally made using ground beef that's smothered in gravy and topped with a layer of mashed potatoes.

Topping Ideas

We liked the flavors but definitely wanted to add some toppings to the mashed potatoes as on their own there was just too much and it needed a little something. Here are a few ideas of what you could add for more flavor:

• CHEESE - Many people have noticed that there used to be shredded cheese on top of these and they have recently changed this. You can easily sprinkle your own on halfway through baking to add more flavor.
• KETCHUP - A drizzle of ketchup on top is a classic sauce to serve with meatloaf and shepherd's pie recipes.
• BARBECUE SAUCE - Try adding a bit of your favorite barbecue sauce for a different flavor.
• HOT SAUCE - If you want a spicier kick try adding some franks red hot sauce.
• SALSA - A spoonful of salsa can also add great flavor.

Costco Shepherd's Pie Price

I bought this Shepherd's Pie at a Costco in Canada for $22.36 (Canadian dollars). Pricing is based on the weight. This equals about $16.29 usd. The price will vary on the location and will probably be cheaper in the USA.

I thought it was an okay price because there are probably 6-8 servings in it making it about $3 per serving. That's not going to be the same for everyone. I know that some people can easily eat more of this in one serving! So if you think you can only get 2 or 3 servings out of it then it will definitely seem a little expensive.

Costco Shepherd's Pie Calories

The Costco Kirkland Shepherd's Pie contains about 460 calories in ⅛ of the tray. Many people would eat more than ⅛th of the tray in one serving.

What Are The Macros Of Costco Shepherd's Pie?

The macros are 21 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 28 grams of protein and 1010 mg of sodium.

Where Is It Located In Store?

You can find this item in the pre-made meal section that's near the deli and refrigerated meat section of your local Costco warehouse. The item number is 17673.

What To Serve Shepherd's Pie With?

This is an easy recipe to eat on its own as the potatoes and ground beef create the perfect comforting and filling meal. We opted to round our meal out with a homemade salad to help make this last longer.

Here are a few ideas to serve it with:

• QUINOA SALAD - You can make your own quinoa salad or buy the Costco quinoa salad to pair with this meal. Any favorite side salad would taste great!
• TOAST OR BUNS - Fresh buns, our homemade dutch oven bread (it's so easy ot make), or a bag of fresh buns from Costco will help soak up that extra gravy liquid!
• FRENCH FRIES - Yes there are already potatoes in this meal but a side of french fries or sweet potato fries would also taste great.
• FROZEN VEGETABLES - For an easy healthy addition, add some steamed or baked vegetables.

Would We Eat It Again?

My husband and I give this a flavor Rating of 7/10

Overall, we personally enjoyed this meal and found it flavorful enough, filling and satisfying. We would definitely purchase it again based on the price, convenience and flavor.

We also loved the idea of how easy it is to freeze. Next time I will freeze it in half-size portions to create two separate meals. We also want to try the chicken pot pie!

Have you tried the Costco shepherd's pie? What did you think of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!