While making a shepherd's pie, which is essentially beef stew topped with potatoes, from scratch takes about an hour and a half, a simple trick can cut the time down to 25 minutes.

As substitutes for the ground beef and other leftovers you add to a shepherd's pie, a 20-ounce can of Dinty Moore Stew and instant mashed potatoes check off all the right boxes.

Dinty Moore Stew contains beef (though it's chunked beef instead of ground), potatoes, carrots, tomato paste, and a bit of mushroom extract that adds more savoriness to the dish.

The trick is to layer the stew into the baking dish first and then the instant mashed potatoes. This method is also cost-effective as it will set you back only about four bucks.

Additionally, using this trick will satisfy your craving without forcing you to buy all of the ingredients or wait until you have the right kind of leftovers to make the dish.