A Homemade Shepherd’s Pie for $10.70? Here’s What You’re Really Paying (vs Frozen)
📅 Data from the week of July 21, 2026 — prices vary by store and flyer cycle.
You see a frozen Shepherd’s Pie for $8.99 and think “cheaper than making it.” You’re wrong.
We crunched the real cost of a homemade Shepherd’s Pie — not full packages, just what you actually use. Prices from discount grocers across Canada.
Per-pie ingredient cost (No Frills / Super C)
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lean ground beef | 500 g (half the 1 kg pack) | $4.25 (QC) / $7.50 (ON) |
| Potatoes | ~6 (1 kg) | $2.50 |
| Onion | 1 | $1.50 |
| Carrots | 2-3 (⅓ of bag) | $1.00 |
| Frozen peas | 1 cup (⅓ of bag) | $0.85 |
| Butter + milk | 2 tbsp + ½ cup | $0.45 |
| TOTAL (Quebec) | $10.70 | |
| TOTAL (Ontario/ROC) | ~$13.80 |
A full 9×13 dish. Feeds 6 people. As low as $1.78 per serving in Quebec, $2.30 in Ontario.
Price by store (Rest of Canada)
| Store | Per pie |
|---|---|
| No Frills | ~$13.80 |
| Food Basics | ~$15.00 |
| Walmart | ~$15.50 |
| Loblaws | ~$19.00 |
| Sobeys | ~$19.50 |
The difference is ground beef: $14.99/kg at No Frills vs $24.89/kg at Sobeys.
For our Quebec readers
| Store | Per pie |
|---|---|
| Super C | $10.70 |
| Maxi | ~$11.00 |
| Metro | ~$13.00 |
| IGA | ~$14.50 |
Quebec wins on ground beef — $8.50/kg vs $14.99/kg in Ontario. That’s a $3+ advantage per pie.
Homemade vs frozen
| Total | Serves | Per serving | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homemade (No Frills) | $13.80 | 6 | $2.30 |
| Frozen (St-Hubert) | $8.99 | 2 | $4.50 |
The frozen pie costs 2× more per serving — and it’s processed.
The trap
$8.99 vs $13.80. Your brain says frozen wins. But $8.99 feeds 2. $13.80 feeds 6.
Same money, 3× the food. Real ingredients.
Do the math. Or don’t. Just cook.
