Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

By Samantha Seneviratne

Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
4(5,047)
Notes
Read community notes

Shepherds are in the business of herding sheep, which makes lamb the most obvious choice for this shepherd's pie recipe, but ground beef is a tasty addition. The combination of ground lamb and ground beef is earthy and robust, and keeps lamb’s gaminess in check. Ground lamb tends to be fatty, so this recipe uses lean ground beef to compensate. If you prefer all beef, be sure to use something with a little more fat (and call it a cottage pie, if you like). And if you prefer all lamb, you may want to skim off some of the extra fat after browning the meat.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
  • pounds (about 3 to 4 large) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 8tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½cup whole milk
  • 1cup shredded aged white Cheddar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1small yellow onion, diced small (about 1¼ cups)
  • 2medium carrots, peeled and diced small (about 1¼ cups)
  • 4cloves garlic, minced
  • 4sprigs fresh thyme
  • 24-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
  • ¾pounds lean ground beef
  • ¾pounds ground lamb (or use all ground beef)
  • cup tomato paste
  • 1tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ¾cup beef stock
  • 1cup fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

726 calories; 48 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 31 grams protein; 1073 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance.

  2. Step

    2

    In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using a masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Mix in the hot butter mixture, just until blended. Stir in the Cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

  3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large oven-safe skillet with high sides or an enameled cast-iron braiser (at least 2½-quart capacity) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and the lamb and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. (At this point, you can drain off some of the excess fat if you like.) Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it is well combined, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened slightly. Stir in the parsley and remove the thyme and rosemary stems. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step

    5

    Top the meat mixture with dollops of the mashed potatoes then spread them out over the top. (Or transfer the meat mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish and spread into an even layer, and top with potatoes.) Transfer to the oven and, if the mixture is at the top edges of your pan, set a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any drips. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Stacey K

I added a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as a previous poster suggested, plus 1.25 C of frozen peas with the carrots and onions.

Jessica

Cheese in the mash I have never heard of. Shredded cheese on top is characteristic of a Cumberland pie, but I always add it to my cottage (beef) or shepherds’ (lamb) pies too. Other than that, Worcester sauce essential, garlic unnecessary (it’s in the Worcester sauce) and peas best served on the side. A fat tablespoon of wholegrain mustard is great in the meat sauce, too, if you have it to hand.

Jonathan

Always found shepherd’s pie lacking in many ways but this is a winner. Added celery (same amount as carrot) which increased the veggie count and reduced the carrot sweetness. Now a standard in our home.

gf

To keep fat low, don't add cheese to the potatoes, it's not necessary and isn't really a problem for flavour. You can always sprinkle grated cheese on top of the potatoes if you want. If you drag a fork over the mashed potato topping, it will give it a nice crisping and looks nice. Definitely let it stand before serving or else you get a gloopy mess.

Chris

I always use leftover roast lamb in my version. Get a bigger leg of lamb than you need when doing a Sunday roast and keep the leftovers in the fridge for a Shepherd’s Pie a few days later. I don’t have a meat grinder, so I chop the lamb into a coarse dice by hand while the vegetables (onion, carrot and celery) are cooking. Worcestershire Sauce is a must, while cheese in the mashed potatoes is definitely not traditional.

Suellen

What have you named this new recipe?

Trent

My Only addition to this recipe was I added Worcestershire sauce. It made all the difference. This was easy and utterly delicious.

LFK

Tasty! Modifications: 1) Instead of 3/4 cup stock, boiled alcohol off 1 cup dry red wine, added 1 cup beef stock, reduced all to 3/4 cup; 2) Added 1 Tbs of worcestershire sauce to the reduction; 3) Mixed in a cup of frozen peas prior to adding the potato layer, which I scored w a fork. Cooked everything in a 12" cast iron skillet which had plenty of room. My 10" skillet volume was 2.25 qts. At 30 min., the edge browned nicely, but center was pasty. Fixed by a few minutes under the broiler.

Amy

I put cauliflower in with the mashed potatoes so used less potatoes. Next time, I will only use cauliflower.I used olive oil and the potato water to mash them together instead of butter and milk.I substituted Parmesan cheese for the cheddar.It was really good family friendly, feed a crowd food.

Amanda

This was fantastic! I made some changes, based on all the recommendations here: Added half bag each of frozen peas and frozen corn right before adding potatoes on top, used Yukon golds instead of russets, doubled the cheese in the potatoes, brushed the top with melted butter, added the 2-3 shakes of Worcestershire to the meat, drained about half a cup of fat out, used 1# each of ground lamb and 90/10 ground beef. I will not be waiting until next St Patrick's day to make it again!

Catherine

I vegetarian-ized this recipe with the following changes:+1 carrot+8 oz porcini mushroomssubs. med. onion for small onion+1 cup peas+2.5 tbsp vegetarian worchestire saucesubs. vegetable Better than Bullion for beef broth+10 oz Beyond Beef Beefy CrumblesOmit lamb and beefIt turned out very well! I'll be making this again, perhaps swapping turnips for the potatoes.

April

I've made Shepherd's Pie for years, and fancied an alternate way of doing it. I did the potatoes as suggested, but for the meat, I fried 4 rashers of good quality bacon for the fat. I also didn't add the stock. Instead I added 14.5oz of chopped tomatoes. I did add Worcestershire to the veggies when they were almost done. I also added frozen peas. Its now cooking so I will report back when its done. Oh! And a tip from a Brit... score the potatoes with a fork. It helps to brown.

Geoff G

Added peas and mushrooms, and a turnip to the potatoes. Delish!

Cyndi

I added Worcestershire (1 tb.), whole grain mustard (1 tb.) and frozen peas (3/4 c.) as suggested by others. Instead of cheddar, I used parmesan (2 generous tbs.) in the mashed potatoes and on the top (4 generous tbs.) for a good crisp. Next time, I'll add a little more Worcestershire. It was delicious.

Zach

Substituted a cauliflower mash for the potatoes. A nice healthful twist to the recipe. Obviously not quite as delicious as mashed potatoes but still really good. I would definitely make again.

Peg

I was so excited to make this version of shepherd's pie, as my other recipe is much more time consuming. I made it according to the recipe except used ground beef instead of lamb. It was good, but I didn't find it very flavorful. Next time I will use some of the suggestions here, definitely the worcestershire!

Peg

Update: I had leftovers for lunch today, and it was yummy! I will definitely make it again using some of the suggestions.

Susan W

Used 1 lb of ground lamb and 1 lb of 90/10 ground beef and next time would add celery with the carrots and onions. Also, wish I had read the other comments which suggested scoring the potatoes with a fork and putting under a broiler to get top brown and a little crispier. Also don’t think you need to have 6 T of butter mixed into the potatoes. Next time I’ll use half the butter to save a few calories! Otherwise it was fantastically delicious!

Irene

Followed the recipe except I used Yukon gold potatoes, added mushrooms, peas, and Worcestershire sauce per other reviewers and it turned out wonderfully. It’s a keeper, thank you!

Catherine

Delicious. Added more veg. Corn, fennel, etc. also added hot pepper jelly, mustard, worstershire and Lea and Perrin’s HP. Leftover lamb delicious. Omitted cheese. Increase meat to potatoes

Bettster

This was wonderful! I doubled the recipe for our crowd, added the worcestershire and frozen veggies as suggested by others, and made it in a large cast iron skillet - amazing!

Dee

Very tasty made was written using only lamb, but with two fewer tablespoons of butter.I'd say 4 generous servings with just a salad as dinner.

btw

For the topping, half potatoes and half celeriac - always make mashed potatoes this way. Lighter and delicious.

GLL

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Made this tonight! Followed exactly just added a splash of Worcestershire Sauce. Delicious!!!

TigerLily

I substituted leeks for onions and delicate squash for carrots and it was delish!

Catherine

Increased the vegetables… leeks, fennel, corn etc. added spices.

Too Sweet

No honey too sweet

Ella Biondi

My Liverpudlian mum used Shepard's pie as a catch all for cleaning out the frig. Leftovers from Sunday diner for sure, the gravy plus the veg and ground up roast. But then some sauted mushrooms from breakfast, a pepper added with the onion. The whatever end of cheese mixed with a few stale crumbs were sprinkled on top of the mashed. And then a ceramic bird was positioned in the center, it was supposed to sing when the pie was ready. Don't think it ever did. But was darling.

NLY

try mashing a parsnip into the potato mash. lovely.

Jack

I used this recipe as a base to make a Southern version of Sheppards’ Pie, using 1 lb. of pork sausage and 2 sweet potatoes as the major ingredients and cooked it all in a cast iron skillet. It was easy to prepare and tasted terrific - a wonderful Pi Day alteration!

Penni

Everyone loved it. The mashed Yukon gold potatoes were so high we put the extra in another dish and that got eaten too.Added broccoli, peas, extra garlic and used a large onion

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Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken shepherd's pie filling? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

What is shepherd's pie normally made of? ›

It's traditionally made with minced meat (usually ground lamb), gravy, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. You may also hear it called "cottage pie." The two terms are used interchangeably, but technically traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and traditional cottage pie is made with ground beef.

Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? ›

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

What is a good thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

How do you keep mash from sinking in shepherds pie? ›

To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato. Freeze in individual ovenproof dishes for an easy meal for one.

What is the best bakeware for shepherd's pie? ›

A large oven proof Le Creuset, metal handled frying pan or enamel coated cast iron pan works well. Or you can cook your meat in a frying pan and then transfer it to a ceramic or glass lasagna dish to bake. Alternatively you can make individual pies in ramekins or small ovenproof dishes.

Why is flour used in shepherds pie? ›

This shepherd's pie recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy but if you feel like the meat mixture is too watery, add in another tablespoon and stir to combine. You may also try simmering the mince mixture for longer so that the stock reduces down and thickens.

How is shepherd's pie originally made? ›

And, by doing so, the humble shepherd's pie was born. Originally, the dish contained a pastry shell at the bottom, top, or both. Over time, this morphed into potato slices at the bottom and top of savory minced lamb meat, until it eventually became a topping of mashed potatoes.

What's the difference between a shepherd's pie and a cottage pie? ›

The only significant and steady difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie is the type of meat used. Shepherd's pie traditionally features ground lamb; cottage pie recipes call for ground beef.

Does shepherd's pie have egg in it? ›

Dominic Chapman's shepherd's pie recipe offers a few secrets on how to get it perfect. Adding egg yolks to the mash, which will give the top layer a golden crust, is just one of them.

Why does my potato sink in shepherds pie? ›

Residual moisture from the potatoes will drip into the beef below as it cooks, and too much of it will cause the potatoes to eventually sink. Aside from ridding your potatoes of excess moisture before you mash them, it also helps to cool the beef down, BBC Good Food shares.

Should shepherds pie be runny? ›

If you follow our recipe, your shepherd's pie should be not too thin or too thick. If you end up with a shepherd's pie that is runny, you will need to cook the ground meat mixture a little more to reduce the amount of liquid. It's important to think about the consistency of the meat filling before you assemble the pie.

Why is my shepherd's pie greasy? ›

After cooking the beef, onion, and herbs, be sure to drain the grease out of the pan. Otherwise, you will find yourself with a greasy shepherd's pie. Stir well. Especially when adding the flour and tomato paste.

How do you thicken shepherd's pie without cornstarch? ›

Arrowroot Powder – If you're following the Paleo Diet then Arrowroot Powder is a great alternative to using cornstarch to thicken gravies and sauces.

Why did my pie filling is too runny? ›

If you slice the pie too soon , it just won't set. Why did my blueberry pie turn out runny? Without knowing your method or ingredients its hard to say. My best guess is you didn't use enough thickener( flour or cornstarch) in the filling, or you didnt cook long enough, or you cut it before cooling sufficiently.

Will homemade pie filling thicken as it cools? ›

And, finally, as much as a steaming-hot slice of apple pie sounds appealing, let your pie rest for at least an hour before slicing. The filling will thicken as it cools and don't worry—your pie will still be plenty warm enough to gently melt that scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it.

How do you thicken pie filling before baking? ›

Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish. You'll need to use twice as much as you would with cornstarch.

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