Shepherd’s Pie is the sort of food that brings a smile to everyone’s face! Lamb in a rich gravy sauce with a scattering of peas, a creamy potato topping, and that awesome golden cheese crust, make this once and you’ll make it over and over again! (PS Use beef instead of lamb for Cottage Pie).
Shepherd’s Pie
When I shared my Cottage Pie on Facebook, there was almost an all out cyber-war about whether it was in fact Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie. 😂
So let me just answer the burning question first, to get that out of the way:
What’s the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie??
Cottage Pie is made with beef and Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb.
Shepherds herd sheep. Not cows. That’s how I remember it!!
Other than beef vs lamb, they are essentially exactly the same recipe.
So a Shepherd’s Pie made with beef is Cottage Pie, and Cottage Pie made with lamb is Shepherd’s Pie!
What is Shepard’s Pie
If you’re new to Shepherd’s Pie (also spelled Shepard’s Pie), let me be the first to welcome you to your new favourite comfort food. Essentially, it’s lamb and veggies smothered in a gravy – and who doesn’t love an excuse for tons and tons of gravy?
All those times you were limited to just a small drizzle on a few slices of roast lamb because there wasn’t enough to go around… Bah! This is how you get your gravy fix!!
How to make Shepherd’s Pie
A really good Shepherd’s Pie should always start with a soffrito – that is, onion, garlic, carrots and celery sautéed on a lowish heat until sweet. It’s the secret to a great flavour base that’s a technique used widely by many cuisines, such as Italian cooking (for example, this Italian Shredded Beef Ragu).
After this, we cook the ground / mince meat – traditionally lamb but equally delicious made with beef – before adding flour (which thickens the sauce) and gravy flavourings (beef broth, tomato paste, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce and red wine which is optional).
Simmer until the sauce is thickened, spread in a baking dish then top with creamy mashed potato (the creamier = easier to spread). To make the top beautifully golden and extra crispy, I like to drizzle with a bit of butter and parmesan. You’ll see how amazing it looks when it comes out of the oven in the recipe video!
What to serve with Shepherd’s Pie
When it comes to choosing sides for your Shepherd’s pie, try Glazed Roasted Carrots or perhaps Sautéed Garlic Spinach. The only other thing you need is a glass of red and a crackling fire…
Tips for making Shepherd’s Pie
There are a few stages to making Shepherd’s Pie, but it’s a straightforward recipe. There’s just two little things that you don’t see in most recipes, little things that bugged me:
Cool the filling before topping with potato: It thickens and makes it easier to spread the potato across the top and it stops the potato weeping into the filling;
Creamier mashed potato = easier to spread and just an all round better eating experience. I just don’t like dry, very firm mash. When I break through the mash, I want it to be borderline collapsing, rather than being able to cut cleanly through it like cake.
I stress again – these are little things that bug me, so feel free to by-pass them! – Nagi x
PS One last time – Cottage Pie is made with beef. Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb! 😂 (Shepherd’s herd SHEEP!)
Watch how to make it
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make this Shepherd’s Pie recipe!
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Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 carrot , finely chopped
- 1 rib celery , finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp each dried thyme and rosemary (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 sprig rosemary)
- 750g (1.5 lb) ground lamb (mince) OR beef
- 1/4 cup flour , plain/all purpose
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock / broth
- 1/2 cup red wine (or water)
- 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled (OXO brand crumbles easily)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves , dried or fresh
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
Mashed Potato
- 1.2kg (2.2 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes
- 2/3 cup milk (whole or low fat)
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
Cheesy crust
- 2 – 3 tbsp grated parmesan , optional
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter , melted
- Fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots, celery, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened and sweet.
- Cook lamb – Turn heat up to high. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
- Make sauce – Add flour and mix in. Add tomato paste, broth, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir well.
- Simmer and thicken – Bring to simmer, then turn down heat so it is simmering rapidly – I have it on medium. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to a thick gravy consistency (Note 1) (see video).
- Cool – Add salt and pepper, taste, then add more if you like. Transfer Filling to 1.5 litre / 1.5 quart pie baking dish. Stir through peas. Cover, then refrigerate to cool for 1 – 2 hours or overnight (optional, Note 2)
Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (both fan and standard).
- Boil potatoes – Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add water so it’s 10cm / 4” above potatoes. Bring to a boil then cook for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain then return potatoes into the pot on the turned off stove. Allow to steam dry for 30 seconds or so (Note 3).
- Mash – Add butter and mash until melted, then add milk, salt and pepper. Mash until it's soft and smooth (ie spreadable, but not sloppy), adjusting with a touch more milk if required.
- Spread mash onto pie, use a fork to draw squiggles over the surface. Sprinkle with parmesan, drizzle with butter.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until deep golden on top and bubbling on the edges. Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.
- Stand for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More cosy pies!
Life of Dozer
Flashback to when Dozer destroyed his ACL (rear knee) back when I first shared this recipe in June 2018. He underwent surgery and was 2 weeks into a 4 month recovery period, and under strict instructions to remain confined to a small space.
It was very challenging for this highly active dog. But his patience was rewarded, he is back to his wild antics at the beach!
Outstanding! Also not normally much of a commenter, but it turned out better than I could have imagined. I made a sort of “Hunter’s Pie” using ground elk and adding mushrooms and green beans. I cooked the mushrooms in a bit of butter in a pan until they were nice and brown and then placed them on top of the mashed potato before topping with the parmesan! 😘🤌
This is the best shepherds pie I have ever made. All my family said it was delicious. My grandson has put in a request for me to make it again as he liked it so much and that’s great coming from a 10 year old.
Absolutely delicious and my family loved the recipe! Have made it 3 times already and it’s a crowd pleaser (for all my kids)
I rarely ever comment but this recipe is too spot on perfect and delicious to not comment. I used ground beef (85% lean). Not only were the steps easy to follow (I never watched the video) the tips and notes were extremely helpful, and I did add the cheese to the mashed potatoes. I will make this again! Thank you!
I’ve never had a more lovely Shepherds Pie! The depth of flavor that comes together is the stuff of dreams! Bake in a 2.5-3.0L dish. Thanks for this impressive recipe!
Delicious!!! 😋 Cooked this yummy Shepherd’s Pie with beef . Will be making it again. It’s a winner, thank you Nagi. Love your recipes! 🤩
Great recipe.
I have made it about 20 times, only change is beans not peas. Lamb mince from butcher=next level.
Prep time is 1hr 40m, then let it rest (fridge for a couple of hours for safety then out for 3 hours) and cook 35min. at 175
Have been making this on repeat – it’s perfect.
Amazing! Thanks Nagi as always for sharing your wonderful and yummy recipes!
So comforting on a cold winter night. Great flavour and I ended with a 10 minute grill to get the topping crunchy. Love this 😀
I made the other night but had to substitute Worcestershire sauce (just added a bit of honey and red wine vinegar instead), also I didn’t have red wine so added white instead. And also I had leave out peas cos didn’t have those either haha but rest was followed to a t. Was delicious!! Thank you!
I made the other night but had to substitute Worcestershire sauce (just added a bit of honey and red wine vinegar instead), also I didn’t have red wine so added white instead. And also I had leave out peas cos didn’t have those either haha but rest was followed to a t. Was delicious!! Thank you! Next time I’ll try it with beef
Our family loves SO many of your recipes, Nagi…and maybe this is just me…but when I click on “Chicken Pot Pie” on your homepage, it takes me to the Shepherd Pie recipe. Both very good but thought I’d let you know (and as I said, it might just be me being technologically challenged, LOL!). 🙂
So good!!! Best shepherd’s pie. Thank you x
I made this the other day – I had all day to do it so it was easy and very very yum. The following day I baked puff pastry bases in my pie maker and we had a rerun foe me and my shiftworker partner. SIX stars!
Shepherd’s pie made with beef mince is known as “cowboy pie” at our place …
When I make either cottage or shepherd’s pie, I let my KitchenAid do the mashing of the potatoes, and I add sour cream, an egg and shredded cheese to them for extra yum. Because the potatoes are hot, they cook the egg so there’s no worries there, plus it’s going into the oven anyway. So good, my husband wants it on the menu at least once a month!
Being an English child of the 60’s, this is a dish I was brought up on (it was originally made with the leftover beef/lamb from a Sunday roast, so was nearly always a Monday supper) and have been cooking with minor variations for some 40-odd years.
A couple of hints from this keen amateur:
If cottage pie (beef), flavour the mince with thyme and a spoonful of English mustard; if shepherd’s pie (lamb), flavour with rosemary and bay.
For shepherd’s pie, sweat a couple of chopped leeks in butter until soft then stir the leek-y butter through the potato mash before spreading over the top. Leeks have a great affinity with lamb (the Welsh influence) and the bits of leek that stick out go nice and crunchy in the oven.
Also, given we call it shepherd’s pie as shepherds keep sheep, why don’t we call cottage pie something like herdsman’s pie as herdsmen keep cows ? 🤭
So delicious. I added a sprinkle of breadcrumbs to the potato top to add crunch
Second time making this, it so so good!!! Super yummy the entire dish finshed