Shepherd's pie is comfort food. Saucy ground meat under creamy mashed potatoes topped with a cheesy crust. And, this recipe is so simple and easy that you will be making it over and over often.
Table of Content
A pie made with ground lamb is called shepherd's pie. It makes sense since shepherds and lambs go together. A pie made with ground beef, however, is called cottage pie.
Traditionally shepherd's pie use to be made from leftover meat and veggies. And, sometimes, even leftover mashed potato after a big festive dinner. What better way to use up leftovers? Make a completely new and delicious dish like this Shepherd's Pie
Well, to be honest. I have never made Shepherd's pie with leftover lamb meat or mashed potatoes. Since, I've always planned my pie, which means I end up making it from scratch.
Why make this pie?
- This is a great way to use up leftover meat that needs a little help getting over. But, it's also so delicious that you have to make it from scratch instead of leftover!
- So typically, you can make this if you have leftover mashed potato which often happens in our home.
- Most of the ingredients used are simple pantry staples plus fresh herbs.
- The process itself is very simple and easy and takes no more than a few minutes. Then the oven does the rest of the cooking.
- This is a great dish to serve to guests too. After all, who does not like to dig into a big casserole with bubbling juices?
Ingredients and substitutes
- Meat - Traditionally, ground lamb is used but ground beef works just as well.
- Veggies - Carrots and peas cook soft but don't really get mushy. Celery is often used as well. These three make a wonderful mix-en-plus to any casserole and add tons of flavor but you can omit them altogether. Add a teaspoon of honey if you omit the veggies this will compensate for the natural sweetness the veggies add to the dish.
- All-purpose flour - helps thicken the sauce and adds a nice creaminess to the sauce. You can add cornflour/cornstarch instead, for a gluten-free option. But if you can I highly recommend the flour.
- Stock - I usually use chicken stock because I always have that on hand but feel free to use beef or vegetable stock instead
- Tomato paste - paste is usually strong so I highly recommend not adding more than 3 tbsp. You want a creamy meat pie, not tomato sauce.
- Red wine - Always use a good quality wine that you like to drink. This does make a huge difference when cooking with meat.
Homemade shepherd's Pie
Meat sauce
- Saute - In a large saute pan over medium, add the oil and saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves until the onions are translucent. Then, add the carrots and celery for 3 minutes more.
- Beef - Next, add the ground meat. Saute while breaking the meat apart until the meat is browned and all the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Thicken -Add the flour and combine well. Followed by tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the broth/stock and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer - Bring it to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer on low for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside to cool while you prepare the mashed potato.
Pro tip - If the heat is too high the sauce will dry out. If necessary add some water.
Mashed potatoes
- Boil - Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into similar size pieces. Boil them in a large pot of salted water. When fork-tender drain and set aside.
Pro tip- once drained leave them on the warm hop to evaporate excess moisture. - Mash - Using a vegetable masher or potato ricer mash the potatoes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip - because the mashed potatoes are still warm everything will melt into them. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of milk for consistency.
Assemble & bake
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C/ Gas Mark 5
- Pan - In a 13 x 9 baking pan (I prefer ceramic) pour the meat sauce and spread evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes in dollops all over the sauce. Then use a flat spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the sauce.
Pro tip - putting the mashed potatoes over the sauce in dollops helps spread evenly unlike just adding everything in the middle. - Top - Sprinkle the parmesan and cheddar cheeses followed by the breadcrumbs.
Pro tip - the breadcrumbs will prevent the cheese from burning on the top. - Bake - Transfer to the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are bubbling from the meat sauce.
- Cool - Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before you serve.
What side dish to serve with shepherd's pie?
A few vegetables on the side would be a great idea. In fact, you can even make them in patties or fritters. Also, here are some suggestions:
- Quick garlic sesame asparagus or Garlic Parmesan asparagus,
- Swiss chard patties, corn fritters, leek potato patties
- Sesame green beans, sauteed broccoli, sauteed asparagus
- Oven-baked butternut squash or Oven-baked carrot sticks
- Salads - carrot salad, avocado salad, cabbage salad,
- See all side dish recipes
Tips for Success
- Thaw the meat well before cooking. This will brown the meat meal and give it a better flavor.
- Saute the veggies well - do not try to do this quickly. Give the veggies time to sweat and then caramelize slightly. It makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Cook the sauce on low heat and let it simmer for a good 30 minutes. That way all the flavor stays in and does not evaporate.
- Let the sauce cool as it makes assembling the final pie easier. You can even make the sauce a day in advance and reheat it when ready to assemble.
- The consistency of the sauce is key to all that wonderful bubbling when it is done. The sauce does not evaporate from under the mashed potato so it's easy to decide how much liquid you need in the sauce. You don't want it too thick, or too liquid.
- Use the right potatoes such as Yukon gold when making mashed potatoes. These give the best flavor and texture.
- Make the mashed potato much ahead of time so it's easier to work with when assembling.
- Don't pour all the mashed potato over the sauce. Instead, dot them in tablespoons over the meat sauce. That way it's easier to spread without making a mess.
- Don't overdo the cheese on the crust - as it tends to burn easily. If you want more cheese, add a bit more to the mashed potato instead.
- Let the prepared pie cool for at least 10 minutes before you let people dig in because the sauce is VERY hot.
More ground meat recipes
How long will this Shepherd's pie keep?
A ground meat pie will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. And, you can also freeze it for up to a month.
Can I use beef or chicken in my shepherd's pie?
You can certainly use ground beef in place of ground lamb. In fact, I love to use a combination of ground beef and lamb. And, you can also use ground chicken thighs. But, the cooking time will need to be shortened so you don't overcook the chicken.
Does a shepherd's pie have pastry?
No. A shepherd's pie is like a casserole. Layered with a ground meat sauce on the bottom and mashed potato on the top. And, this is then baked until bubbling.
What wine can I use for this shepherd's pie?
You don't need an expensive wine as long as it's a wine you like to drink.
Can I add other veggies to my shepherd's pie?
Absolutely. While onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and peas are very common in shepherd's pie, other veggies such as parsnip, green beans, and spinach are a great addition. And, no matter what veggies you use it is important not to overcook them. No one likes mushy veggies in their pie.
What do you serve with shepherd's pie?
This pie has meat and potatoes both in so it's pretty much a complete meal. And yet, a side salad would be a great addition of course. Try my cabbage salad, carrot salad, celery salad, or tomato mozzarella salad.
Printable Recipe
Shepherd's Pie - Meat Pie with Mashed Potatoes
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 403kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings
Description
Shepherd's pie is comfort food. Saucy ground meat under creamy mashed potatoes topped with a cheesy crust. This recipe is so simple and easy you will be making it over and over often.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Meat sauce
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground lamb
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil (canola or olive)
- ½ cup Onion (chopped)
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup Carrot (grated or diced)
- ¼ cup Celery (optional)
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1.25 cup (300 ml) Stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) Red Wine
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Mashed potatoes
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Potatoes
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tablespoon Cheddar cheese (grated)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk (warm)
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Sour cream
- ½ teaspoon Salt (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Crust
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp Cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
Instructions
Meat sauce (can be made up to 2 days in advance)
- Saute - In a large saute pan over medium, add the oil and saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves until the onions are translucent. Then, add the carrots and celery for 3 minutes more.
- Beef - Next, add the ground meat. Saute while breaking the meat apart until the meat is browned and all the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Thicken -Add the flour and combine well. Followed by tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the broth/stock and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer - Bring it to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer on low for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside to cool while you prepare the mashed potato. Pro tip - If the heat is too high the sauce will dry out. If necessary add some water.
Mashed potatoes (best made on the day before assembly)
- Boil - Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into similar size pieces. Boil them in a large pot of salted water. When fork-tender drain and set aside. Pro tip- once drained leave them on the warm hop to evaporate excess moisture.
- Mash - Using a vegetable masher or potato ricer mash the potatoes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Pro tip - because the mashed potatoes are still warm everything will melt into them. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of milk for consistency.
Assemble & bake
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C/ Gas Mark 5
- Pan - In a 13 x 9 baking pan (I prefer ceramic) pour the meat sauce and spread evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes in dollops all over the sauce. Then use a flat spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the sauce. Pro tip - putting the mashed potatoes over the sauce in dollops helps spread evenly unlike just adding everything in the middle.
- Top - Sprinkle the parmesan and cheddar cheeses followed by the breadcrumbs. Pro tip - the breadcrumbs will prevent the cheese from burning on the top.
- Bake - Transfer to the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are bubbling from the meat sauce.
- Cool - Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before you serve.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Thaw the meat well before cooking. This will brown the meat meal and give it a better flavor.
- Saute the veggies well - do not try to do this quickly. Give the veggies time to sweat and then caramelize slightly. It makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Cook the sauce on low heat and let it simmer for a good 30 minutes. That way all the flavor stays in and does not evaporate.
- Let the sauce cool as it makes assembling the final pie easier. You can even make the sauce a day in advance and reheat it when ready to assemble.
- The consistency of the sauce is key to all that wonderful bubbling when it is done. The sauce does not evaporate from under the mashed potato so it's easy to decide how much liquid you need in the sauce. You don't want it too thick, or too liquid.
- Use the right potatoes such as Yukon gold when making mashed potatoes. These give the best flavor and texture.
- Make the mashed potato much ahead of time so it's easier to work with when assembling.
- Don't pour all the mashed potato over the sauce. Instead, dot them in tablespoons over the meat sauce. That way it's easier to spread without making a mess.
- Don't overdo the cheese on the crust - as it tends to burn easily. If you want more cheese, add a bit more to the mashed potato instead.
- Let the prepared pie cool for at least 10 minutes before you let people dig in because the sauce is VERY hot.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 403- kcalCarbohydrates: 12- gProtein: 16- gFat: 30- gSaturated Fat: 14- gCholesterol: 78- mgSodium: 799- mgPotassium: 403- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 4- gVitamin A: 1207- IUVitamin C: 4- mgCalcium: 225- mgIron: 3- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Julia
I too make sheperds pie from scratch only but truth is I haven't had it for ages! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Veena Azmanov
You are welcome Julia. I often need websites to remind of recipe I have not made in ages. I hope you make this soon.
Jacque Hastert
This looks so comforting and perfect for cool evenings like we have been having.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Jacque .
Shashi at SavorySpin
Growing up, shepherd's pie was a weekly occurrence. And yours reminds me of those comforting and delicious meals.
Veena Azmanov
Oh how lucky Shashi. We had it once in a while not so often. My kids love this so much they would be happy to have it once a week.