Traditional Shepherd’s Pie is an Irish recipe made with ground meat, vegetables and gravy and topped with creamy mashed potatoes. It’s a simple recipe with a classic “meat and potatoes” flavor.
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Shepherd’s Pie was one of several recipes form the British Isles that we made in culinary arts school. Even though this part of the world tends to have food that many people find more bland, I really love it.
I grew up with a father whose grandparents immigrated to America from England and he and his siblings were raised on mostly meat and potato style recipes. Even though my mother has a much more diverse palate, she made a lot of his favorites for dinner while I was growing up.
Needless to say, many of his childhood favorites became mine, and are now also recipes that I make for my own children. Some of those recipes are the most popular recipes on this website, like Creamed Chicken over Biscuits!
Technically this recipe is a “cottage pie” because I used ground beef, but if you want more of an authentic flavor, you can use lamb.
This recipe was traditionally made with leftover meat, vegetables and potatoes which is why you will find many variations. At its core, it’s a ground meat, onion, and gravy filling with a mashed potato topping. Our culinary arts recipe was literally just that. There wasn’t even butter or cream in the mashed potatoes.
For this recipe, there are some added veggies, and the mashed potatoes are made to be a bit creamier and more flavorful.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s an easy meal to prepare. There are two components, the meat filling and the mashed potato topping, both of which can be prepared at the same time.
It has a simple, classic flavor that many people enjoy. It’s a very kid-friendly recipe too making it a great option for families.
This recipe is extremely adaptable. You can swap in different vegetables like mushrooms or corn. For a gluten free version, all you need is a simple swap of cornstarch for the flour. Using Mashed Cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes makes this recipe much lower in carbohydrates.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
Shepherd’s Pie Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1/2 cup carrots (diced)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 2 pounds ground beef: I prefer to use a lean ground beef so there is no need to drain excess grease. If you use a higher fat ground beef, you will need to drain the excess grease out after cooking it. Use lamb for an authentic Shepherd’s Pie or ground turkey for a lower calorie option.
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour: use cornstarch or gluten free all purpose flour if gluten free
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup peas: I use frozen
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds potatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks): I use russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
The entire recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Peel and dice the onion, carrots, and potatoes.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Chef’s Note: you can start cooking the potatoes while you prepare the filling, but be sure everything is prepped and ready to go.
Create!
Shepherd’s Pie Filling
Melt the butter in a large, cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Chef’s Note: If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use another oven-proof skillet or transfer the filling to a casserole dish before baking if your skillets are not oven-proof. You can also make individual mini Shepard’s pies in au gratin baking dishes.
Add the onion and carrots and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up with a meat chopper or a spatula, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle on the flour and mix in.
Stir in the beef stock and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Cook a minute or two to thicken the gravy.
Stir in the peas.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread the filling out evenly in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Mashed Potatoes
While the filling is cooking, you can also be preparing the potatoes.
Add the potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water.
Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and place in a medium size bowl.
Return the pot to the stove top over low heat.
Add the butter and heavy cream to the pot and warm until the butter is fully melted.
Break up the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork.
Carefully pour in half of the butter mixture and continue to mash the potatoes.
Gradually add the remaining butter mixture until the desired level of creaminess is achieved.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chef’s Tip: you want the mashed potatoes to be creamy, but not runny, so that they are easy to spread over the filling.
Dollop the mashed potatoes over the top of the filling in the skillet.
Spread with the back of a spoon.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
If a more golden crust is desired, turn on the broiler and place the skillet underneath. Broil, watching very closely, until browned to your liking.
Present!
Garnish with minced parsley, if desired, and serve.
Tips and Techniques
- You can use ground lamb for a more authentic flavor. Ground turkey can also be swapped in for a lower calorie option.
- Use a lean ground beef so that there isn’t much, if any grease to drain out after cooking it.
- If you don’t have a cast iron or oven-proof skillet, transfer the filling to a baking dish before topping with the mashed potatoes and baking.
- The mashed potatoes should be creamy, but not runny. Add the milk and butter mixture to them gradually until you reach the right consistency.
- Make it gluten free: swap in cornstarch or gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour.
- Make it low carb: use Mashed Cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes for the topping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
FAQ’s
Can You Freeze Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie can be frozen. After baking allow the pie to cool before tightly wrapping with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to two month. To reheat, you can reheat from frozen in an oven preheated to 350°F for 45-60 minutes or thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating for about 20-30 minutes.
What Do You Serve With Shepherds’s Pie?
Shepherd’s pie is meant to be a complete meal on its own, however, if you need to add more substance to your dinner you can add a salad, side dish or bread. Simple, prepared vegetables like carrots, green beans, or brussels sprouts work well with this dish. You can also serve crusty bread or, to keep with the locality, make some Irish soda bread.
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Traditional Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1/2 cup carrots (diced)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (or lamb)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (can use gluten free or cornstarch)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup peas
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds potatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks: I use russet potatoes)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- Melt the butter in a large, cast iron skillet over medium heat.1 tablespoon butter
- Add the onion and carrots and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.1 large onion, 1/2 cup carrots, salt, pepper
- Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up with a meat chopper or a spatula, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.salt, 2 pounds lean ground beef, pepper
- Sprinkle on the flour and mix in.2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Stir in the beef stock and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Cook a minute or two to thicken the gravy.1 cup beef stock
- Stir in the peas.1/2 cup peas
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread the filling out evenly in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Mashed Potatoes
- While the filling is cooking, add the potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water.2 pounds potatoes
- Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and place in a medium size bowl.
- Return the pot to the stove top over low heat. Add the butter and heavy cream to the pot and warm until the butter is fully melted.4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Break up the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork.
- Carefully pour in half of the butter mixture and continue to mash the potatoes.
- Gradually add the remaining butter mixture until the desired level of creaminess is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.salt, pepper
- Dollop the mashed potatoes over the top of the filling in the skillet.
- Spread with the back of a spoon.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- If a more golden crust is desired, turn on the broiler and place the skillet underneath. Broil, watching very closely, until browned to your liking.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- You can use ground lamb for a more authentic flavor. Ground turkey can also be swapped in for a lower calorie option.
- Use a lean ground beef so that there isn't much, if any grease to drain out after cooking it.
- If you don't have a cast iron or oven-proof skillet, transfer the filling to a baking dish before topping with the mashed potatoes and baking.
- The mashed potatoes should be creamy, but not runny. Add the milk and butter mixture to them gradually until you reach the right consistency.
- Make it gluten free: swap in cornstarch or gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour.
- Make it low carb: use Mashed Cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes for the topping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
