The Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie

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The Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie – AKA Shepards Pie or Cottage Pie. Ground Beef (or lamb) with vegetables in a rich gravy, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes, and baked.

Classic Shepards Pie on a plate

Shepherd’s Pie

So, this is how you spell it: ย Shepherd’s Pie. ย But, from doing a quick google search, it came to my attention that TONS of people think it’s Shepards Pie.

Irish Shepherd’s Pie

Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie would actually call for ground lamb. ย The difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie is the meat. ย Cottage Pie uses ground beef, while Shepherd’s Pie uses ground lamb.

I called this recipe Shepherd’s Pie. ย But, I wrote the recipe so that you could use ground beef or ground lamb.

I typically use ground beef because it is widely available. ย But, for a special occasion, like St. Patricks day, I would use ground lamb.

How To Make Shepherd’s Pie

(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

  • Sautรฉ some chopped onions in olive oil.
  • Add ground beef or ground lamb.

Skillet full of sautรฉed onions and ground beef for The Best Classic Shepards Pie Recipe

  • Add dried parsley, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper.
  • Stir and cook the meat mixture until the meat is browned.
  • Add minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce.

Adding minced garlic and worcestershire sauce to a skillet of ground lamb and chopped onions for The Best Classic Shepherd's Pie Recipe

  • Cook the garlic for a minute.
  • Add flour and tomato paste.

Adding flour and tomato paste to a skillet full of ground beef and onions for Easy Shepherd's Pie

  • Add beef broth, frozen mixed peas and carrots, and frozen corn kernels.
  • Simmer the meat gravy until it is thick.

Skillet full of the seasoned meat and vegetable gravy for Irish Shepherd's Pie

  • Boil some peeled and chopped potatoes until they are soft.
  • Drain the potatoes

Pot of boiling potatoes for homemade Shepards Pie

  • Add butter, half & half, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Mashing cooked potatoes in a pot with butter, half & half, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper for Classic Shepherd's Pie

  • Pour the meat mixture into a casserole dish.
  • Top it with the cheesy mashed potatoes.

A casserole dish with Cottage Pie beef on the bottom and parmesan mashed potatoes being spread on top

  • Bake until the meat is bubbling and the potatoes are golden.

A baked casserole dish of homemade Shepherd's pie

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Making the best Shepherd’s Pie is not difficult. ย But, there are a few steps to it. ย You have to make the meat mixture, the mashed potatoes, assemble the casserole, and bake it.

I find that the easiest way to make this dish is to work ahead. ย You could make the beef or lamb mixture ahead of time. ย Or, you could make the mashed potatoes ahead of time.

Piece of Shepards pie on a plate with layers of mashed potatoes and meat gravy with peas, carrots, onions, and corn

You could also make the whole recipe ahead of time. ย Just assemble the casserole, cover the dish, and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. ย I find it is best to bake it within 3 days of preparing it.

When you are ready to bake it, take it out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you need to bake it to let it start coming to room temperature. ย Uncover it, and bake.

What to serve with The Best Shepherd’s Pie

Watch the Video for the Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie Below.

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A piece of the best shepherd's pie on a plate with layers of cottage pie beef and vegetable gravy topped with parmesan cheese mashed potatoes

Best Classic Shepherdโ€™s Pie Recipe

4.98 from 2396 votes
The Best Classic Shepherd's Pie - AKA Shepards Pie or Cottage Pie. Ground Beef (or lamb) with vegetables in a rich gravy, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes and baked.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Video

Servings 6 servings
Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients
 

Meat Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef -or ground lamb
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves -minced
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots*
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping:

  • 1 ½ - 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
  • 1/3 cup half & half
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the Meat Filling.

  • Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the ground beef (or ground lamb) to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain.
  • Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the potato topping.

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.
  • Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.
  • Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble the casserole.

  • Pour the meat mixture into a 9x9 (or 7x11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer.
  • If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesnโ€™t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*If you canโ€™t find frozen mixed peas and carrots, you could use ½ cup frozen peas and ½ cup frozen sliced carrots.
**Bake at 400ยฐ F. ย Start preheating the oven after you make the meat mixture (listed in step 6).

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6th of the recipe | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 751mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2860IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Keyword Classic shepherd's pie, How to make shepherd's pie, Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Cuisine American, Irish
Author Amanda Finks

Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I fell in love with shepherds pie when I went to England back in the early 1990s and have been looking for a good recipe ever since. Thank you so much this one is the best five stars, hands-down.

  2. 5 stars
    I chose this recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand and Iโ€™m overjoyed at how delicious it came out. It took me an hour and a half from start to finish though but so worth it. I followed it almost to the T. I had more veggies so I added more broth and put it in a 9×13. Having a shallow depth made me think I wouldnโ€™t need to let the dish cool longer so I dug in and burnt my mouth anyway. Oh well! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Iโ€™ll make it again and again.

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for the second time last night. My boyfriend ate 3 servings!!! 2 at dinner and another at 2am ( he works late) love this!!! This will be on rotation menu for sure! ๐Ÿ’–

  4. 5 stars
    My daughter requested shepherdโ€™s pie so I searched for a recipe and yours caught my eye. I prepared the recipe as directed and itโ€™s delicious! Full of flavor! I will make this my shepherds pie recipe from now on.

  5. 5 stars
    Literally so good! I made this for my family, and they all loved it. I would recommend putting a little extra cheese on the top right before putting it in the oven ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious and a crowd pleaser! Iโ€™ve made this Shepherds Pie twice now and itโ€™s become my go-to recipe.

  7. 5 stars
    I never comment on recipes though I use them alot and rely on reviews. This is one of the best recipes Iโ€™ve ever used! My family wouldnโ€™t stop talking about it and ate until their stomachs hurt. I double the recipe so we would have leftovers the next day. Itโ€™s 9:45 am and my husband just ate the last of it for breakfast. Wow just wow! Delicious!

  8. Can you make the meat filling ahead and freeze it? Sorry if this has already been asked but the comments aren’t loading.

  9. 5 stars
    This is an excellent recipe. It’s honest in its flavors. Top to bottom. Simple and absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ‘

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe was delicious! A friend of mine invited me over for dinner, and served your shepherds pie. I,I rated it as a five star winner! I have always enjoyed shepherds pie, but never had a good easy recipe as this one is.
    Thank you for sharing.

  11. Having trouble seeing commentsโ€ฆ has anyone tried freezing this and then heating? Looking for a โ€œfreezer friendly โ€œ meal.

    1. 5 stars
      Yes! I’ve frozen this recipe. It came out great! I usually double recipe & freeze one of them. I thaw in refrigerator overnight & bake as usual.

  12. 5 stars
    OMG, this recipe was delicious. I have a question though. My mashed potatos stayed runny on the top. What could I have done wrong. I followed the recipe exactly.

    1. 5 stars
      To avoid soggy potatoes. I use much less butter and for perhaps 3-4 minutes under the broiler crisps the top a bit at the end. Carful to watch the broiler part, every oven is different

  13. 5 stars
    Love this recipe!! My wife always get excited when I make it for us. Super easy, and also agree. If you have a cast iron pan, use that and keep it all in one dish for easy clean up!!

    1. 5 stars
      Iโ€™ve made this recipe 3 times – it always gets raves. But my prep time is about an hour, maybe Iโ€™m just slow!!!

About Amanda Finks

Iโ€™m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Zionsville, IN. Iโ€™m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! Iโ€™m trained in Food Science & recipe development. Itโ€™s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!

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