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Home » Main Dish » The Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie

The Best Classic Shepherd’s Pie

February 9, 2019

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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:  Shepherd’s Pie.  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.  The difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie is the meat.  Cottage Pie uses ground beef, while Shepherd’s Pie uses ground lamb.

I called this recipe Shepherd’s Pie.  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.  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)

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

Skillet full of sautéed 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.  But, there are a few steps to it.  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.  You could make the beef or lamb mixture ahead of time.  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.  Just assemble the casserole, cover the dish, and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.  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.  Uncover it, and bake.

What to serve with The Best Shepherd’s Pie

  • Deviled Eggs
  • Roasted Broccoli from Skinnytaste
  • The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

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

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 Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

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
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 400kcal
Author: Amanda Finks
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
4.98 from 268 votes

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 1/2 - 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 doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*If you can’t find frozen mixed peas and carrots, you could use 1/2 cup frozen peas and 1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots.
**Bake at 400° F.  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
Cuisine American, Irish
Keyword Classic shepherd's pie, How to make shepherd's pie, Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Pin This Recipe

Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe 2 image Pinterest Collage with text
« The Best Classic Deviled Eggs
The Best Moist Carrot Cake »

Comments

  1. Andrew says

    December 3, 2020 at 6:53 PM

    5 stars
    This was easy to make and absolutely delicious.

    Reply
    • Julie Ann Robinson says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:14 PM

      It was ***** five ⭐️ I added guy-ere (so?) chives and Panko towards the end. Great recipe!

      Reply
  2. Bushra says

    December 3, 2020 at 7:15 PM

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner last weekend and it tasted amazing! I had never had shepherd’s pie before but my husband, who had spent some of his childhood years in the UK, had a craving for it all of the sudden (after so many years) and I’m happy to say that he loved it too and said that this tasted just like the ones he used to have back in the day! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!

    Reply
  3. Kathy Hocking says

    December 4, 2020 at 4:21 PM

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, and easy to make! This is a great classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe that’ll surely send you to “flavortown”! Ingredient proportions are perfect! I used ground lamb and doubled the recipe for four of us, and we had plenty of left-overs. This will definitely be a comfort food staple in my house!

    Reply
  4. Wayne Girard says

    December 4, 2020 at 5:38 PM

    Awesome recipe. I tweaked it a little, and it’s amazing. However, it is not a 20 min. prep time unless you’re Martha Stewart.

    Reply
    • Julie Robinson says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:11 PM

      I knew I had a twin 😉

      Reply
  5. Sue says

    December 6, 2020 at 8:27 AM

    4 stars
    Excellent Shepherd’s Pie. Easy to prepare. For my personal taste I cut back on the rosemary and thyme as they burn my throat.

    Reply
  6. Catherine says

    December 6, 2020 at 5:45 PM

    Made this for dinner tonight…..I used ground lamb and it was delicious..!!!
    I thought I’d be clever and mix the flour and tomato paste together thinking it
    would mix in easier…wrong….it took ages to mix it in and it left a lot of small red
    clumps that I just couldn’t get to dissolve…it was okay, you didn’t notice them when
    eating. This recipe is definitely a keeper…

    Reply
  7. Sharmila says

    December 6, 2020 at 5:55 PM

    5 stars
    This recipe is delicious and comforting! The whole family loved it! I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply
  8. Marci says

    December 7, 2020 at 8:12 AM

    I’m thinking about using ground venison instead of the beef or lamb, do you think this would be good?

    Reply
    • Honna says

      December 14, 2020 at 4:23 PM

      Yes! Venison also goes very well with this recipe. I add a pat of butter when the venison is browned right before adding the flour. This helps make a slight “gravy” for your shepherd’s pie. Otherwise, everything else is the same.

      Reply
    • Aaron Mitchell says

      December 14, 2020 at 4:47 PM

      I’m also thinking about ground venison. I do think it definitely could be good.

      Reply
    • Elizabeth Wicks says

      December 15, 2020 at 8:58 PM

      I made this for dinner tonight with elk and it was amazing!!!

      Reply
  9. Desiree says

    December 7, 2020 at 6:00 PM

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I used ground moose since that is what I have and ended up forgetting the garlic powder in the potato topping, but even my skeptical daughter said it was delicious and we’re all happy there are leftovers! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!

    Reply
  10. Therese says

    December 8, 2020 at 1:10 PM

    5 stars
    You have. amazing recipes! This is easy and tastes GREAT. I also like all of the suggestions in the comments above :). I put in snap peas , celery, grated carrots, corn and a bag of asian salad mix that needed to be used up. I also added one sweet potato to the potato topping and it was yummy. Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Heather says

    December 8, 2020 at 10:19 PM

    5 stars
    Finally found a recipe that lived up to my super high expectations! I’ve been cooking and baking like crazy all of 2020 and this is by far my favorite recipe of the year. I think the herbs in the meat mixture really made this dish (especially the rosemary). To think I ALMOST made a different recipe with far fewer ingredients – what a tragedy that would have been! Cannot recommend enough.

    Reply
  12. Bryan says

    December 9, 2020 at 6:19 AM

    5 stars
    We never get all 5 people in the house to agree about a single dish. Everyone gave this 5 stars.

    Reply
  13. Karen Wynn VanderWindt says

    December 9, 2020 at 8:57 AM

    5 stars
    Deicious. Thanks for creating and sharing this.

    Reply
  14. Danny says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:36 PM

    5 stars
    YES!!
    This was amazing, I made a vegan option and it was just so full of flavor! Thank you!

    Reply
  15. DAVID MONTENEGRO says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:53 PM

    At what temperature should I bake it? Not listed in the recipe.

    Reply
    • Linda Persinger says

      December 15, 2020 at 10:23 PM

      In the middle of the instructions before you get to start making the potatoes it says to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. I nearly missed it too.

      Reply
  16. Alexandra says

    December 9, 2020 at 7:14 PM

    5 stars
    Just made this recipe tonight and it was so delicious and not too hard either! Will definitely be saving this to make again! Thanks.

    Reply
  17. Kim says

    December 10, 2020 at 11:20 AM

    5 stars
    I threw this together for my 84 yr old parents, they absolutely loved it!! It smelled delicious when I was preparing it!

    Reply
  18. Suzy Wert says

    December 11, 2020 at 5:11 PM

    So, the grease is not drained off from the ground beef? None of it? Do you use 95% lean ground beef? Or did you forget to mention you drained it off? This is confusing to me! I can’t imagine it.

    Reply
  19. Shelly Christ says

    December 11, 2020 at 9:41 PM

    Best shepherd’s pie yet! I will admit I threw in a splash of red wine at the end…….had to……..lol!

    Reply
  20. Paulac says

    December 12, 2020 at 2:34 PM

    This is the BEST Shepherd’s Pie recipe! Fast easy and full of flavor. My husband requests this all the time. Have made it more times than I can count, always perfect!

    Reply
  21. Cheryl Carroll says

    December 12, 2020 at 8:43 PM

    5 stars
    Easy to make and very tasty.

    Reply
  22. Winsome d'Abreu says

    December 13, 2020 at 1:07 PM

    5 stars
    This is such a great recipe, which I will now become one of my go to’s!

    Reply
  23. MarthaV says

    December 13, 2020 at 5:53 PM

    4 stars
    Yummers. Will try ground turkey next time!

    Reply
  24. Courtney says

    December 14, 2020 at 4:40 PM

    Just made this for the second time, following the recipe exactly. It’s becoming a staple for my family. It’s wonderful comfort food that my 4 year old even loves (which is such a relief)

    Reply
  25. Dan Burley says

    December 14, 2020 at 9:45 PM

    Instead of flour I used a pack of McCormick gravy to thicken it works great

    Reply
  26. Kirk Yo. says

    December 14, 2020 at 11:18 PM

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious. The only changes I made was using fresh herbs and carrots (sauteed with the onion), yukon gold potatoes, and half the garlic/garlic powder. The golds worked fine but next time I think I could cut down on a little (nothing crazy) of the butter and half and half – very rich and buttery tasting. Served with sauteed green beans & shallots.

    Reply
  27. Amy Robles says

    December 15, 2020 at 1:29 PM

    The rosemary, thyme, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce were a bit overwhelming. I’ll cut back on that next time. Also my pie wouldn’t set very well. I’m thinking I need to set the oven rack higher. The prep time was a bit long but it was first time so next time I’ll get better!

    Reply
  28. Brad Boutcher says

    December 15, 2020 at 7:01 PM

    How would you go about with fresh carrots and canned corn niblets?

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Amanda Finks –

Amanda Finks, RDN Profile Picture for The Wholesome DishI’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in the St. Louis, MO area. I’m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! I’m trained in Food Science & recipe development.  It’s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!  See More.

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