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:  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

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 Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

4.98 from 2002 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 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 ½ cup frozen peas and ½ 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
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. Do you think this could be frozen in small portions then reheated in the microwave? My son wants to take some back to college.

  2. 5 stars
    This Shepherd’s Pie was absolutely AMAZING!!!! Every single thing about it is delicious! The seasonings make this such a flavorful dish! If you love great flavor, you will love this pie! My husband and I had to force ourselves not to eat 2-3 servings of this deliciousness. Thanks for the recipe! I wouldn’t change a thing!

  3. Delicious! I used ground venison and added 2tbsp butter to the meat mixture before adding the flour; used 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, green beans); and freshly grated the Parmesan cheese. I will not use any other shepherd’s pie recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing!

  4. 5 stars
    I just made this tonight and it tastes amazing. But I am covering it and putting in the fridge for tomorrow night’s dinner. How long and at what temperature should I cook it as it is cold?

  5. 5 stars
    Made this today and OMG!!!! Wonderful flavors and so tasty! Didn’t change a thing and my hubby wants this once a month. I really would give it 10 stars if I could! Barb

  6. 5 stars
    I have never had shepherds pie but I have been cooking more casseroles bc my mom had to move in with me and we are on a budget! Tonight is the second time I have made it and we love it! It’s so simple and delicious! The first time I skipped a few things bc we didn’t have them but it was so good I decided to follow it to the t and it’s amazing!!

  7. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I made a vegetarian version using Impossible burger “meat” and it was a huge hit with my entire family who are not vegetarian. The only other thing I changed was I used cheddar cheese in the potatoes instead of the parmesan.

  8. 5 stars
    Great Entree. I made this with fresh ground lamb made from a lamb roast and all organic fresh veggie. Its easy to make and you and any guest you serve will feel like you are in a fine counrty inn or a pub in the UK. I suggest greasing the baking dish throughly. I used a fork to create a nice pattern in the top and a very light dusting of paprica to enhance the appearance. You will love it!

  9. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I was in a crunch for time so I used instant mashed potatoes and had no frozen carrots or rosemary. Besides those things, made the recipe as written. Cannot wait to make it with the potatoes as in the recipe. The flavor was so wonderful. Very much comfort food!

  10. 5 stars
    So good!

    The only thing I changed is making the meat mixture in a cast iron skillet, that way just put the potatoes on top and put it in the oven, rather than transferring to another pan!

  11. 5 stars
    This was soooooo good. My husband said it’s been my best Sheppards Pie ever. I used fresh rosemary and thyme because I had it and decided to shred a fresh carrot vs a frozen bag of veggies because I only had corn and peas in the freezer. I actually think this added to the yumminess of the overall final taste. I added them while onion and beef were cooking up. Also added more garlic because that’s a given with me. Lastly, sprinkled Chili powder on the mashed potato topping after using a fork to create small decorative lines. Cooking time was spot on. This really was exceptionally good and going to make again soon.

  12. 5 stars
    Really easy recipe and it tastes great. Cooked it in a cask iron skillet and broiled for a few minutes at the end and it turned out phenomenal and hot AF. Shepherd’s pie is pretty boring IMO, but a staple for comfort food and this recipe doesn’t disappoint!

  13. 5 stars
    I have been making shepherds pie forever, but have always used the “family recipe.” I love it, but I knew it could be better and wanted to see how it compared to others. After settling on this recipe because it seemed familiar but something different at the same time (plus the excellent reviews), I made it and it was a HUGE hit! My husband went for not just seconds, but thirds, and it even met with my mother’s approval! I followed the recipe exactly, which I usually do the first time I try a new one, and I won’t change a thing next time! I can’t wait to make it again. Going to try it with some venison a friend just gave me. Hope it’s just as delicious!

  14. 5 stars
    My husband and I absolutely loved it! The best shepherd’s pie recipe I have found to date.I made it with half ground pork and half ground beef and used only half of the Parmesan cheese in the mashed potato topping due to personal preference, but it was absolutely delicious! The seasonings are balanced very well, just the right amount of each. I will definitely keep this one!

About Amanda Finks

I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Zionsville, IN. 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!

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