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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
4.99 from 766 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
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Comments

  1. Vanessa says

    November 25, 2021 at 6:58 PM

    5 stars
    Wow. This recipe was absolutely delicious!!!!!! Made it for my roommates and they both loved it. One of them is super picky and they raced about it. Thank you so much for a tasty recipe, will definitely be adding this to my rotation 🙂

    Reply
    • Michael says

      January 22, 2022 at 2:24 PM

      5 stars
      I believe you meant “they raved about it .”

      Reply
  2. Jean Ford says

    November 26, 2021 at 8:59 AM

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe, I have made Shepard’s pie in the past, this is the winner! Great flavor, easy recipe. Helps if you have everything out & ready to go. I cooked the spuds & the meat at the same time, not in the same pot,
    Then put it together. Exactly what one needs in the cold winter months! I like the idea of the commenter above making individual packets for her husband, very clever.

    Reply
  3. Betsy says

    November 26, 2021 at 1:00 PM

    If I was wanting to use leftover mashed potatoes for this, how much measured mashed potatoes does this come out to?

    Reply
  4. Sydney says

    November 28, 2021 at 10:27 AM

    5 stars
    This recipe was delish. I’ve been making it for the past year, but I made a few small changes. I used fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme for a stronger flavor. Also, total cooking time was 2.5 hours from start to finish!

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth says

    November 28, 2021 at 5:44 PM

    5 stars
    Perfect every time. It has not become my one and only! Now I always double or even triple the recipe and make one for the freezer! Thank you for this! Whole fam LOVES IT!

    Reply
  6. Marcie says

    November 29, 2021 at 5:43 PM

    I made this tonight with leftover mashed potatoes (just stirred Parmesan cheese) and leftover roast beef gravy instead of beef broth. Absolutely delicious, everyone loved it!! Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply
  7. Callie Hughes says

    December 2, 2021 at 1:16 AM

    5 stars
    I made this tonight after reading all the great reviews. I also added 1/2 cup of red wine, mushrooms and wow this recipe did not disappoint!! So good, I will definitely be making it again!!

    Reply
  8. Susan says

    December 3, 2021 at 4:37 AM

    5 stars
    Delicious! Comfort food at its best.

    Reply
  9. Lora says

    December 4, 2021 at 6:57 AM

    5 stars
    I made this with ground venison, so I called it Hunter’s Pie! Very easy and delicious!

    Reply
  10. John says

    December 4, 2021 at 7:25 PM

    5 stars
    5 stars, like most of the other comments here. Love this.

    Reply
  11. Kim B says

    December 5, 2021 at 1:54 PM

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner filled the recipe minus Rosemary seasoning, it was amazing ….No leftovers ❤️

    Reply
  12. kkseattle says

    December 6, 2021 at 12:51 AM

    5 stars
    I was a never a big fan of shepherd’s pie because every version I’ve had (usually at church potlucks) has been bland. But we had some leftover mashed potatoes and I thought this would be a fun dish for my 13-year old to make.

    She shopped for all the ingredients, forgetting the broth and getting frozen peas instead of peas and carrots. So we used fresh carrots and we always have some better than bouillon in the fridge.

    This was s-o-o-o delicious. I thought there would be plenty for leftovers but the lucky pooch got to lick an empty casserole pan.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Ely says

    December 6, 2021 at 3:43 PM

    Sounds delicious! Does it have to be frozen corn peas and carrots ? Or can it be from a can?

    Reply
  14. Anne says

    December 6, 2021 at 7:36 PM

    5 stars
    I made this tonight. I used half the butter called for, chicken broth instead of beef, and sage instead of rosemary (all on account of just not having it). And I’m sitting on my couch writing this as the bowl is in my lap, and I’m just so in love with this recipe. I also broiled some cheddar on top of the potatoes. The worchestshire sauce really does it for the meat, don’t leave it out if you can help it!!!

    Reply
  15. Natasha says

    December 7, 2021 at 1:28 AM

    5 stars
    This recipe is gorgeous, I added chives to the potatoes and swapped worcestshire for soy sauce as that was all I had. Sooo yummy now I know how to make a decent shepard’s pie.

    Reply
  16. Sandra says

    December 7, 2021 at 6:00 PM

    5 stars
    Excellent shepherd’s pie recipe. I enjoy testing out comfort food recipes, and this one impressed me. The flavors were savory and rich with every bite. The layering of ingredients while cooking and simmering the ground beef is what makes it stand out. I substituted veggie broth for beef broth and added a bit extra since the beef I used was 95% lean. Also, since I’m lactose intolerant, I used vegan products in place of dairy, and it was fine. If you want a little kick, add cayenne. But, this recipe really doesn’t need it.

    Reply
  17. Tina Ratcliffe says

    December 7, 2021 at 7:26 PM

    5 stars
    First time my husband has not put HPSauce on Sheppard Pie. He knew instantly that I tried a new recipe and suggested I print this recipe and only make it this way.

    Reply
  18. Chris Legault says

    December 8, 2021 at 7:58 PM

    5 stars
    Delicious and very easy. Kids absolutely loved it

    Reply
  19. Ellyn says

    December 9, 2021 at 11:47 AM

    Can you double this recipe?

    Reply
  20. KM says

    December 9, 2021 at 5:01 PM

    5 stars
    My family requests this one-dish meal frequently! It’s not at all complicated, doesn’t take much time to prepare, the hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven!

    Reply
  21. Maurissa says

    December 9, 2021 at 6:40 PM

    5 stars
    Wonderful 😊🙌

    Reply
  22. Barb says

    December 9, 2021 at 7:52 PM

    5 stars
    Very delicious recipe. First time for this one and my husband stated that it’s a keeper. I did add a bit of Chicken in the Mug which added a bit more flavour as this just a personal preference. I would like to try this with fresh vegetables, maybe someday when I have more time. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  23. Karen says

    December 10, 2021 at 6:27 AM

    5 stars
    I have made this three times. Once as Cottage pie and twice as Shepard’s pie. Both excellent with rave reviews. I always have fresh carrots on hand so I dice them and sauté with the onions. Frozen peas and corn are always on hand. I have used the Idahoan brand instant potatoes in lieu of fresh once in a pinch and it came out yummy as well. What a great way to get a nice variety of vegetables in my “meat mouth” husband too!

    Reply
  24. Sandy Murray says

    December 10, 2021 at 6:46 PM

    Excellent recipe! Very flavourful and filling. Will definitely make it again!
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Reply
  25. Jackie says

    December 11, 2021 at 9:52 PM

    5 stars
    Oh wow, this is the best Shepherd’s Pie I’ve ever had! The flavor is out of this world! It is hands down the best one pan dish I’ve ever eaten and it’s easy to make. I could eat half the pie in one sitting. Thank you for posting!

    Reply
  26. Connie Martinez says

    December 12, 2021 at 4:05 PM

    This is a family favorite, I laugh because I don’t always make it the same wat twice:) I am not a lamb lover, so use ground beef. The recipe is a basic, sometimes I’ll saute mushrooms and roasted red peppers in with the onion and garlic. I use some thyme and other spices. I usually make it with peas and carrots and corn, if I don’t have any beef broth on hand, I usually have the cream of mushroom can I add-in. I will also smooth mashed potatoes along side the sides of the casserole dish, before adding the meat mixture, Then layer it with shredded cheddar, then top it off with the rest of the mashed potatoes, add some slithers of butter to top, sprinkle more cheese on top, and paprika. Sometimes use whatever cheese I have on hand, and also left over vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, even green beans. It’s always a winner, with a side of salad, and some crisp italian or french bread. It tastes even better the next day.

    Reply
  27. Susan says

    December 13, 2021 at 12:58 PM

    5 stars
    So flavorful and good! Not sure what the person who said it took far longer than stated meant. Im working from home today and I was able to put it together and get it baked and cooling in an hour. Wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  28. Michelle says

    December 13, 2021 at 5:42 PM

    4 stars
    This is one delicious shepherds pie good flavour quick to make love it will definetly make it again husband loved it too delicious I also grated some cheddar cheese on top too

    Reply
  29. Claire says

    December 14, 2021 at 12:58 PM

    5 stars
    I grew up eating the most americanized version of shepherds pie which was basically mixing canned vegetable soup with ground beef, then topping with mashed potatoes. I loved it as a kid, but wanted to try something from scratch. I will never go back to the canned soup version, because this is amazing and my husband LOVES it. Currently writing it down so I will never forget it!

    Reply
  30. Ana says

    December 14, 2021 at 1:31 PM

    5 stars
    Delicious!! An absolute knockout of a recipe 🙂

    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 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!  See More.

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