Shepherd'due south Pie, too known equally cottage pie, is British pub food at its finest. This easy meat-and-potatoes casserole features ground beef (or lamb), vegetables, and a savory gravy baked underneath a thick, fluffy layer of mashed potatoes. Dig in before it disappears.

Shepherd's Pie is the ultimate all-in-one dinner solution. It's exactly the kind of hearty, stick-to your-ribs nutrient I (and then many of you) grew upwardly on.

Everything in this recipe is made from scratch, but it's likewise a fantastic way to use upwards leftover mashed potatoes after a holiday banquet. Just brown some ground beefiness, make the gravy, and get. The mashed white potato topping crisps up in the oven. Every bite is rich, meaty, and completely satisfying.

Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Pace-past-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Shepherd's Pie ingredient shot.

At a Glance: Hither is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe carte du jour below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Footing meat: "Minced" beef or lamb is traditional. In the Uk, Cottage Pie is fabricated with beef while Shepherd's Pie uses lamb. Just in the U.s., beefiness is often used in either instance considering lamb isn't as widely consumed.
  • Beer: Any beer you like: lager, stout, etc. Y'all just need a niggling, only if you don't want to cook with beer, bump up the chicken goop in the recipe.
  • Russet potatoes: Starchy baking potatoes like Russets make the all-time, fluffiest mashed potatoes.

Pace-by-step instructions

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-centre position and preheat the oven t o 375 degrees. Cook the butter in a skillet over medium-high oestrus. Add the onions and cook until softened. Later on that, add the basis meat, along with some salt and pepper, and brown it, breaking upward any large clumps with a spoon.
    Shepherd's Pie filling in a saucepan.
  2. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir, cooking, for almost 1 infinitesimal until the paste darkens. And then pour in the goop, soy sauce, beer, and thyme. Turn the rut downward to medium and allow the mixture simmer, stirring oft, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
    Shepherd's Pie filling in a saucepan.
  3. Add together the peas and carrots and mix gently. Season i terminal time with a lilliputian salt and pepper, then pour into the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish.
    A baking dish full of Shepherd's Pie before the potato topping is added.
  4. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water over high estrus. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until they're tender, fifteen to 20 minutes.
    A sliced, boiled potato being held over a silver colander.
  5. Bleed the potatoes, render them to the hot pot, and brew them. A potato ricer, pastry cutter, or handheld masher all tackle the job really well. Once mashed, stir in the melted butter. Then fold in the milk and flavor with table salt and pepper. Gently spread the mashed potatoes over the footing meat and vegetables from edge to edge, then smooth with a rubber spatula. (If you take a pastry handbag, you can pipe the potatoes over the top in a pretty pattern, similar to my recipe for Duchess potatoes, just it will sense of taste delicious even if you don't.)
    A baking dish full of Shepherd's Pie before baking.
  6. Castor the whole acme with the beaten egg, then make cross-hatch marks over the potatoes with a fork, or brand a swirl pattern using the dorsum of a spoon.
    A baking dish full of Shepherd's Pie before baking.
  7. Broil at 375 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Allow cool for about 10 minutes before digging in.
    A baking dish full of Shepherd's Pie.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: One recipe baked in a 9-inch past 13-inch baking dish should make 8 servings.
  • Brand ahead: Brand (only don't bake) the casserole, let absurd, and air-condition for upwardly to 2 days earlier you need information technology.
  • Storage: Store the leftovers in the fridge and cease them up within 3 to 5 days.
  • Freezing: Assemble the goulash, but don't bake information technology. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, characterization, engagement, and freeze. Bake direct from the freezer at 325 degrees until pipe hot inside, about 1 hour.
  • Cheese: YES! I did not specify cheese in this recipe, merely I have in the past and if that appeals to you, I highly recommend information technology. (Life Tip: If you're wondering if you should add cheese, the answer is always yes.) Grated cheddar on top would be delicious, simply and so would Boursin mashed potatoes.
  • Breadcrumbs: Homemade breadcrumbs or garlic breadcrumbs sprinkled over the acme of the mashed potatoes is delicious, too. That'south called a Cumberland Pie, in case you lot're wondering.
  • Sweet potatoes: Heck yeah, you can top the goulash with mashed sweet potatoes (or even cauliflower mashed potatoes) for something different. You can fifty-fifty brand this recipe with leftover mashed potatoes, if you lot have them. Just make it.
A slab of Shepherd's Pie in a bowl.

More than delicious, hearty recipes

Shepherd'southward Pie

Shepherd'south Pie, likewise known as cottage pie, is British pub nutrient at its finest. This easy meat-and-potatoes casserole features basis beef (or lamb), vegetables, and a savory gravy baked underneath a thick, fluffy layer of mashed potatoes. Dig in before it disappears.

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 1 hour 5 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Servings 8 servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Irish

Calories 588

For the filling:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion minced
  • two pounds ground beef or ground lamb (see note 1)
  • Table salt and freshly footing black pepper
  • ane/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • ane tablespoon love apple paste
  • 2 cups chicken goop
  • iii/4 loving cup beer (see note 2)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • two teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 11-ounce handbag frozen peas and carrots (nigh 2 cups)

For the topping:

  • 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cutting into 2-inch pieces (run across annotation 3)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ane/ii cup butter melted (ane stick)
  • 3/four loving cup milk plus more than for desired consistency
  • 1 egg browbeaten

To make the filling:

  • In a large skillet over medium-high oestrus, melt butter until foaming. Add onions and cook until softened, about iii to 5 minutes.

  • Add the meat, ½ teaspoon common salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and melt until browned, about 5 to x minutes. Use a spoon to break up any clumps of meat.

  • Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, well-nigh 1 infinitesimal.

  • Stir in chicken broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick but saucy, 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Stir in peas and carrots, season to taste with common salt and pepper, and transfer to a broiler-safe 9-inch by 13-inch dish.

To brand the topping:

  • Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  • In a large pot or dutch oven over high oestrus, bring potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes one inch to eddy. Reduce oestrus to medium-depression and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Drain well, return potatoes to pot, and mash until smooth. Stir in butter until incorporated. Stir in milk and season to taste with common salt and pepper. (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly footing blackness pepper.)

  • Spread potatoes over the filling in casserole dish and use a condom spatula to smooth the top, or pipe with a pastry bag and tip. Castor with egg and swirl the elevation with the back of a spoon, or elevate fork tines beyond to make hatch marks.

  • Broil until the filling is hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

  1. Ground meat: "Minced" beefiness or lamb is traditional. In the UK, Cottage Pie is made with beefiness while Shepherd's Pie uses lamb. Merely in the United States, beef is often used in either case because lamb isn't as widely consumed.
  2. Beer: Any beer yous like: lager, stout, etc. You lot merely need a picayune, just if you don't desire to cook with beer, bump upwards the chicken broth in the recipe.
  3. Russet potatoes: Starchy baking potatoes like Russets make the best, fluffiest mashed potatoes.
  4. Yield: One recipe baked in a 9-inch past 13-inch baking dish should make 8 servings.
  5. Make ahead: Brand (but don't bake) the casserole, allow cool, and refrigerate for upwardly to 2 days earlier you need it.
  6. Storage: Store the leftovers in the refrigerator and finish them upwards within three to v days.
  7. Freezing: Assemble the casserole, but don't broil information technology. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, characterization, appointment, and freeze. Bake straight from the freezer at 325 degrees until piping hot inside, about one hr.
  8. Cheese: Yep! I did non specify cheese in this recipe, but I take in the past and if that appeals to you, I highly recommend information technology. (Life Tip: If you're wondering if you lot should add cheese, the answer is always yep.) Grated cheddar on top would exist succulent, just and then would Boursin mashed potatoes.
  9. Breadcrumbs: Homemade breadcrumbs or garlic breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top of the mashed potatoes is delicious, too. That's chosen a Cumberland Pie, in instance you're wondering.
  10. Sweet potatoes: Heck yes, you tin can top the casserole with mashed sweet potatoes (or even cauliflower mashed potatoes) for something dissimilar. You can fifty-fifty make this recipe with leftover mashed potatoes, if y'all accept them. Merely make information technology.

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 588 kcal Carbohydrates: 33 thousand Protein: 26 g Fat: 39 g Saturated Fat: 12 grand Cholesterol: 103 mg Sodium: 751 mg Potassium: 1051 mg Fiber: 2 g Saccharide: three g Vitamin A: 754 IU Vitamin C: 15 mg Calcium: 82 mg Iron: 4 mg

I'm the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Colina Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for y'all.

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