Shepherd’s Pie

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This easy shepherd’s pie checks all the boxes for a classic comfort food dinner that goes far beyond St. Patrick’s Day. The base is a simple a mix of ground lamb and vegetables, simmered in a savory sauce. Then, it’s topped with fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes that form a golden crust!

A large pan of shepherd's pie

What Is Shepherd’s Pie?

If you didn’t know, shepherd’s pie came about from Irish women getting creative with leftovers back in the 1800’s. Ground meat, mirepoix vegetables, and mashed potatoes were common ingredients and dishes served. So I’m sure those ladies thought, why not combine them for the ultimate cozy meal?

The basic structure of shepherd’s pie is a savory minced lamb filling topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. And the filling is usually simmered with onions, carrots, celery, and peas.

It’s almost like a take on chicken pot pie, but without a crust. And since Irish people love all things potato (especially mashed potatoes), shepherd’s pie became a winning recipe!

A single scoop serving of Shepherd's pie.

Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients

If you’ve ever had cottage pie, shepherd’s pie is really similar. The only difference is that cottage pie uses beef, and shepherd’s pie uses lamb or mutton. So when you eat a shepherd’s pie in the US that swaps ground beef for lamb, that’s actually a cottage pie, not a Shepherd’s pie. Oh, semantics! But here’s what you’ll need to make this.

  • Ground Lamb: As I mentioned, it’s traditional to use ground lamb, but you can also use ground beef or even ground turkey.
  • Vegetables: I’ve included carrots, celery, frozen peas, and onions. But feel free to always toss in more vegetables.
  • Broth: Chicken broth tastes best with lamb. But if you’re using ground beef, I recommend you use beef broth.
  • Tomato Paste: This helps create thickness and flavor in the sauce (without the use of flour).
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a depth of flavor to the meat filling, because Worcestershire sauce itself is very layered in flavor. If you’re gluten-free, make sure to read my note below!
  • Mashed Potatoes: Deliciously fluffy and whipped spuds on top of the meat filling finish off a classic shepherd’s pie. Just follow my mashed potato recipe – it’s easy!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Read The Labels On Your Worcestershire Sauce

Diving into the meat filling, you’ll see that Worcestershire is a key ingredient. This is a vinegar based sauce made from fermented onions and garlic, along with molasses, tamarind, anchovies, spices and more. Yep, you can say this sauce has an intense depth of flavor, making it perfect to add to meats.

But if you’re gluten-free, you’ll need to be mindful of the brands you buy. Worcestershire often includes a wheat-based soy sauce to get that deep dark brown color. So, I recommend purchasing one of the below brands that are gluten-free (always double check labels as ingredients may change).

Sauteeing vegetables in a pan for shepherds pie

How To Make Shepherd’s Pie

The first thing you’ll make is mashed potatoes. You can make this the day of, or you can make it a day before expedite the process. Once that’s done, you’ll move on to the meaty filling and preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Saute all the veggies and meat together until cooked through. Then, add in all the flavorful herbs and aromatics and let it simmer for just a few minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit. Just remember to leave the frozen peas until the end as those can get mushy fast if they cook for too long! 

Cooking shepherd's pie filling in a pan.

The last step is dolloping and spreading the mashed potatoes on top. Once that’s done, transfer the shepherd’s pie to the oven, and let it cook for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it so that the top of the mashed potatoes doesn’t get burnt!

Making Shepherd's pie and dolloping mashed potatoes on top.

Helpful tip: I prefer to use a large oven-safe pan rather than a casserole dish. But you could transfer everything to a casserole dish as well.

Shepherd’s Pie Variations

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easily modifiable. Here are some other variations to enjoy:

  • Low-Carb/Keto: swap the mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower.
  • Dairy-Free: swap the butter in the mashed potatoes for ghee or a dairy-free spread and use non-dairy milk.
  • Vegan/Vegetarian: swap the lamb for a mix of mushrooms and lentils.
  • Paleo/Whole30: swap the peas for green beans (you can chop them up) and use mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes or even mashed butternut squash.

And if you want a richer shepherd’s pie, feel free to add a generous splash of red wine with the chicken broth and use a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken it up.

Shepherd's pie on a table next to a napkin

Prep This Ahead Of Time

If you plan to make this ahead of time, store the mashed potatoes and filing in separate containers in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, let the potatoes and filling sit at room temperature to soften before assembling. Then, pop it right into the oven for baking.

When it comes time to freeze leftovers, just place them in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. This could be a great option if you also plan to meal prep this on a Sunday night. Just bake it, divide it into 6 sections, and freeze it!

Complete Your St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with classic Irish recipes! If you want a festive Irish spread on the table, accompany the Shepherd’s Pie with:

More Easy Comfort Food Ideas

Are you in the mood for more comfort food? These tasty dinner recipes will surely hit the spot.

This easy shepherd’s pie is about as comforting as they come. If you make it, I’d love to know how it turned out in a comment below. Your review helps other in the community!

Taking a serving out of the Shepherd's pie recipe.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

4.99 from 171 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This easy shepherd's pie is a classic comfort food recipe that's hearty, filling, and perfect for the winter season or St. Patrick's Day. Watch the video below to see how I make the recipe!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Potato Topping

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup butter
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Meat Filling

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalk, diced
  • pounds ground lamb or ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth, or if using ground beef use beef broth
  • tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, see notes above
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions 

  • Place the potatoes in a pot on the stove and cover with cold water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander, then return to the pot. Add the milk, butter, salt and pepper and mash until creamy.
    Mashing potatoes in a bowl.
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large oven-safe saute pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a minute. Then add the diced carrots, diced celery, and lamb. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is browned. Use your spatula to break up the meat while cooking.
    Sauteing onions, carrots, celery and lamb on the stove in a pan.
  • Drain the fat from the pan and add the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Add the frozen peas and stir together. Turn off the stove and use the back of your spatula to flatten the meat mixture into a single layer.
    Mixing spices into the Shepherd's pie filling on the stove.
  • Dollop the mashed potatoes on top of the meat and use a spoon or spatula to spread it flat to the edges. If desired, create texture in the potato topping with a spoon or fork.
    Dolloped mashed potatoes on top of the Shepherd's pie filling ingredients.
  • Bake the shepherd's pie until slightly golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. You can broil the top for 1 to 2 minutes as well.
    Finished Shepherd's pie fresh out of the oven.

Lisa’s Tips

  • If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute the ground lamb for veggies such as mushrooms and lentils.
  • You can use ghee instead of butter and non-dairy milk for the milk as well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 1160mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3928IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British, Irish
Keyword: shepherd’s pie, shepherd’s pie recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Originally posted December 2019, but updated to include new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




358 Comments

  1. I live in the outback of Australia. As you know lamb is very popular here. I made this recipe and my family raved about it. I had homemade lamb stock in the freezer so I used that instead of chicken stock but everything else was per the recipe. Definite keeper. 5 stars

  2. I especially love to watch the video that goes with the recipe. I gain knowledge and confidence watching you cook and listening to any handy tips. 
    A big Thankyou from me 🙏🙏5 stars

    1. Hi Michele – thanks so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled you love the videos and that you find them helpful in the kitchen. :)

  3. Under nutrition, what is the serving size you base nutrition facts on? Thank you, just tracking macros, delicious recipe. We made with 3%lean beef.

    1. Hi Jenny – This recipe makes about 6 servings total, so just divide up your shepherd’s pie to get a better idea as everyone’s pan is different.

  4. We absolutely loved this. Did cut back on butter by half and had to use dry rosemary and thyme…having leftovers again tonight 😊 I have enjoyed all of your recipes that I’ve tried and always yummy! Plus appreciate how organized you are with preparation, the videos really help!👍5 stars

  5. you say “ground” Lamb,, do you mean – ground already roasted lamb ?  which is what a Shepherds Pie is made of,,  creating a totally different texture and delicious taste,, ?5 stars

  6. Absolutely fabulous and the best Shepherd’s Pie I have ever made! I subbed some red wine for part of the broth and (it’s not traditional, but I don’t care) added some fresh parmesan to the mashed potatoes. 10/10 – will make again! We aren’t huge meat-eaters at our house, and I’m super intrigued by the idea of using lentils and subbing liquid aminos to make this vegetarian. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  7.  Traditional Shepherds Pie is made with already ‘cooked’ Lamb, the left over of the families Roast Lamb and some Pickled boiled Lamb,, —- not mince meat from the butcher,,,,,   made to feed the Shepherds,, the cooked meat is then minced and mixed with Tomato Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce, a pinch of seasoning and Black Pepper,, the pie is heated through in oven and potato browned under grill, This texture and taste is delicious !!!  it was made often by my German Grandma,, it has no vegies in it,,     but Cottage Pie is made with butchers mince meat, that has to be cooked first,,a completely different texture !?! then vegies are added.. from the Cottage Garden ,,,   please try this Shepherds Pie,, it is so delicious,,,  but you need a meat mincer to make it,,  —— we, as children, loved turning the handle on the mincer for Grandma,, 5 stars

  8. Fantastic! I made this last night using beef. It came out perfectly and was beyond delicious. The only thing I did differently (per my boyfriend’s request) was to sprinkle some shredded cheese on top at the end and put it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. Will definitely be making this again.5 stars

  9. I’m trying this recipe for the first time tonight and can’t wait to try it! Thank you for the recipe and the video. They were very helpful. 

  10. I made it today for Valentine’s Day – I’m married to a meat & potatoes IA boy so this hit the spot for certain. I made it the traditional way using lamb (2 lbs.). Rather than chicken or beef stock I used a bison/apple cider bone broth. I found it still a bit “watery” so I used 2 tsp. of arrowroot power/bone broth to thicken it up. I do the same when I am making my Tourtière and the meat mixture holds together very well when you’re cutting into it that way. It tasted AAAAHHMAZING!! 
    The only problem I had … I left it under the broiler a bit too long so some of the potato was a “bit more done” than I would have liked. LOL5 stars

    1. Amazing! What a great Valentine’s meal. As for the potatoes, make sure to keep an eye on them as they can brown quickly!

  11. We made this for dinner this evening using ground beef, but made some changes to add extra veg. We added turnip, extra garlic and instead of potatoes we did a buttercup squash topping (no milk). Amazing!5 stars

  12. First time trying this recipe. It was great! I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so I used soy sauce. Not sure if that ruined it or not but it tasted good, and for some reason it tasted better the next day. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  13. This recipe is on rotation in my house and it’s a huge hit! I’ve used both ground beef and chicken and often sub ketchup for tomato paste. It’s very comforting an delicious!5 stars

  14. This is so so good and looks beautiful when finished.  Also, my first time using lamb in a recipe so that was fun :)5 stars

  15. Your first clue to whether it is a cottage pie or a shepherds pie, is in the name. Shepherds look after the sheep, so therefore, shepherds pie is made with lamb. I have never seen a shepherd herding beef cattle.

  16. I made this with beef and didn’t have fresh herbs or milk (just used water and butter). Also used frozen peas and carrots and just threw them in at the same time as the celery. Added some extra Worcestershire. 

    Also added some cayenne to the potato’s.

    Best Shepard’s pie I’ve ever had! Amazing! 5 stars

  17. Thanks for this recipe! Please note for your substitution notes that Worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian or vegan 5 stars

  18. I have made this so many times and every time is SO amazing. I try to incorporate my own flare, sometimes I do cauliflower mash instead of regular, sometimes I make my own Worchishire, sometimes I add red wine, red pepper flakes, a little brown sugar for some sweet and spicy action, but no matter what it turns out amazing. This would be my death row recipe if I had to choose a last meal 😭 5 stars

  19. Hi there, great recipe! Being from the UK, and also of Irish descent, I grew up regularly eating both shepherds pie and cottage pie. Both are truly delicious but thought I would mention that the lamb version being called “shepherds” pie is because a person who cares for sheep is called a shepherd. I am not certain why the beef version is called a cottage pie though! I love all of your recipes, thank you 🙂5 stars

  20. I made this recipe tonight for a dinner with friends and it was a huge success. Thank you Lisa!5 stars

  21. Made this tonight and it was fabulous! I ended eyeballing the Worcestershire and tomato paste because I’m lazy, but will measure next time as I think the meat turned out just a touch sweet. Still a huge hit!5 stars

    1. Ummm, Sheppards Pie is a British dish and is made with minced lamb meat, thus the “Sheppard” reference. Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. You have it backwards.

  22. I made this for dinner tonight and it was REALLY good! I planned to take a photo but it smelled so yummy we started just started eating. I had hoped for leftovers for tomorrow but there’s not much left. Definitely making again!5 stars

  23. My families new favorite to go on the rotation! Used cut great beans instead of peas because I didn’t have any, still amazing!5 stars

    1. Hi Ana – the Le Creuset braiser I used in the photos is a 3 1/2 qt braiser and it’s linked on the Shop page on my website.

  24. Quite good. I like half beef half lamb (although lamb is, of course, traditional). One last thing, the cuisine is British… not America. A fine point, but a point nonetheless.4 stars

    1. Yes, half beef and half lamb is a tasty combo. And thanks for the catch on cuisine, I’ll change that right now. :)

    1. Hi Karryn – Definitely comfort food at it’s best! Glad you enjoyed this shepherd’s pie recipe :)

  25. My first recipe (since I have joined your site )   that I made for my boys and I and we loved it. I am not a social media person but Lisa I love your warm and positive energy. Now not a day goes by without me watching your videos and more . A big thank you Lisa. 5 stars

    1. Hi Christine – That makes me so happy to hear that you’re loving all my content so far on social, for someone who isn’t a fan of social media. I hope you continue to enjoy all my recipes and can’t wait to show you what’s in store for later this year.

  26. Made this recipe and it was an immediate favorite by the family! We all had second portions. I didn’t have arrowroot powder to use for “thickening” but used some cornstarch when I added the peas to get a thicker sauce and let me tell ya. It worked great! So yummy and will share recipe with friends and family + make again!!!5 stars

    1. Hi there – I’m so glad this recipe is now a family favorite! This dish is definitely great for feeding a large party and makes for great leftovers as well :)

  27. Made this recipe for my family.  I added shredded Mexican cheese to the mashed potatoes and on top.
    It was a nice addition.’
    Thanks!5 stars

    1. First time making it tonight for dinner. SO yummy!! I used ground turkey instead of lamb, and it was great. I also added a little sharp cheddar on top of the potatoes. I will definitely be making this again! 5 stars

      1. Hi Alyssa – Congrats on making your first shepherd’s pie! I’m glad you enjoyed it so much and will be making it again :)

  28. Excellent recipe and so easy to sub an ingredient I didn’t have on hand. Will definitely make this again!5 stars

  29. Lisa, YOU ARE AMAZING!  Thank yo so much.  I love everyone of your recipes.  Everyone thinks I’m a great cook because of your site.  I love how simple and easy you make it.  I just made this late night with turkey and mash sweet potatoes and it was a great hit!  5 stars

  30. In an effort to cook something different and new  every other week this was just what me and me lady needed for these uncertain times /with a bit of an African/Ugandan  touch the flavors are to die for .EYALAMA (Thank you in Ateso ) 5 stars

    1. Hi there – I’m so glad both of you enjoyed this shepherd’s pie! Can’t wait to see what you two whip up next :)

  31. Hi, I am making this now and realized I don’t have tomato paste. Can I do without it or substitute it?

  32. Lisa:

    I prepared this just a few moments ago. I thought it was delicious; however, I used dried (rather than fresh) rosemary & thyme and in retrospect should have scaled back the quantities of those herbs…? My wife loved it but our three finicky little ones weren’t so fond of it…5 stars

    1. Hi Edward- Sometimes the dried amount can be more than when you’re picking out fresh ones! But I’m glad you and your wife still enjoyed this one. Maybe cut back on the herbs a bit and I’m sure your kids will enjoy it too :)

  33. I made this delicious recipe recently, with a couple of modifications. I didn’t have lamb on hand, so I used ground turkey. Also added a tsp of poultry seasoning and it was so good. Definitely make this again! Love your recipes, working through some autoimmune diseases, appreciate your experience with them as well, and your reference to anti inflammatory foods, a big help! So grateful for your help!5 stars

    1. Hi Teresa- I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe with your few minor tweaks and additions. And that’s great! I hope I can provide new information and some inspiration when it comes to listening to your body and nourishing it with wholesome ingredients :)