🥧 Shepherd’s Pie (Classic & Comforting)
A hearty baked dish with savory meat and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Traditionally made with lamb (shepherd’s pie); with beef it’s called cottage pie.
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
Meat Filling
- 500 g (1 lb) ground lamb (or beef)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp thyme or rosemary
Mashed Potato Topping
- 4–5 medium potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼–½ cup milk
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make mashed potatoes
- Boil potatoes until tender (15–20 minutes).
- Drain and mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the filling
- Heat olive oil in a pan.
- Sauté onion and carrots until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add ground lamb and cook until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, peas, and seasonings.
- Simmer 8–10 minutes until thick.
- Assemble
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Spread meat filling in a baking dish.
- Top evenly with mashed potatoes (create ridges with a fork).
- Bake
- Bake 20–25 minutes until golden on top.
- Serve
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Add grated cheese on top for a golden crust 🧀
- Use leftovers—shepherd’s pie tastes even better the next day
- For extra flavor, add a splash of red wine to the filling
Would you like a vegetarian shepherd’s pie, a quick skillet version, or a make-ahead/freezer-friendly option?
