Ahhh Shepherd’s Pie 🥧—pure comfort food. Here’s a classic, cozy version with a rich meat filling and fluffy mashed potatoes on top.
(Traditional note: “Shepherd’s” = lamb. If you use beef, it’s technically Cottage Pie—but both are delicious.)
Classic Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients (serves 4–6):
Mashed Potato Topping
- 2½ lb (1.2 kg) potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup milk or cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Meat Filling
- 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb (or beef)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup beef or lamb broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Make the mashed potatoes
- Boil potatoes in salted water until tender.
- Drain, mash with butter and milk.
- Season well and set aside.
- Cook the meat filling
- In a large skillet, brown lamb over medium heat.
- Add onion and carrots; cook until softened.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste (cook 1 min).
- Add Worcestershire, thyme, broth, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 10–15 minutes until thick.
- Stir in peas.
- Assemble
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Spread meat mixture into a baking dish.
- Spoon mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly.
- Rough up the surface with a fork (crispy bits!).
- Bake
- Bake 20–25 minutes until bubbling.
- Optional: broil 2–3 minutes for a golden top.
- Rest & serve
- Let sit 5–10 minutes before serving.
🔥 Tips & Variations
- Add a little grated cheese to the mash for extra richness
- Splash of red wine in the meat = deeper flavor
- Sweet potato topping works great too
- Make-ahead friendly & freezes beautifully
Want a quick weeknight version, slow cooker shepherd’s pie, or extra-rich pub-style version?
