Easy Shepherd’s Pie
This classic Irish shepherd’s pie recipe is so easy, and easy to love! Hearty and loaded with savory beef or lamb, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, it’s pure comfort food. Classic shepherd’s pie isn’t fancy, though it might sound a little old-fashioned (all the best comfort foods are, right?). But not to worry, while some grandma foods are tricky, shepherd’s pie is really just a straightforward meat-and-potatoes casserole, with some veggies, that’s simple to make and so warming. If you want a lighter savory pie recipe, try our Healthy Shepherd's Pie, Turkey Shepherd’s Pie, or if you want seriously hearty meat pie, check out our classic Meat Pie or Steak Pie recipe. (We told you we love savory pies!)
Shepherd's Pie VS Cottage Pie
Irish Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made from ground lamb topped with mashed potatoes, while the British cottage pie is essentially the same dish made with ground beef. Today, the terms are used fairly interchangeably, so to make our easy shepherds pie recipe you can use either ground lamb or beef, whatever you like best!
Classic Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
Russet potatoes. We love regular old russet potatoes for making shepherd’s pie.
Ground beef or ground lamb. You choose! If it’s a special occasion, you might try traditional Irish lamb, or it’s just as delicious with ground beef.
Frozen peas. Shepherd’s pie really is a whole meal: Veggies, beef and potatoes all in one casserole!
Carrots. More veggies!
Onions. Always.
Fresh fennel bulb. If you don’t like fennel, it’s fine to skip this ingredient!
Flour. Flour will make the filling a little more cohesive.
Tomato paste. For extra umami.
Unsalted butter. We use unsalted butter in the mashed potatoes so that you get to control how salty they are. If the mashed potatoes need more salt, you can always add a pinch.
Whole milk. Don’t use anything less fatty than whole milk — you want your mashed potato topping to be gloriously creamy.
Beef broth. Hearty and rich, it’s a must.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, garlic.
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie
Boil the potatoes.
Mash them with a ricer and stir in the butter, milk, salt and garlic.
Brown the ground beef or lamb in a large skillet.
Set aside the cooked ground meat, and use the same skillet to cook the veggies for the filling.
Now you’ll make the shepherd’s pie filling! Add flour, tomato paste, beef stock, pepper, thyme, and rosemary to the veggies. Then add the browned beef back into the skillet, along with the frozen peas.
Simmer the filling for about ten minutes.
Carefully spread the ground beef or lamb filling in a baking dish, and top it with a generous, even layer of mashed potatoes.
Bake for 20 minutes and your shepherd’s pie is done!
How To Freeze Shepherd’s Pie + Tips
Our shepherd's pie recipe is a great make ahead recipe! To freeze a shepherd’s pie, cook it all the way through, and let it cool a bit. Then, wrap it tightly in a few layers of of foil, label it with the date and freeze for up to three months. When you’re ready to heat and eat it, let it defrost in the refrigerator for a few hours, and bake it in the oven to warm it up (give it another 20 minutes, and be sure to check to be sure it is warmed through).
Lamb and beef have different degrees of fattiness. If you use beef, you may need to drain off some fat after browning the meat before you make the rest of the filling, and you should not have that issue with ground lamb.
Shepherd’s pie is a great way to use up mashed potatoes! If you have leftover Mashed Potatoes (we’re looking at you, day-after-Thanksgiving!) this shepherd pie recipe will be even easier to make!
Need more easy dinner inspiration? Check out our 30 Best Ground Beef Recipes.
What To Eat With Shepherd’s Pie
We wouldn’t complain if we just had a plateful of shepherd’s pie, some vegetable side dishes really round it out. Try serving your homemade shepherd’s pie with:
Mushy peas (just like you’d get in a pub)
More Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
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