Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

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Stacey K

I added a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as a previous poster suggested, plus 1.25 C of frozen peas with the carrots and onions.

Jessica

Cheese in the mash I have never heard of. Shredded cheese on top is characteristic of a Cumberland pie, but I always add it to my cottage (beef) or shepherds’ (lamb) pies too. Other than that, Worcester sauce essential, garlic unnecessary (it’s in the Worcester sauce) and peas best served on the side. A fat tablespoon of wholegrain mustard is great in the meat sauce, too, if you have it to hand.

Jonathan

Always found shepherd’s pie lacking in many ways but this is a winner. Added celery (same amount as carrot) which increased the veggie count and reduced the carrot sweetness. Now a standard in our home.

gf

To keep fat low, don't add cheese to the potatoes, it's not necessary and isn't really a problem for flavour. You can always sprinkle grated cheese on top of the potatoes if you want. If you drag a fork over the mashed potato topping, it will give it a nice crisping and looks nice. Definitely let it stand before serving or else you get a gloopy mess.

Chris

I always use leftover roast lamb in my version. Get a bigger leg of lamb than you need when doing a Sunday roast and keep the leftovers in the fridge for a Shepherd’s Pie a few days later. I don’t have a meat grinder, so I chop the lamb into a coarse dice by hand while the vegetables (onion, carrot and celery) are cooking. Worcestershire Sauce is a must, while cheese in the mashed potatoes is definitely not traditional.

Suellen

What have you named this new recipe?

Trent

My Only addition to this recipe was I added Worcestershire sauce. It made all the difference. This was easy and utterly delicious.

LFK

Tasty! Modifications: 1) Instead of 3/4 cup stock, boiled alcohol off 1 cup dry red wine, added 1 cup beef stock, reduced all to 3/4 cup; 2) Added 1 Tbs of worcestershire sauce to the reduction; 3) Mixed in a cup of frozen peas prior to adding the potato layer, which I scored w a fork. Cooked everything in a 12" cast iron skillet which had plenty of room. My 10" skillet volume was 2.25 qts. At 30 min., the edge browned nicely, but center was pasty. Fixed by a few minutes under the broiler.

Amy

I put cauliflower in with the mashed potatoes so used less potatoes. Next time, I will only use cauliflower.I used olive oil and the potato water to mash them together instead of butter and milk.I substituted Parmesan cheese for the cheddar.It was really good family friendly, feed a crowd food.

Amanda

This was fantastic! I made some changes, based on all the recommendations here: Added half bag each of frozen peas and frozen corn right before adding potatoes on top, used Yukon golds instead of russets, doubled the cheese in the potatoes, brushed the top with melted butter, added the 2-3 shakes of Worcestershire to the meat, drained about half a cup of fat out, used 1# each of ground lamb and 90/10 ground beef. I will not be waiting until next St Patrick's day to make it again!

Catherine

I vegetarian-ized this recipe with the following changes:+1 carrot+8 oz porcini mushroomssubs. med. onion for small onion+1 cup peas+2.5 tbsp vegetarian worchestire saucesubs. vegetable Better than Bullion for beef broth+10 oz Beyond Beef Beefy CrumblesOmit lamb and beefIt turned out very well! I'll be making this again, perhaps swapping turnips for the potatoes.

April

I've made Shepherd's Pie for years, and fancied an alternate way of doing it. I did the potatoes as suggested, but for the meat, I fried 4 rashers of good quality bacon for the fat. I also didn't add the stock. Instead I added 14.5oz of chopped tomatoes. I did add Worcestershire to the veggies when they were almost done. I also added frozen peas. Its now cooking so I will report back when its done. Oh! And a tip from a Brit... score the potatoes with a fork. It helps to brown.

Geoff G

Added peas and mushrooms, and a turnip to the potatoes. Delish!

Cyndi

I added Worcestershire (1 tb.), whole grain mustard (1 tb.) and frozen peas (3/4 c.) as suggested by others. Instead of cheddar, I used parmesan (2 generous tbs.) in the mashed potatoes and on the top (4 generous tbs.) for a good crisp. Next time, I'll add a little more Worcestershire. It was delicious.

Zach

Substituted a cauliflower mash for the potatoes. A nice healthful twist to the recipe. Obviously not quite as delicious as mashed potatoes but still really good. I would definitely make again.

NancyM

Used leftover leg of lamb, added the Worcestershire and brown mustard as suggested; no garlic or cheese, added chives as I was low on parsley. Otherwise as written and delicious.

Martha Woods

I added frozen peas

Greenwich Lady

This recipe is really great exactly as it is written. I used organic russet potatoes from Whole Foods. The taste is much better.

Kathleen G.

A great recipe for Shepherd's Pie! I followed the suggestions using red wine for beef broth and adding worcestershire sauce, celery, extra garlic, peas and corn. But, I would NEVER make this unless I had leftover mashed potatoes, too labor intensive, in my opinion, to cook potatoes from scratch. I used mashed potatoes and parsnips. Running a fork through the potatoes made for a lovely, crisped top. I served cheddar or parmesan cheese to grate, ketchup (for my husband) and a green salad.

David

I loved this recipe. I made the potatoes exactly as instructed. I used a bit more meat than called for (probably 9/10 of a pound of each), added about 3/4 c. frozen peas after cooking the meat, added 2 T of Worcestershire sauce and 1 T of stone ground mustard, and upped the stock to 1 c.) Turned out absolutely fantastic.

Peg

I was so excited to make this version of shepherd's pie, as my other recipe is much more time consuming. I made it according to the recipe except used ground beef instead of lamb. It was good, but I didn't find it very flavorful. Next time I will use some of the suggestions here, definitely the worcestershire!

Peg

Update: I had leftovers for lunch today, and it was yummy! I will definitely make it again using some of the suggestions.

Susan W

Used 1 lb of ground lamb and 1 lb of 90/10 ground beef and next time would add celery with the carrots and onions. Also, wish I had read the other comments which suggested scoring the potatoes with a fork and putting under a broiler to get top brown and a little crispier. Also don’t think you need to have 6 T of butter mixed into the potatoes. Next time I’ll use half the butter to save a few calories! Otherwise it was fantastically delicious!

Irene

Followed the recipe except I used Yukon gold potatoes, added mushrooms, peas, and Worcestershire sauce per other reviewers and it turned out wonderfully. It’s a keeper, thank you!

Catherine

Delicious. Added more veg. Corn, fennel, etc. also added hot pepper jelly, mustard, worstershire and Lea and Perrin’s HP. Leftover lamb delicious. Omitted cheese. Increase meat to potatoes

Bettster

This was wonderful! I doubled the recipe for our crowd, added the worcestershire and frozen veggies as suggested by others, and made it in a large cast iron skillet - amazing!

Dee

Very tasty made was written using only lamb, but with two fewer tablespoons of butter.I'd say 4 generous servings with just a salad as dinner.

btw

For the topping, half potatoes and half celeriac - always make mashed potatoes this way. Lighter and delicious.

GLL

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Made this tonight! Followed exactly just added a splash of Worcestershire Sauce. Delicious!!!

TigerLily

I substituted leeks for onions and delicate squash for carrots and it was delish!

Catherine

Increased the vegetables… leeks, fennel, corn etc. added spices.

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Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional shepherd's pie made of? ›

Classic Shepherd's Pie is a comforting casserole that consists of ground lamb, carrots, and peas simmered with Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs and topped with a cheesy mashed potato layer that's baked until golden and crisp.

Does shepherd's pie have gravy in it? ›

Talk about satisfying. Ground beef, vegetables, and gravy are baked under pillowy mashed potatoes. If it's not yet already, this will soon be a family favorite recipe.

Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? ›

A good shepherd's – or indeed cottage – pie, needs a solid, but fluffy top: too much milk or butter, and you'll end up with a sloppy puree instead. Make sure you steam the potatoes dry before mashing, and season generously; I like Bareham and Hopkinson's nutmeg as well as the usual salt and pepper.

What is Irish shepherd's pie made of? ›

Irish Shepherd's Pie is a delicious comforting dish perfect for celebrating the upcoming St Patrick's Day. Ground meat is cooked with lots of vegetables and Guinness, topped with delicious mashed potatoes and cheese and then baked to create a perfect golden crust.

Does shepherd's pie have cheese in it? ›

The dish often includes cheese and chicken; cod is sometimes used instead of beef. The filling is similar to that of a cottage pie, with the addition of sliced hard-boiled eggs. Similar to cottage pie; may also contain peppers.

Why does shepherd's pie need to go in the oven? ›

Both ingredients are already cooked so it really only needs to be in the oven long enough for the potato to form a golden brown crust on top. Minced or ground beef is used for a Cottage Pie not a Shepherds pie.

What can I use to thicken my shepherd's pie? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Why does my potato sink in shepherd's pie? ›

How do you keep potatoes from sinking in shepherd's pie? Let the beef layer cool before you top it with the mashed potatoes. This is the number one way to keep your potatoes from sinking. Another tip is to not make your potatoes too runny because firmer mashed potatoes stay more level while baking.

How do I keep my shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

What is the difference between Irish and British shepherd's pie? ›

It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.

Is shepherds pie and cottage pie the same? ›

The main difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's pie is cottage pie uses ground beef, and Shepherd's pie uses ground lamb. Both pies are cooked with vegetables and gravy and baked under a layer of mashed potatoes. To make Shepherd's pie using this recipe, simply substitute ground lamb.

What ethnicity is shepherd's pie? ›

shepherd's pie, dish of British Isles origin that makes use of vegetables and chopped meat cooked in a casserole topped with or surrounded by mashed potatoes.

What is shepherd's pie made of in England? ›

“Shepherd's pie” and “cottage pie” are used interchangeably, but technically traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and traditional cottage pie is made with ground beef.

What meat is in traditional pie and mash? ›

Pie and mash is a traditional working-class food, originating in the Docks of London. Often accompanied with jellied eels, the dish has been popularised as "a co*ckney classic". It typically consists of a minced beef pie, mashed potato, and a parsley sauce known as liquor.

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