My family loves this easy shepherd’s pie recipe with tender ground beef (or lamb), veggies, a delicious savory gravy, all topped with cheesy mashed potatoes.
Shepherd’s pie (or Cottage pie) instantly takes me back to my early childhood in rural Scotland. It was a staple recipe for my mom, and now, it’s become one for me.
This classic dish is my ultimate cozy meal, and I can’t wait for you to try our favorite version with its rich, savory gravy, tender meat (use your favorite, beef or lamb), and a buttery, cheesy mashed potato topping.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Meat: My family uses ground beef in this recipe, but ground lamb is lovely! My family calls this shepherd’s pie, no matter which we use, but if we want to be technical, cottage pie calls for beef, while shepherds pie calls for lamb.
- Vegetables: We keep this super simple and use onions, carrots, and peas. The onion and carrots are added early, while the peas are stirred in later, so they don’t get too soft. Frozen peas are great!
- Spices: We go with all dried spices for this recipe. They work exceptionally well, and they keep the ingredients down. You’ll need garlic powder, dried thyme, and salt.
- Broth: Beef broth is excellent, but you can use chicken or veggie broth/stock if that is all you have. Here are our homemade beef stock, chicken stock, and vegetable broth recipes.
- Tomato Paste and Worcestershire Sauce: For the best gravy, don’t miss this tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. They add color and richness to the gravy! Trust me.
- Mashed Potatoes: For the topping, we take our classic mashed potatoes and make them even more special with butter, milk, and grated sharp cheddar cheese (I love using English or Irish cheddar!). The type of potato makes a difference: Yukon Gold yields creamy potatoes, while Russets result in a lighter, fluffier mash. While I usually prefer Yukon gold potatoes for regular mashed potatoes, Russets are my favorite for this recipe!
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Shepherd’s Pie
Tip 1: Oven-safe skillet vs baking dish. Use a cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches) to cook and bake everything in one pan. If you don’t have one, just cook the meat in a regular skillet, then transfer it to a baking dish before baking.
Tip 2: Use a food mill or potato ricer. For the silkiest mashed potato topping, use a food mill or potato ricer instead of a potato masher. This will give your shepherds pie a lovely, creamy topping.
Tip 3: Season your filling really well. Taste as you go! It’s easy to under-season shepherd’s pie. Be sure to taste the meat filling and potato topping and add more salt and pepper as needed until the flavors pop. If they don’t make you smile, you need a bit more salt and pepper.
Tip 4: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! I make this recipe monthly, probably more in the colder months. It’s cozy, and the family loves it! It’s also easy to prep in advance:
- Make the mashed potatoes and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Assemble the whole dish, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
- For a longer option, freeze the assembled pie for up to 3 months.
More Classic Meals
Perfect Shepherd's Pie
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
There are few dishes as cozy and comforting as traditional shepherd’s pie! My favorite part of this recipe is the savory gravy, which works beautifully with the fluffy mashed potatoes piled on top. If possible, use English or Irish cheddar for the potatoes!
You Will Need
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef or ground lamb (450g)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, 1 cup chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ cups beef broth, chicken stock, or veggie broth (355ml)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas (160g)
2 pounds russet potatoes (907g)
8 tablespoons butter (113g)
⅔ cup whole milk (160ml)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (113g)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Directions
1Prepare oven and dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Use convection if your oven has it. If you have a large cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches wide), use it. You can make the beef mixture on the stove and then assemble and bake everything in the same pan. If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, use a large skillet, then assemble in a 9×9-inch casserole dish.
2Cook the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces roughly the size of golf balls. Heavily salt a large pot of water, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3Heat milk: Meanwhile, heat the butter and milk in a medium saucepan and keep warm.
4Make the mashed potatoes: Drain potatoes through a colander, then use a food mill or potato ricer to get them back into the pot (or add them and then mash them with a potato masher). Pour the hot milk into the potatoes and mix. Add the cheese and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt. I start with 1/4 teaspoon salt and go from there. Keep the potatoes warm while you make the filling.
5Brown the meat: In a large cast-iron skillet (10-inch), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef (or lamb) and brown, breaking it into crumbles. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a bowl and place the skillet back over the heat.
6Make the gravy: Add the onion and carrots and cook, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, then stir until smooth. Add garlic powder, dried thyme, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring around the pan for 30 seconds.
7Make the filling: Pour in the broth and Worcestershire sauce, then add the browned meat with all the juices back to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until it forms a nice thick gravy, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the peas. Then, season to taste with salt (1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon) and a generous pinch of pepper.
8Bake: If using a baking dish, transfer the meat and gravy to it. Or, if your skillet is oven-safe and at least 10 inches wide, you can assemble and bake this in it.
9Spread the warm mashed potatoes over the filling, spreading evenly and making sure it covers all the way to the edges. Then, bake on a sheet pan for 25 minutes, turning halfway (the sheet pan catches any drips over the sides). The filling should be hot and bubbly, and the top beginning to turn golden brown. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Make ahead: Spread the filling in your oven-safe baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes, sealing the edges. Keep covered tightly in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator, uncover, preheat your oven, and then bake until heated through.
- Freezing: Cover the assembled pie with plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
- Ground meat: I prefer lean ground beef (85/15). If your meat has more fat and renders a lot of fat in the skillet, you can drain some of it before making the gravy.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We used ground beef (90/10) in the calculations.
Good Morning. Do I bake the pie before I freeze it?
Hi Martha, You can do either (baked or unbaked), but since you can save yourself some time, I’d just freeze it assembled, but unbaked.
My family and I loved this recipe! I used green beans instead of peas since my dad doesn’t like peas. It turned out great! Really good, comforting food. Perfect for the winter!
Love your swap of green beans! So happy everyone enjoyed it.
This is a hit! Absolutely delicious and the perfect comfort food. I suppose, with all of the comments I’ve read, I should call this version Gardener’s pie. I used Impossible burger instead of meat and it was delicious! I put over half In the freezer because I was going out of town and when I came back, it had all been eaten. My spouse says she could eat this every day and apparently that’s what she did while I was gone.🤣 Adam and Joanne, You have made my favorite go-to recipe site. Thank you! I was looking forward to having some myself, so I’ll be making it again tomorrow.
I made a mistake and didn’t put the potatoes to the edge and the sauce came up on the potato. I will try again and make sure to follow the notes. But tasted great!
I made this for dinner the other night for my family. First time making shephards pie and it was amazing! My kids loved it too. Perfect meal on a cold winter night.
Yay! So happy that your family loved it 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect! My family loved it on a crisp fall evening. I even used the potato ricer, which I had never touched before, to mash the russets. We had ground bison on hand for the meat, and based on the other reviews, I know I am not allowed to call my version Shepherd’s Pie…so maybe Great Plains Pie or Prairie Pie? 😂
Ground bison sounds delicious! Love the name Prairie Pie 🙂
This may be a stupid question, do you drain the beef or keep it for the gravy?
Hi Beth, that’s a great question. If you notice a lot of rendered fat, you can drain most of it. I use a lean ground beef (90/10 or 85/15) so I usually don’t feel the need to drain.
Thank you! My daughter makes Sheppards Pie using half ground lamb and half ground beef . . . Would it be called a Sheppard’s Cottage Pie? Some people are so picky . . . I love that you shared your family recipe.
Sorry to be pedantic but a shepherd’s pie is only made with lamb (hence the name). However the correct name for the beef version is known as Cottage Pie here in the UK. I’ve been making both versions for years. By the way love your recipes, and your website, I have made many of them. Keep up the good work. Best regards, Ian
Hi Ian, Thanks for sharing and thanks for all the kind words about our recipes!
I would like to make this Shepards pie in a 13 ×9 baking pan. Would it still work out? Thank you
Hi Beth, You may want to double the recipe to fit the larger 13×9-inch dish.
Great recipe. I use mashed pumpkin instead of mashed potato in the topping.
I received this recipe in an email yesterday and since it was windy and 50 degrees, I made it. What a wonderful recipe! I added a tiny bit more seasoning and we had a very comforting meal on what should have been a Spring day. Thank you for posting!
What great timing! This is the perfect recipe for a cold windy day. So happy you loved it 🙂
If using Beef, it’s not a “Shepherd’s Pie” but instead a “Cottage Pie”!!! “Shepherd’s Pie” has it’s name for a reason…Looks good though.
Hi Ole, We noted this above, but in our family, we always call it Shepherd’s Pie (just habit, I suppose).
It looks delicious. My mom used to make shepards pie ..there was six of us kids ,and we all loved it. Thank you for reminding me. I love your posts.
Thank you! I love that this reminded you of happy family meals. So glad you enjoy the posts!
Absolutely love this pie. We have it 3 days in a row and miss it once it’s gone.
Wow, thank you! So thrilled you love it that much.😊