My classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe packs so much satisfying flavor, with a beefy, saucy filling baked under a golden, fluffy layer of mashed potatoes. It’s such a satisfying and crowd-pleasing dinner, and it’s easier to make than you might think – you can even use leftover mashed potatoes!
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Helpful Reader Review
“I made this recipe for my husband and I and we LOVED it!!!! Simple ingredients, so tasty, and the leftovers were even better. We definitely will be making this again…” – Christine ★★★★★
Shepherd’s Pie Video
This Shepherd’s Pie recipe is a stunning and welcoming dish for the holiday table, especially on St. Patrick’s Day! If you loved my Chicken Pot Pie, you’ll find this just as homey and comforting.
The Best Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
The first time I tried Shepherd’s Pie was in the Cheesecake Factory, and I fell in love with the dish. I’m a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of gal, and this is basically the best combination of saucy meat and creamy parmesan potatoes.
Shepherd’s Pie (also known as cottage pie) originated in England. It is a savory pie with ground meat (usually ground lamb or beef) in a vegetable gravy, topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. The potatoes seal in the saucy gravy filling and develop a golden crust as the pie bakes in the oven.
Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
Pantry staples make for the best Shepherd’s Pie, since it was made as a practical and budget-friendly dinner for the family. It’s also so versatile, so don’t miss my substitution suggestions.
- Mashed Potatoes – use 4 cups of leftover Creamy Mashed Potatoes or even Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or from scratch with russet potatoes, heavy cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, and egg.
- Ground Beef – we used lean beef, or you can substitute with ground lamb or mutton.
- Vegetables – we used a yellow onion, garlic, and a bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, and corn). Feel free to substitute whatever leftover or frozen veggies you like.
- All-purpose flour – thickens the sauce, or you can use cornstarch for a low-carb, gluten-free Shepherd’s pie
- Red Wine – Use any dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, or Sauvignon (avoid cooking wine) for a rich flavor. Substitute with Chicken/Beef Stock
- Beef Broth – or sub with Chicken broth if that is what you have on hand
- Tomato paste – rounds out the flavor of the sauce
- Worcestershire sauce – adds the umami (savory notes), check labels for GF
How to Make Mashed Potatoes for Shepherd’s Pie
If you have leftover mashed potatoes, use them – mixing in parmesan and egg. I love using Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, or Garlic Mashed Potatoes. If you want to cook potatoes from scratch, follow these quick steps to make the best Parmesan mashed potatoes for Shepherd’s Pie.
- Boil the potato chunks until tender (be sure not to overcook!), and then drain and mash with a potato masher immediately.
- Add warm cream and salt, and mash. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and egg. Set aside.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
Once the mashed potatoes are made, it’s easy to cook up the ground meat mixture before baking the whole dish in the oven.
- Sauté Beef over medium heat, and then season with salt and pepper.
- Add Aromatics – add onions and sauté 3 minutes until softened, then add garlic and stir another minute. Add flour and stir for a minute. Note: If you’re using cornstarch, you’ll add it to the beef broth before stirring it into the sauce.
- Pour in red wine and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pan. Add broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine.
- Add frozen vegetables, bring to a light boil, and then season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Assemble Shepherd’s Pie – Transfer the Meat Sauce into a pie dish or casserole. Top with scoops of potatoes, and then spread potatoes evenly over the filling. An ice cream scoop makes this easy. Drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake at 400˚F for about 30 minutes or until potatoes start to turn golden.
Pro Tip:
Shepherd’s pie tastes great the next day, which makes it perfect for making ahead of time over holidays and busy weekends. Simply cool the casserole, cover, and refrigerate within 2 hours.
What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie can be the main course for a weekend dinner or a side dish for holiday meals. We love to pair it with fresh veggies, salad, and bread to soak up the gravy.
- Soft Dinner Rolls
- Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls (family favorite!)
- Caesar Salad
- BLT Salad with the Best Dressing
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food and a great way to feed a crowd of hungry family and friends. Take a dish to a friend or store leftovers in the freezer for a ready-to-eat dinner. You’ll love this classic recipe for being a filling, crowd-pleasing favorite!
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Potato Topping:*
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” thick pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, warm
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted to brush the top
- 1 Tbsp parsley or chives, chopped, to garnish the top
For the Pie Filling:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground lamb
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided, or added to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or cornstarch*
- 1/2 cup dry red wine**, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, or use beef broth
- 1 cup beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups frozen vegetables of choice, peas, carrots, and corn
Instructions
How to Make Potatoes:
- Boil – Place chopped potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender (12-15 minutes); don’t overcook potatoes. Drain and mash potatoes in the same pot.
- Add warm cream and 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste), then mash until smooth. Lastly, mash in the parmesan cheese and beaten egg.
How to Make Shepherd's Pie
- Sauté Beef – Preheat oven to 400˚F with a rack in the center. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and ground beef. Breaking up the beef with a spatula, then season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, and cook until the meat is just cooked through and no longer pink (5 minutes).
- Add aromatics – add onion and sauté for 3 minutes to soften, then add minced garlic and stir another minute. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp flour and stir for 1 minute. You’ll see a film form at the bottom of your pan (*see notes if using cornstarch)
- Pour in wine, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan for a minute. Add beef broth, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of frozen veggies and bring to a light boil. Season with another 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper or add to taste. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Assemble – Transfer meat and veggie mixture to a deep pie dish, or 11×7 or 9×9 casserole dish. Scoop mashed potatoes over the top, then spread evenly, making sure to seal the potatoes to the edge of the dish so the filling doesn’t bubble up. Drizzle 2 Tbsp melted butter over the top.
- Bake – Place a sheet of foil under the casserole to catch any drips and bake at 400˚F on the center rack for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes start to turn golden. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make ahead – assemble the pie, cool, and cover within 2 hours. Refrigerate or freeze for 4 days or until ready to bake.
- To Refrigerate: Cool leftovers at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Once the assembled pie is cooled, cover with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
- To Reheat: Bake a refrigerated or fully thawed pie at 400˚F for 30-35 minutes until 165°F.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Casseroles like Shepherd’s Pie are a great way to serve dinner all in one pan. Here are some more family-favorite casserols to add to your weekly rotation:
- Chicken Casserole (Chicken Gloria)
- Baked Ziti
- Chicken Orzo Bake
- Lasagna Recipe
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Baked Make and Cheese
- Meatballs Parmesan Casserole
Oh my God! Absolutly délicieux! Far the Best one, and I made à lot of recipes allong the years.
That’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing.
This looks easy enough for me to try. Can I use a 9 inch cake pan?
Hi Yu! I used a 9” deep pie dish which is a little deeper than a traditional 9” cake pan. It may be a little too small, you’ll have some leftover ingredients.
This was absolutely delicious!!! I used instant potatoes (don’t knock it unless you try it) and added the Parmesan along with salt and white pepper. I’m going to try adding mushrooms next time along with the other vegetables next time. I very rarely give something 5 stars but this recipe deserves it!
Thank you, excellent recipe! Made mine with ground lamb (family loves lamb), so good. I’ll try to make it with small bits of lamb next time.
Can I pre make and refrigerate for a day or two or does this have to be baked immediately?
Hi Lisa! Yes, you can refrigerate it after it’s assembled and bake it the next day. See the “make-ahead” section in the blog above for further details.
Hello Natasha,
Your recipe for shepherd pie…yummy yummy.
We made twice within the following day, all consumed. My son’s comment “wow it melt in your mouth “ Thank you.
That’s so great to hear, Alene!
This is absolutely delicious and I make it regularly. A family favourite for sure!
I’m so glad you’re loving it, Glenna!
Natasha, I have a can of Garbanzo Beans in my pantry, I’ve never had them before & don’t know what they taste like. Could I add them to my pie or is the taste too different that it may throw off the recipe?
Hi Tim. I’ve never tried any type of bean in this recipe so I’m not sure how it would taste. Feel free to experiment.
making your Sheppards Pie in thee oven . I added lots of garlic I tasted the bottom delicious even if I say so myself .
I hope you love it, Marilyn!
I wanted to make this over the weekend but life got a little hectic, I had planned to follow your instructions to the T but ended up needing to buy store bought mashed potatoes but still added parmesan and butter on top. The flavor & seasoning in the meat mixture was sooo good. My husband loved this recipe, looking forward to the leftovers tonight and I cant wait to remake it with your mashed potato recipe. Thank you.
I’ms o glad it was a hit!
Hello, I have a quick question. Do you get rid of the excess fat when browning the meat? Drain the fat and then continue with the recipe?
Hi Kaleena. Yes, you can do that if you prefer.
This was the absolute best shepards pie I have ever tasted ! My whole family LOVED It !!! It will be a monthly recipe we will enjoy for years to come ! Thank you so much for sharing !
We have tried all kinds of Shepard pie recipes, including our friends’ “favorites”… this one by FAR was the Shepards Pie recipe winner!! Making it as I type! Absolutely NO changes..
Hi Shawn! That’s wonderful to hear. I love this recipe too. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
So made this today in ode to St Paddy’s day. Made it with lamb and oh my! Super yummy! Definitely will make this again! Even brought some up with my foodie coworkers and they were in love! Wish I could attach a picture!
The pie was great… everybody loved it! What does it mean to ‘deglaze the pan?’
Hi Heidi! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Deglazing is essentially using a liquid (in this case, red wine) to get all the caramelized bits stuck to the pan to release so you get all of the yummy flavors.
Natasha, what I should do, if possible, to prepare it in slow cooker?
Hi Kasia. I have not tested that to advise.
This was very good. My family very much enjoyed it! I make this w 2 cans of creamed corn, so next time I will drain the meat and likely let the meat mixture get thicker or cool longer so the potatoes don’t sink in the pie. I had that problem a little bit. LOVE your recipes!!!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Sonia! Thank you.
I really enjoyed this recipe! It was easy to follow and the flavor was delicious. I will be making this again!
I’m so glad to hear that, Leanna!
WOW, I made this tonight and it was sooooo good. I did cheat on the potatoes and used some instant adding in sour cream and parmesan cheeses. I didn’t have wine, so had to leave that out. but i am DEFINITELY making this again. it was the best shepherds pie I’ve ever had.
That’s fine! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this pie!
Made this tonight and it is the best Shepherd’s Pie I’ve ever had! So much flavour 🙂 I will definitely be making this again! Ty 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that, Cindy!
This turned out delicious, even my picky eating toddler loved it. Actually all of Natasha’s recipes are amazing! Natasha is the bomb!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles.