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
I made your Shepard’s pie using ground chicken & it was absolutely delicious. I have mobility issues & casserole was fairly easy putting together. Next time l’ll spurge & buy red wine 😉
Will this recipe work with instant mashed potatoes?
Hi Carol! Yes, it can.
not Shepherd’s pie true Shepherd’s pie i s cubed or ground lamb it was created in the British Isles shepherds tended to the sheep first recipe published was in 1877 Americans and some other counties make it with ground beef because it’s cheaper it is called cottage pie
Delicious…it was a hit! Other than adding some canned corn and using fresh carrots, I stuck to the recipe. For my taste, I think next time I will add a bit of fresh thyme and rosemary to bump up the flavours a bit but everyone enjoyed it as is.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Linda!
If not using wine how much beef broth all together? Recipe already calls for 1 cup.
Hi Brenda. You can replace the wine with equal amounts of broth.
Maybe flagged up already…
Cottage pie = beef
Shepherds pie = lamb
READER BE WARNED: I used red wine vinegar in place of red wine, do NOT DO THIS!!!! I had to then neutralize the vinegar with baking soda (this works!!!) but be careful, it’s an acid-base reaction and go too far, you get too much baking soda. Folks, I am still eating this recipe. I really like it despite my absolutely devastating failure. Do NOT BE LIKE ME!
Cannot tell you how good this is! My husband makes this for us. We use Italian turkey sausage and it is delicious. I’m so glad you’re such a good cook and share your recipes with us. I need them ❤️
I’m so glad you all loved it, Judy! Thank you for that encouragement!
Great recipe! I substituted old cheddar cheese for the Parmesan and sprinkled some Italian seasoning on top with some of the leftover cheddar cheese. Came out great! Tons of flavour, will use this recipe again!
Natasha all your recipes are ace. Love them. Thank you so much 😊😋
You’re so welcome, I’m so glad to hear you’re loving my recipes, Birgit!
Love ❤️ you Natasha!! I have one of your dishes on my tables at least once a week .
Aww, that puts a smile on my face. Thank you so much.
Natasha, you are my go-to with respect to recipes, whether I’m cooking or baking. I do a lot of baking and everything that I have made with your recipes have been a complete success. I have young nieces in my family, and I constantly send them to your site when they are looking for great recipes that turn out well. Thank you for all the time and work you put into this – I am a former HGTV host of a DIY show, and I know how much work goes into everything creative – again, a huge thanks!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. It means a lot to me and it helps inspie me and the team!
Hi Natasha,
Super excited to make this tonight. Love the idea of using red wine in this to add some flavor to the meat. I am feeding my family and there’s a few children eating with us tonight. I saw you said “most” of the wine gets cooked out. Is that safe to say there still may be some alcohol left in the dish at the end? Should I play it safe and just go with the beef broth or does the alcohol evaporate? Thanks!
Hi Emily! I feed this to my kids. Alcohol evaporates during the cooking process but I’m not sure on the percentage that may be left. This can also vary based on cooking method/time, etc. You may try researching online to see if you can find a more definitive answer if needed but beef broth works great too. I hope you love the recipe!
This was delicious! Well enjoyed by all.
Will become a staple on our dinner menu
Thank you
What if i don’t have any tomato paste, only tomato sauce? Do i still add it or just omit it both?
I imagine that will work but you have to do some modifications since tomato sauce is thinner, you have to reduce the liquid and adjust the quantity.
You can buy a tin of tomato paste and freeze in ice cubes for later use too.
Hi Natasha!
I’m in love with your recipes!
Hi Maria! It makes me very happy to hear that. Thank you!
Hi Natasha… we SO love this recipe. So good for company too. I wonder… Has anyone ever used ground turkey instead of beef? Thank you ❤️
Hi Judy! I’m so glad tho love it! Yes, you can use ground Turkey too!
Comes out perfect every time. This is the only recipe we like. Thank you 😊 from Canada 🇨🇦
Great
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love it! First time ever making a Shepherd’s Pie and it was simply so easy to make and tasted yummy delicious. Thanks for your tips and pictorial guidance Natasha. You inspire me 🤩😊🤗
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jade!
The Shepherd pie recipe looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it. I love your recipes… What can I use instead of wine. We can’t have wine.
Most of the alcohol in the wine gets cooked out but it adds great flavor. If you wanted to substitute, you could deglaze the pan with beef broth instead.