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 this at my sister’s house and she actually liked it. She generally is a picky eater but this recipe made her love cottage pie. And it is a great way to get veggies down non-veggie eaters!
I used the 12×8…not enough mashed potatoes, but very good!
AMAZING!!! I have this as a weekly, and my family never complains. SO RICH AND INDULGENT!!! I add more garlic and a few other extra personal touches, but the original is still to die for!!!
Hello, could I prepare this, keep it in the fridge and then bake it a couple hours later?
Hi Cierra! Yes, see my make ahead notes above.
This is the fifth time I cooked this Shepherd’s pie and my family loves it! Thank you for sharing all your delicious recipes.
That’s so great to hear, Ruby!
I’ve never been a fan of shepherds pie,but I while short on groceries in the house,I wanted to make something hardy for my guys after a long day of yard work.I happened to have most of the ingredients,but had to add butter to milk to sub whipping cream,sub garlic powder for fresh garlic,and sub out Boursin garlic & herb cream for the Parmesan cheese. It turned out lovely and so tasty with a Caesars salad and dinner rolls.I love all your recipes Natasha, and this one actually made me a fan of Shepherds Pie!
Made this & it was so good! My older son really liked it. I won’t be looking for shepherd’s/cottage pie recipes anymore, this is the one.
That’s awesome! So glad to hear that, Trish!
This is the third time I have made this. I did not have Shepard pie growing up. Many of my friends had eaten it before, everyone is always after me to make it again. After a few time using your recipes I decided to just order your cook book on Amazon, I have gifted it a few people. I do enjoy your back story and your YouTube channel. You make cooking look like fun. Thanks. Ps it’s in the oven right now
Hi David! Thank you so much for sharing thay with me. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Thanks for purchasing my cookbook, that means a lot.
This a a great pie! I make it my own because I don’t measure. Fabulous! I’ve watched the video a few times but finally caught you tasting and spitting out the peeled potato on the floor. Very subtle but Hilarios!!
I’m so glad you got a kick out of that, Jean! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, I am just curious why you suggest avoiding red cooking wine? Thanks for the info and the delicious recipe!
Hi Christina! Cooking wine contains other added ingredients with alters the taste and is salty.
Oh my gosh! Making this today for my daughter (who just started a new job) & hubs; they’ve just moved to a new home with their 9-month old baby boy. I’m thinking they sure could use a delicious homecooked meal! p.s. Where’s the shark!!??
I’m anxious to make this next week. Is there a particular red wine you like to use? Is it more tart or sweet? I never know.
Hi Jeanne! See my note above: Red Wine – use a dry red wine to add rich flavor. Use any dry red wine such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, or Sauvignon (avoid cooking wine). I hope you love this recipe!
Can the pie be assembled and cooked in a crock pot?
Hi Marie! I have not tested that to be able to provide instructions. I assume it’s possible, although you may wait to add the mashed potatoes towards the end. I would look up a recipe online that uses this method for reference to see what’s recommended.
Can I use 2 lbs of beef instead of 1 for a heartier meal? Will an 8×13 baking dish work?
Hi Bailey! A 8×13 dish has significantly more surface area, so the mixture will spread out more and bake faster and thinner.
Yea, you can double the meat. You may need to make some adjustments to seasoning and other ingredients to get the right flavor balance.
If I double the recipe and use the 13×8 pan, will it take longer to cook?
Hi Bailey, it likely may, I haven’t tried this recipe in that size pan, but I recommend using This helpful guide.
I made this last year on St. Patrick’s Day for my family and we loved it. I am making it again this weekend for Easter Dinner.
I’m so glad to hear everyone loved it, that’s so great! I bet this will be a hit for Easter dinner.
We loved this recipe. The filling is very flavorful. Family loved it and went for seconds. Will be making this again. Thanks!
Best shepherds pie. Forgot to rate it.Will make for tonight’s supper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, LuAnn!
Making it for supper. Made it before and we really liked it. Love your recipes.
I’m so glad you’re loving my recipes, LuAnn! This Shepherd’s Pie is truly so special!
This was the best Shepherd’s Pie I have ever had. I cheated on the potatoes and bought some already made but the meat mixture was the best! The red wine added some richness to the sauce. Umami. My daughter rated it a 12 out of 10 and said I definitely need to make it more often. This will be added to the dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing.
That’s great! You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Amazing. Total hit withe entire family, including the grandchildren. Making it again tonight. This will forever be a staple recipe in our home.
Hi Betsy! I’m so glad you and your family loved this recipe!