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
We just made it today for dinner and it was delicious but it was a little too salty. I think the next time I make this I’m going to not add salt to the beef the second time and I might cut back on the Worcestershire a little as well. For the potatoes, I mashed them a lot and it turned out to still have more chunks than desired, I’d probably use an immersion blender next time.
My husband does not really like shepherd pie, first bite and I hear, “this is so good!”
I’m so glad he loved our recipe, April! That’s so great to hear!
This shepherds pie recipe was so good I made it for my family for our Sunday dinner and all 13 of us enjoyed it even my two grandchildren, ages five and eight, cleaned their plates. Thank you for sharing your recipes, I have enjoyed them all!
Wow! That’s just awesome, Lois! Thank you for your review! I’m so glad it was a hit with the family!
Once again, another great recipe from Natasha! We made so much that we used a casserole dish, and are eating on it for days. Perfect comfort food for the last cool days.
I’ve been searching for the perfect shepherds-pie recipe and I finally found it!
Thank you Natasha, this is the Best! I made the meat filling & mashed potatoes yesterday and I assembled the pie today. Mmm Mmm delish!
You’re very welcome, Beverly!
As with most recipes I’ve tried from Natasha, this one came out great.
I really liked the taste of the filling and how fluffy the mashed potatoes came out.
I didn’t have lean ground beef but simply drained the juices after cooking it and it was great.
I also appreciate the simplicity of the meal, my wife and I both enjoyed the Shepherd’s Pie! I served it with fruit and it was a perfect meal for the 2 of us.
I’m so happy you found this perfect, Jim! It’s a cozy meal and I’m so glad you loved it.
This was perfect comfort food on a rainy evening! It had great flavor and so quick to put together.
I love to hear that, April! Thank you for sharing it with me.
My family gobbled this up! My husband wanted to take some to work for his lunch.
I loved adding the beaten eggs to the mashed potatoes, it e them more dreamy and creamy! I’ll definitely make this again!
I’m so happy to hear you all loved this Margo!
The Shephard pie was a huge success. I had fun making this delicious recipe! It was simple to follow and not difficult to make. It was beautiful & yummy!! Thank u!
The Shephard pie was a huge success. I had fun making this delicious recipe! It was simple to follow and not difficult to make. It was beautiful & yummy!! Thank u!
I’m so happy to hear that, Janet! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
I made this Shepard’s Pie two days before the contest. 🤣. It was delicious. I never cook with wine so I just used more beef broth and also added an additional tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to make up for the rich flavor of the wine.
So flavorful! I used ground lamb and should have probably added a little more salt, but sprinkled some on the finished product and it was great 🙂
Made this for my family, and even the pickiest eater LOVED it! I added a few herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage) to the meat mixture, just personal preference. And it turned out perfect in our cast iron pan! Will definitely be making again. Super simple to prepare, and sure to please all eaters!
My husband and I loved it as well as my 2 older kids. The younger ones didn’t like everything mixed together 🤷♀️
This was, by far, the best Shephed’s Pie I have ever had! I didn’t change a thing and it turned out perfect. Thank you Natasha, for yet another wonderful recipe.
That’s amazing to hear, Anne! I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Made this tonight for the cooking challenge. My husband thought it was delicious but the kids and I thought it needed more flavor.
So delicious! Such a great, hearty and versatile recipe. I added mushrooms I had on hand and they added even more meaty flavor!
This sounds delicious! I made one similar, but instead of potatoes on the top, I used a box of Cheddar Bay Biscuits! Easy and delish!
That sounds great!
This turned out really quite delicious!
I customized and added canned green beans to the filling.
Delicious! Love customizing it for our family. We use whatever veggies we have on hand. It’s so customizable! Sometimes, we use parmesan and seasonings with breadcrumbs or crushed crackers on top. We roast garlic and add it, too! Teeny tiny note… You say above, “All-purpose flour – thickens the sauce, or you can use cornstarch for a low-carb, gluten-free Shepherd’s pie…” Cornstarch is not low-carb. In fact, it is high-carb. Just a note for other Natasha fans. If you want a low-carb thickener, your users can try low-carb alternatives like: Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum,Cream Cheese/Heavy Cream, Agar Agar, Gelatin, or Almond Flour/Coconut Flour.
Isn’t that the best when you can easily customize a recipe to your liking and still find it so good? Thank you for sharing your review with me, Shelley!