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
My family prefers chicken thighs, boneless and skinless. I’d looked to see more crockpot recipes on your blog, please.
Just wanted to add: I tried the chicken pot pie. It called for 2 tsp of salt. Way to much. I had to throw it out. Food is too expensive for that.
Thank you for your time.
A large pinch of mace added to the filling gives a subtle background flavour. Nutmeg can be substituted.
Cheers!! from Virginia
Hi Natasha,
I made the Shepherd’s Pie for the family with a grated cheese topping to the mashed potato and the family loved it.
Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it, Henry! Thank you for your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, I’ve tried some of your recipes and I must say they are delicious. I live in England and shepherds pie and cottage pie are completely different although made the same. Cottage pie is made with beef and shepherds pie is made with lamb, there is another called Cumberland pie which is made the same as cottage pie (beef) but with grated cheese on top.
Hi Pauline, Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I love this recipe but would orange sweet potato work instead of russet potatoes?
Hi Jane, I haven’t tried that in this recipe but it would change the color and give the dish a sweeter flavor profile. You might google search to see if using sweet potatoes is a good idea or not.
I made the Shepherd’s Pie for dinner today! Absolutely delicious! Your instructions and video were such a help…..Came out perfect (and have left~overs for tomorrow)! Can’t wait!!! You are my new go-to site for simple, no-fail, delicious meals!
Thanks Natasha 🙂
That really brightens my day! Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback. We appreciate it!
I cook for an assisted living aged care here in Australia and my residents rate this as the best shepherds pie they’ve ever eaten!😀…thanks for the fabulous recipe Natasha🙂🥰
Aaaw that is a wonderful comment, thank you for sharing that with us!
I doubled the recipe for 10 family members. Many compliments to you on the flavors and requests for the recipe. Scarcely any leftovers (next time x 2 1/2). Served with an assortment of sliced breads, our Grandmother’s Boston Baked Beans & Buttermilk Caesar Salad.
That’s fantastic feedback, Eileen. Great to hear that this recipe was a huge hit!
hi used to get you recipes . but now I am not, what is the problem?
Hi Vickie, do you mean via email? You may register and subscribe to our newsletter again to get our recipes via email. You may use this link.
Do I need to double recipe to make this in a 9 by 13 pan.
It is for a pot luck supper.
Hi Irene, I have not tested that to advise. You’d have to experiment with the pan size, but 9×13 sounds like it would be a little small if you doubled this recipe.
This recipe did NOT disappoint! So much flavor, my first time making mashed potatoes was an epic fail but cornstarch came to the rescue and it was still amazing! My husband raved about it to all the guys at work the next day! Any tips on best way to reheat it though for left overs?? Thanks so much!
Hi Nicole, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed this Shepherd’s Pie! You can reheat this, you can bake a refrigerated or fully thawed pie at 400˚F for 30-35 minutes.
This recipe is a keeper. I make it over and over again. So delicious! I have tried many of your recipes and you never fail to amaze me Natasha! I am so happy to have found your website a few years ago. It is like a one-stop shop of beautiful recipes! Congratulations! You are the best! Happy Easter!
Happy Easter, Sheila! I’m happy to know that you loved this pie, thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
Made this tonight. It was absolutely scrumptious. My husband loves. Best Shepherd Pie hands down. Followed the recipe. I’ve made several of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Thank you for sharing❤️
We’re really happy to hear that, Darla. Thanks a lot for sharing that with us!
This is a fantastic recipe. Thank you. Cottage cheese makes a great side dish.
Thanks for the good feedback, Nate!
Yum! This is so good! The additions of the egg to the topping and the wine to the filling take it to a whole other level of deliciousness. Yet another great recipe. Thank you.
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for the review. I am happy you enjoyed this recipe.
We cooked the chicken Parmigiano from your recipe and… Oh my goodness it was so delicious the meat was very tasty and tender and juicy. We give you a # 10rating.The best recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rosie!
Hello….I love your recipes, made a few, and your videos,make it looks so easy …I’ve made shepherd’s pie many times before but never with a recipe but you’re a recipe looks so delicious I’m making it tonight… Wanted to know though can I make this with ground turkey also
Hi Gail! Thank you, I’m happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes and videos. This recipe would work with turkey if that is what you prefer. I hope you love this recipe. Let us know how it works out for you.
natasha I have tried quite a few websights for different recipes and I have tried a few of yours and just love it I tell my friends about you all the time and you are so informative with your instructions keep going with them
Aaaw, thank you for your nice words, Nancy. I appreciate it!
Wow, not only the first time that I have made shepherds pie, but first time ever eating. This turned out fantastic and family thought this was delicious! Highly recommend this recipe.
Love it, thank you for the awesome review! We appreciate you sharing your experience making this recipe, Phillip.
Could I substitute the tomato paste for ketchup? (I am out of tomato paste)
Hi Mrs. Cooper, I haven’t tested that substitution, if you happen to test that, I’d love to know how you like that.