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 recipe as directed, except that I used four cups of leftover mashed potatoes, into which I stirred the grated parmesan.
It was easy, and I was able to make it early in the day, when I had time, and just stick it in the oven at dinner time.
It was fantastic, and everyone loved it. There were some leftovers that my wife immediately claimed for her lunch the next day.
She has mentioned how much she enjoyed it several times in the days since I made it.
Thanks for another easy but delicious recipe!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Michael! Thank you for your awesome review!
Dear Natasha. This recipe was full on hit! I have a red meat allergy so I used turkey. I seasoned it just as you did the beef but I also added one packet of Lipton Onion Soup—turkey can be bland. It was delicious! Thank you this will be on the table often in this house!
That’s wonderful to hear, Christine!
My family and I didn’t love this. I followed the recipe exactly as written and found it to be very bland. The filling had very little flavor. Sadly, I won’t be making this again 🙁
HI Frenkel, I’m sorry it didn’t meet the mark for you. Normally this has plenty of flavor – did you possibly omit any ingredients or forget any seasoning? Often, underseasoning or under salting is the primary culplrit of something come out bland.
Made exactly to spec except for a few tiny diced mushrooms to the beef. Definitely good for your next GMA segment. Love the Parmesan and egg in the potatoes!!!
So glad you loved the recipe, Melanie!
Hi Natasha,
Sorry, but beef is used to call the dish Cottage Pie; to call the dish Shepherd’s Pie one needs to use lamb.
Glad your book tour is going so well.
You do see where she has “lamb” mentioned in the ingredient list?
Most Americans do not like to eat lamb. Just sayin’
Hi! To make this gluten free can i substitute the flour for cornstarch?
Thanks!
Hi Theresa, I haven’t tried this with a gluten-free substitute to advise. If you happen to try it, please let me know how you like it.
I used the cornstarch instead of the flour to make this recipe gluten free and it came out great. I made a slurry with 1 cup chick stock and a scant tbls of cornstarch.
Thank you for trying the recipe, Theresa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I made the dish (half the recipe) in my cast iron skillet so it was simple and less dishes with transferring straight from the element to the stove. Really good!
That’s for sharing, Shanna! I’m glad you liked the recipe.
This dish is easy to make as long as you have all the ingredients all set to go. The taste is absolutely delicious I know I’ll be making this again and again, I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who wants to make shepherd’s pie
Thanks a lot for recomminding our recipe! We’re very happy th hear that you enjoyed it!
Natasha the Worcestershire sauce was overpowering. if I ever make this again I will definitely leave it out.
This Shepherds Pie is absolutely delicious! I’ve made it a few times…tonight I substituted mild ground turkey sausage and it turned out GREAT! thank you so much Natasha
Hello Caron, thanks for this lovely feedback. We’re so glad that you love this pie a lot!
Like always, just fantastic!
I will make this over and over, turned out perfect.
I could have eaten it even before it baked!
You’re the best and always my go to, Thank you!
Hi Crystal! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, can I substitute the cheese with mozzarella cheese? and what is the best substitute for the broth? is it milk or water?
Hi Mitch! You can use another cheese if you’d like. Water would work but you will need to adjust the seasoning/salt since you’ll be lacking some flavor if you’re not using broth.
This recipe is so, so good!! I make the recipe just as Natasha wrote it!!
It’s what’s for dinner again tonight!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Pat!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I left out the cheese, simply because we don’t eat cheese, lol. The red wine was perfect, had it in the meal and with the meal! Thank you!
Hi Christine! That’s wonderful. I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the wonderful feedback and review.
Thank you so much for this recipe Natasha! I am just seeing it, but can’t wait to try it. It was always a family favourite! I am from Nova Scotia, Canada and this is a favourite meal here. Because I love and try many of your recipes I am excited to try your version of this comfort meal. I will let you know .
Mary Catherine♥️
That would be wonderful, Mary! Thank you so much for giving it a try. Let us know how it turns out!
This recipe is a new favorite in my home. I have recommended it to some friends who can’t wait to try it. Your recipes are so amazing and easy that I have been recommending your website to everyone I know! I also love your video. Keep up the amazing work. 😊
Hello Allison, thanks for sharing and for recommending my website. I appreciate it so much!
You are one of my favorite cooks hands down. You make these recipes simple for real families but most importantly you make sure that your recipes have flavor, WONDERFUL flavor. My cooking is gourmet tasting all because of Natasha’s kitchen.
Hi Carly! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing.
Can I use a combination of beef and pork mince instead of the beef or lamb mince on its own?
Love your recipes
Hi Helen, I imagine that would be fine. One of our readers also shared this comment “I did your exact recipe except I added about 4 ounces of smoked pulled pork, turned out fantastic” Hope that helps!
Thank you to you both for replying to my question, it’s a great help, will try it and let you know.
I made this for Easter and OMG the compliments. Everyone absolutely LOVED it. I used half beef half lamb. This is a keeper!
Hi Sophie! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad it was a hit. 🙂
Approximately how many potatoes would 2 lbs be? Thanks very much.
Hi Cathy! That would depend on the type and size of the potato. I found this formula with a quick Google search- Use this formula to know how many potatoes are in a pound: Two medium-sized potatoes (such as russets), which should fit comfortably in your hand, total about one pound. I hope that helps.