Simple Shepherd's Pie Recipe
On a cold winter's night, very few dishes pack in more comfort or savory goodness than classic shepherd's pie. Though commonly (and mistakenly) referred to interchangeably with cottage pie, shepherd's pie is distinct in its use of perfectly-seasoned ground lamb, along with an assortment of veggies and that iconic layer of mashed potatoes on top. It's not quite a one-pot meal, but the entire dish does ultimately end up served in one single pot, making for a satisfying, complete meal that checks all of those dinnertime boxes by featuring a protein, veggies, and a starch all in one go.
Recipe developer Julianne De Witt wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel with her simple shepherd's pie recipe, but rather to keep things, well, simple and classic. "This easy shepherd's pie features seasoned ground lamb and vegetables under a layer of creamy mashed potatoes," De Witt describes. Though shepherd's pie does involve quite a few components, this recipe is very straightforward and can be on the dinner table within 1 hour. Though this recipe yields a full meal in itself, between the lamb-vegetable layer and the potatoes on top, De Witt recommends serving the shepherd's pie with a crisp green salad with Dijon vinaigrette for the perfect bright contrast.
Gather the ingredients for simple shepherd's pie
A hearty lamb and vegetable layer makes up the base of any good shepherd's pie, and this recipe is no exception. To build that layer, you'll need olive oil, diced onion, diced carrots, minced garlic, ground lamb, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, minced thyme, a bay leaf, flour, beef stock, frozen corn, frozen peas, salt, and pepper.
Of course, no shepherd's pie would be complete without the mashed potato layer on top. To make that, you'll need russet potatoes, butter, heavy cream, salt, and pepper.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Boil the potatoes
Place the potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender.
Step 3: Heat oil in a pan
Add the oil to a large saute pan and place it over medium-high heat.
Step 4: Saute the onions, carrots, and garlic
Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
Step 5: Add the ground lamb
Add the lamb, break it into smaller pieces, and cook until browned. Remove any excess grease from the meat if necessary.
Step 6: Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs
Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir.
Step 7: Stir in the flour
Add the flour. Mix until combined.
Step 8: Add beef stock and let the mixture thicken
Add the beef stock. Stir and cook until it thickens, approximately 2 minutes.
Step 9: Stir in the remaining veggies and seasoning
Add the corn, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 10: Keep the filling warm
Lightly press the lamb mixture down, keep it warm, and remove the bay leaf.
Step 11: Drain and mash the potatoes
Drain the potatoes, then mash them until smooth.
Step 12: Stir the butter and cream into the potatoes
Add the butter, cream, salt, and pepper. Mix until the butter melts into the potatoes.
Step 13: Add the potatoes and bake
Scoop the potatoes onto the lamb. Spread the potatoes into an even layer, and bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
Step 14: Turn up the heat to brown the potatoes
Turn the heat up to 450 F and continue baking until mashed potatoes are lightly browned.
What can I serve with shepherd's pie?
Simple Shepherd's Pie Recipe
With savory ground lamb and veggies topped with creamy mashed potatoes, our simple shepherd's pie recipe is a comforting classic.
Ingredients
- For the Mashed Potato Layer
- 4 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- For the Lamb and Vegetable Layer
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup diced onion
- ¾ cup diced carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon minced thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place the potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender.
- Add the oil to a large saute pan and place it over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the lamb, break it into smaller pieces, and cook until browned. Remove any excess grease from the meat if necessary.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir.
- Add the flour. Mix until combined.
- Add the beef stock. Stir and cook until it thickens, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the corn, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
- Lightly press the lamb mixture down, keep it warm, and remove the bay leaf.
- Drain the potatoes, then mash them until smooth.
- Add the butter, cream, salt, and pepper. Mix until the butter melts into the potatoes.
- Scoop the potatoes onto the lamb. Spread the potatoes into an even layer, and bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 450 F and continue baking until mashed potatoes are lightly browned.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 966 |
| Total Fat | 57.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 158.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 78.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 7.6 g |
| Sodium | 1,533.3 mg |
| Protein | 36.5 g |
Can I add other vegetables or seasoning?
Shepherd's pie is an incredibly easy dish to modify, largely because you can switch up the vegetables that go in based on what you have available in the fridge or freezer. For this recipe, De Witt keeps things classic by including fresh carrots and frozen corn and peas, but you can simplify things by going all-frozen. "Frozen carrots can be used instead of fresh and can be added at the same time as the peas and corn," she says. You can also introduce new veggies entirely, and De Witt specifically recommends mushrooms, bell peppers, or zucchini. The russet potatoes could also be swapped out for a layer of mashed sweet potatoes on top instead.
It's also easy to upgrade the flavor of your shepherd's pie based on seasonings. "Change up the flavor by adding rosemary or smoked paprika," De Witt recommends. Alternatively, "Add a pinch of nutmeg to the mashed potatoes." If you like things spicy, she recommends adding crushed chile flakes to the lamb mixture. And, if you don't care for lamb, you can always switch to ground beef (a la cottage pie) while still maintaining a similar savory flavor profile and being able to follow the recipe steps as they are written.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
The beauty of shepherd's pie is not only that it tastes delicious, but also that it can be prepared in advance. If you want to serve shepherd's pie for dinner but don't have time to prepare it the day of, you can make the entire recipe all the way up to spreading the potatoes over the filling, then cover the whole dish and refrigerate for up to one day (make sure to let the dish cool slightly before refrigerating). Then, when you're ready to bake, transfer the prepared shepherd's pie straight from the fridge to a 350 F oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown on top and the filling is slightly bubbly.
Shepherd's pie also freezes well, and in fact, you may be inclined to try out this genius freezer hack for shepherd's pie, which involves freezing a layer of mashed potatoes and then plopping it right on top of the filling once you're ready to bake. Otherwise, you can simply freeze an entirely assembled pie for up to three months, then thaw it in the fridge overnight before heating and serving it the following day.