My simple Shepherd’s Pie Recipe is 100% from scratch and SO flavorful. Merely sauté floor meat and veggies in a home made gravy, prime with mashed potatoes, and bake! Recipe features a how-to video!

The BEST Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
My ultra-cozy shepherd’s pie recipe is so hearty and satisfying, you may be arduous pressed to not return for seconds. Flavorful lamb or beef, crisp-tender veggies, and a silky home made gravy all topped with fluffy mashed potatoes…that is true consolation meals!
Very like my salisbury steak, this 100% from-scratch recipe tastes SO significantly better (and is best for you) than one made with store-bought soup or gravy combine. We’ll use a handful of easy pantry staples to create a powerful depth of taste everybody will love. It makes for a easy and filling weeknight meal, or a enjoyable and festive St. Patrick’s day dinner (alongside some soda bread, after all)!
In addition to the style, the shining high quality of this shepherd’s pie recipe is how simply it comes collectively. You don’t want any fancy instruments (I simply run a fork over my potatoes after spreading) and whereas there’s a fair proportion of mincing and chopping, this recipe could be very newbie pleasant.
What You Want

Let’s get conversant in at present’s substances earlier than heading over to the range. Most significantly, you’ll need:
- Floor meat. Shepherd’s pie is historically made with lamb and you’re welcome to make use of that right here (it’s unbelievable this manner!), however you need to use both beef or lamb (and even rooster or turkey!) in my shepherd’s pie recipe. Lamb will not be available the place I reside, so I sometimes go for beef.
- Veggies. Together with the classics: peas, carrots, onions, and potatoes (both russet or gold, for the mash on prime). If you wish to up the veggie issue and add in some frozen corn with the peas, that works, too!
- Spices. Together with parsley, thyme, and black pepper. Including some chopped recent parsley as a garnish simply earlier than serving is all the time a good suggestion!
- Flour. A little bit of flour thickens the sauce and helps it cling to the meat, making a hearty dish relatively than a soupy one.
- Worcestershire sauce. This provides depth of taste alongside the tomato paste and beef broth. You would substitute coconut aminos for the Worcestershire!
- Parmesan cheese. Grate your personal cheese so it will possibly seamlessly mix into your mashed potatoes. Pre-shredded/grated cheeses comprise anti-caking brokers that stop them from melting properly (I discuss this in my bacon mac and cheese publish too!).
SAM’S TIP: I’ll typically add a pinch (like a teaspoon) of brown sugar in with the meat for additional depth of taste. Should you do that, watch out to not add an excessive amount of, or you possibly can find yourself making a barbecue/sloppy joe -esque taste.
The best way to Make Shepherd’s Pie
This meal isn’t tough to make in any respect, however it isn’t a zippy-quick 30 minute dinner, both. To chop down on meeting time, I’ll typically lower my veggies prematurely and even make your entire dish a day or a number of hours prematurely of serving.
Put together the Floor Meat Layer

- Cook dinner the onions and carrots in melted butter and oil till softened. Stir within the garlic and cook dinner till aromatic.
- And the bottom beef and cook dinner till browned, crumbling as you go. Drain any extra grease if wanted.
- Stir within the tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and spices.
- Add the flour and stir till absorbed, then cook dinner for one more 30 seconds or so (this toasts the flour a bit and helps develop the flavour).
- Slowly drizzle within the broth whereas stirring and scraping the underside of the pan (we’re deglazing/eradicating any browned bits from the underside, provides tons of taste and makes for a a lot simpler to wash pan afterward!).
- Add Worcestershire sauce and let simmer till thickened. Style take a look at for seasonings, then stir within the peas.
Put together the Mashed Potatoes

- Boil potatoes in salted water till tender, then drain and place again within the heat pot (a minute or so within the pot lets the surplus water steam off, conserving the potatoes from being too moist!).
- Add the flavoring – Add milk, butter, cheese, and seasonings.
- Mash till clean, then unfold the potatoes over the meat and veggie combination.
- Rake and bake – Rake the highest of the potatoes with a fork earlier than baking at 400F for 20-25 minutes. I search for among the potatoes to be starting to brown. For extra browning, broil the dish for a number of minutes (maintain an in depth eye, you’ll be able to go from golden brown to burnt shepherd’s pie in a rush!).
SAM’S TIP: I prefer to let the meat relaxation whereas I put together the mashed potatoes. This makes it simpler to unfold and retains the potatoes from simply sinking into the meat within the oven (maintains two outlined layers). You would actually begin making the potatoes the identical time that you simply begin the meat to avoid wasting time, however there’s nothing improper with the meat sitting whilst you put together the mashed potatoes.

Often Requested Questions
Sure! Retailer your shepherd’s pie in an hermetic container and freeze for a number of months. To reheat from frozen, let thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than baking. It should doubtless want a number of additional minutes within the oven.
Technically at present’s recipe is definitely a cottage pie recipe as a result of I made it with beef (don’t come at me within the feedback, please!). True shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, however that isn’t available the place I reside. Cottage pie is made with beef, not lamb; nonetheless, many of the shepherd’s pies I’ve eaten have been made this manner and it’s typically made this manner in America. You may
Sure! Simply prep, assemble, and canopy earlier than storing within the fridge. It should doubtless want a number of additional minutes within the oven and I’ll typically cowl it with foil for the primary 10 or quarter-hour.
SAM’S TIP: I’ll often make a easy gravy to serve on the facet with this shepherd’s pie recipe. It’s not essential, however when you like a number of gravy, it’s good to have additional to serve atop the potatoes.

Serve yours with some crusty sourdough bread (recipe on its approach!) for a whole & hearty meal!
Take pleasure in!
Let’s bake collectively! I’ll be strolling you thru all of the steps in my written recipe and video beneath! Should you do that recipe, make sure to tag me on Instagram or discover me on YouTube and Facebook

Shepherd’s Pie
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Servings: 4 servings
Energy: 810kcal
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 400F (205C).
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Add butter and oil to a ten” (25cm) oven-safe skillet (see word) and cook dinner over medium/excessive warmth till butter is melted and skillet is sizzling.
1 Tablespoon butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
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Add onions and carrots and cook dinner till softened, about 5 minutes.
1 medium yellow onion, 3 giant carrots
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Add garlic and cook dinner till aromatic (about 30 seconds).
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
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Add floor beef and cook dinner, crumbling as you go, till meat is browned. Drain extra grease if/as wanted.
1 lb floor lamb or floor beef
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As soon as beef is generally cooked, add tomato paste, vinegar, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley and cook dinner, stirring, till beef is totally browned.
1 ½ Tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon floor black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried parsley
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Sprinkle flour overtop and cook dinner, stirring, till flour is totally absorbed after which cook dinner one other 30 seconds whereas stirring.
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
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Whereas stirring, slowly drizzle in beef broth till mixed (be sure that to scrape the underside of the pan!).
1 cup beef broth
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Add worcestershire and simmer, stirring often, till sauce is thickened. Style-test sauce and add salt/pepper if wanted.
2 ½ Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
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Stir in peas. Take away from warmth and put aside whilst you put together the potatoes.
½ cup frozen peas
Mashed Potatoes
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Place potatoes in a big pot of cool water and add salt. Cook dinner till potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
2 lbs russet or gold potatoes
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Drain potatoes and return to pot. Allow them to sit within the pot for a minute (to permit the water to evaporate), stirring a few times, earlier than continuing.
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Add butter, milk, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese and use a potato masher to mash till clean. Style-test and add extra salt/pepper as wanted.
⅓ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup milk, ¼ heaping teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon floor black pepper, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
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High the meat layer with a good layer of potatoes. If desired, rake a fork throughout the floor (helps promote browning).
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Switch skillet to heart of 400F (205C) oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or till potatoes on prime are starting to brown. Should you’re frightened about your skillet being too full, place a foil lined baking sheet beneath it to catch any doable spills. For deep browning on prime of the potatoes, broil for 1-2 minutes earlier than eradicating from oven.
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Serve heat and revel in!
Notes
Skillet
Should you don’t have a ample 10” oven-safe skillet, you’ll be able to put together the meat in a skillet after which switch it to a ten” pie plate or a casserole dish as an alternative earlier than layering with potatoes after which baking.
Storing
Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Leftovers may additionally be frozen in an hermetic container for a number of months.
Diet
Serving: 1serving | Energy: 810kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 32g | Fats: 49g | Saturated Fats: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 18g | Trans Fats: 2g | Ldl cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1221mg | Potassium: 1753mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 8608IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 6mg
Dietary data relies on third-party calculations and needs to be thought of an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking technique, portion sizes, and extra.
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