Make the ultimate comfort food for your family: Homemade Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie) with ground beef (or lamb!) – simple, yummy and easy to make.
A delicious filling with lots of gravy underneath a fluffy layer of mashed potatoes – perfect for a cold night, or as a special St. Patrick’s Day treat.
I always use my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes on top (but regular mashed potatoes work just fine, if you’re not an instant-potter ?). You can also use leftover mashed potatoes (those also make great Irish potato pancakes… just saying!). Simple, but so comforting!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Wine: You can skip the wine and use more broth instead. If you’re not sure which wine to use, go for a dry red wine you would also drink. A Merlot or Pinot Noir is great. (You can technically use cooking wine, it’s just not my preference – if you do use seasoned cooking wine, make sure to taste test and pay attention to the amount of salt you add.)
- Tomato paste: Can also use ketchup instead if you don’t have tomato paste.
- Mashed potatoes: I usually make my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for this, but my regular mashed potatoes are delicious, too. I’ve also had readers made this with ready-made mashed potatoes, so that’s a great shortcut.
- Allergy friendliness: For a gluten-free friendly version, use cornstarch in place of the flour. Be sure to check all of your ingredients to make sure they’re gluten free (especially the beef broth! you can use water if you don’t have any).
- If you don’t like peas, it’s also delicious with chopped green beans.
- I hear people make this low carb by using mashed cauliflower they whisk together with 1 egg yolk in place of the mashed potatoes. I love my potatoes, but your call 😉
- You can also make this vegetarian by using 2 cups of cooked, brown lentils in place of the ground beef and vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.
Beef or lamb?
It might we worth telling you right now that the technical term for this recipe is actually cottage pie (made with ground beef) and not authentic shepherd’s pie (made with ground lamb). But my mission here on Savory Nothings is always to share recipes real people with a real grocery budget and a regular grocery store and an everyday exhausting kids/work/life situation can make.
So, there it is. Fake Shepherd’s Pie. Aka Homemade Shepherd’s Pie with ground beef. One that’s simple and affordable and delicious. It is the best ❤️
Feel free to use ground lamb in place of the beef for a more authentic version! Lamb tends to be more fatty, so drain it after browning if you prefer less fat.
Step by step photos
Recipe tips
- Don’t be scared of adding some color: Make sure to brown the meat and vegetables well for the most intense flavors
- Do not skip cooling the filling: This is how you keep the layers in shepherd’s pie from mixing; depending on the dish and the room temperature, cool it for 15-30 minutes (sometimes I put mine outside in the winter, it’s cold in 15 minutes!)
Shepherd’s Pie FAQs
Like I said above, the main difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie is the meat: Shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb, cottage pie uses ground beef. In America, the term Shepherd’s pie has commonly been adopted for the version made with ground beef.
Yes, if you keep it in the fridge, shepherd’s pie keeps well for up to 3 days. Just reheat it until piping hot all the way through and serve.
Oven: Reheat the leftovers at 350°F until piping hot all the way through (this will take 15-30 minutes, depending on how much of the pie you are reheating). If you’re re-heating leftovers, I recommend transferring them to a clean baking dish to avoid food burnt into the dish.
Microwave: Make sure you put the pie in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave in 30 second bursts until piping hot all the way through. Check the pie in between (careful, it can get hot!) and stir a little to make the food heat evenly.
Make ahead instructions
Assemble the entire pie as directed in the recipe, right up to the finally baking step. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden.
Freezer instructions
Prepare as directed in the recipe, right up to the final baking step. Wrap well with foil and then aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: No need to defrost! Remove both foils, then replace the aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F with the foil on for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until browned.
Serving suggestions
As a casserole, this is generally an all-in-one meal I often serve pretty much by itself. Sometimes I’ll make sautéed green beans or crockpot glazed carrots on the side, especially if it’s a holiday or we have family over.
A nice green salad is also a good side. I make mine with a homemade honey mustard dressing – so good!
I LOVE Shepherd’s Pie. It’s the ultimate comfort food to me. It reminds me of working in a pub after finishing high school, it reminds me of my late British grandma, and it reminds me how much better it is to spend St. Patrick’s Day at home vs at a party, haha!
While, admittedly, this IS a bit more work than something like a one pot pasta or a throw-together casserole… It’s still fairly simple for such a hearty and traditional meal.
AND, you can always make double and freeze one for an easy meal later – freezer instructions are included in the recipe notes below. Enjoy!
More comfort food classics
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
Recipe details
Equipment
- Casserole Dish
Ingredients
For meat & vegetables
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots finely diced
- 2 sticks celery finely diced
For gravy/to finish filling
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons white flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup red wine OR more broth if avoiding alcohol
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
For topping
- 4 cups mashed potatoes (click for my recipe and you’ll have some leftovers to sneak during cooking)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Brown meat and vegetables:Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet. Brown the ground meat, then add the chopped vegetables and sauté until softened.
- Season and deglaze the pan:Sprinkle salt, paprika, pepper and flour over the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring all the time, until it smells roasted (about 1 minute). Pour in the red wine (OR beef broth if you prefer!), scratching any browned bits off the bottom.
- Finish filling and cool:Then stir in broth, herbs and peas, simmer 4-5 minutes and then let cool in a 7×11 inch baking dish.
- Prep mash:In the meantime, make your favorite mashed potatoes. You need about 4 cups of mash to top off the casserole. About 1.5 pounds of peeled potatoes should yield enough.
- Bake pie:Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the mashed potatoes over the cold filling. (Be careful not to mix up the two.) Criss-cross with a fork for a great look and crispy edges! Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden (I recommend baking on a lined baking sheet to catch any spills).
Notes
Beef or lamb?
Feel free to use ground lamb in place of the beef for a more authentic version! Lamb tends to be more fatty, so drain it after browning if you prefer less fat.Make ahead instructions
Assemble the entire pie as directed in the recipe, right up to the finally baking step. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden.Freezer instructions
Prepare as directed in the recipe, right up to the final baking step. Wrap well with foil and then aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat: No need to defrost! Remove both foils, then replace the aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F with the foil on for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until browned.Cooking tips
- Make sure to brown the meat and vegetables well for the most intense flavors
- Don’t skip cooling the filling. A cool filling is much easier to top with mashed potatoes without mixing the layers.
Ingredient notes
Mashed potatoes: I usually make my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for this, but my regular mashed potatoes are delicious, too. I’ve also had readers made this with ready-made mashed potatoes, so that’s a great shortcut. Tomato paste: Can also use ketchup instead if you don’t have tomato paste. Gluten free: For a gluten-free friendly version, use cornstarch in place of the flour. Be sure to check all of your ingredients to make sure they’re gluten free (especially the beef broth! you can use water if you don’t have any). If you don’t like peas, it’s also delicious with chopped green beans. I hear people make this low carb by using mashed cauliflower they whisk together with 1 egg yolk in place of the mashed potatoes. I love my potatoes, but your call 😉 You can also make this vegetarian by using 2 cups of cooked, brown lentils in place of the ground beef and vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.Nutrition
More recipe information
And in case you’re here for St. Patrick’s Day…
More Irish inspired recipes
I first published this recipe in 2017. I republished it on 06/04/2020 to make it better for you.
Jamie Winchester says
I made this for my family tonight! it was the perfect cold night for Shepherd’s pie! Great recipe! Super flavorful! I will definitely be making this again!
Lucy says
Delicious! I really enjoyed this, and so did my boyfriend! I added another clove of garlic and cooked it for about 30 minutes and it was delicious. Definitely took me much longer to prep and sautée, though.. about an hour and 45 minutes to two hours. That’s my only complaint. Delicious!
Debbie says
I thought this was great. I didn’t have regular potatoes so I used bob evens prepared ones. they were ok but next time I will use regular potatoes . my husband has trouble tasting a lot of food but he was able to taste this.. thanks for the recipe
Sue Greschner says
I topped this with aged white cheddar for the extra cheesy flavour. Excellent recipe, will make again and again!
Laura says
are you using fresh or dried herbs?
Nora says
Hey Laura! For the shepherd’s pie recipe, it uses dried herbs, which are super convenient and pack a lot of flavor. But if you have fresh herbs on hand, you can totally use those too—just remember you’ll need about three times the amount of fresh herbs since they’re milder than dried. Either way, it’s going to be delicious! 😊
N. Peterson says
This is my go-to Shepherd’s Pie recipe. The filling is the perfect mix of meaty, veg and tomato paste. Definitely use fresh herbs if you have them. I cook the onions, carrots and celery a bit longer so I can be sure they are soft for the texture sensitive in my household. Make it, you won’t regret it! Chef’s kiss!
Jane Robinson says
I am on a low carb diet so would replace the mashed potatoes with steamed cauliflower topped with a cheese sauce before the (Cottage) Pie is popped into the oven. Yum!
Mary V says
Delicious!
Nancy S says
Delicious Family pleaser!!
Krystal Denmark says
I want to try this recipe but was wondering what kind of red wine? or does it not matter?
Nora says
Krystal, there’s this little section in the recipe: “A Merlot or Pinot Noir is great.” For more info, check the “ingredient notes” section! Hope this helps.
Debbie Parker says
Very good recipe. Family loved it. Thank you!
Betty Artman says
Absolutely delicious! The flavor and consistency of the filling was perfect. This will be my go to recipe! We all loved it! Including, my 90 year old Irish mother, who lives with us! Thank you Nora!
Kitty Sterns says
Delicious recipe! Ive made it twice now and everyone agreed. I love the addition of red wine, it makes the broth so rich and tasty. I used Bob Evans pre-made mashed potatoes for the topping, it turned out great (and saved me a couple steps 🙂)
Cindy Luthman says
I made this shepards pie this evening for dinner. Followed the recipe to the letter. Excellent !! Loved the addition of red wine. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Angela Ulmer says
First off,.I’m a total foodie…however I’ve never fixed Shepherd’s Pie! Let me say that this recipe did NOT disappoint! My husband does not like veggies,..so I may reduce those next time, but the flavors are on point!! Will definitely make again!!
Frances says
This is a great recipe. Sometimes i add a few mushrooms but typically I prepare as written. I’ve been making this for a while. I’m cooking for one but this freezes very well and i always double the recipe to stock the deep freeze.
Carol says
I’m also cooking for one and I’m happy to know it freezes well. Do you portion it for freezing it after baking or before?
Rhona K says
Delicious and easy to make
Rhona K says
It was delicious and very easy to make.
Cate says
A hit with the whole family! From grandparents to a picky 8 year old!
I opted to add all herbs and seasonings as soon as I got all the vegetables cooking together. Only thing I would have done differently would be to boil the carrots first to soften them more. And next time (you can bet there will be a next time!) I think I’ll opt to add mushrooms. So good, thank you for this recipe!
Margo says
What a nice , quick , tasteful recipe! It’s a keeper
Kayce225 says
I have made this recipe many times now. It’s definitely my go to when I make this delicious comfort food. Adding the ingredients separately like you do builds such a delicious flavor. The red wine adds a wonderful depth. Easy, delicious, worth it!
Shaqueta says
OMG!! One of the best shepherds pie recipes I’ve every had. I made this last month and my family has requested it again today (April 2, 2024). It has the right ingredients. Very flavorful. My go to recipe. I blend mozzarella cheese, with a 4 state cheese blend and season the cheese with Italian seasoning, black pepper and smoked paprika before topping the mashed potatoes. OMG so freaking delicious.
Brenda says
This was excellent! I used leftover leg of lamb meat I had. Very easy to make and true comfort food!!!! Will definitely make again!
Deanna says
I’ve tried a few Shepherd’s Pie recipes but none of them beat this one. Thank you for sharing!
Jen says
Great Recipe for the cold days of winter/ spring here in Southwest Michigan. I did add 2 T of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 T thick and hearty A1, increased the garlic to 3 cloves and 1 tsp of Smokey Paprika, delicious 😋, this is a keeper ❤️