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.
Ellie Mayo Speer says
This is a keeper. We made it with lamb instead of beef and added 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms because I needed to get them out of the refrigerator. The only change I would make next time is to add the cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking. Delicious and comforting! Thank you.
Christy says
I have tried a million shepherd’s pies and not were all that good. This one is AMAZING! My family gobbled it up and there were no leftovers. I will never eat any other shepherd’s pie recipe!
Linda says
This was really good. I will make it again. I used frozen mixed vegetables because that is what I had and I didn’t want to run to the store for the fresh vegetables. It was very delicious even using frozen vegetables. I’ll probably use frozen mixed vegetables every time I make it. Less work also no cutting up the fresh vegetables. I used wine also and I think it made the flavor pop.
Tina Marie says
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and each time it’s a huge hit. Today I’m making it again, but instead of lamb or beef I’m using impossible burger meat. We’ve tried the impossible burgers and LOVED IT. Today I’m try the impossible burger meat for your amazing Cottage Pie with imitation mashed potatoes to top it off.
Dusty says
Made this for the family for Christmas with the potatoes on top from your recipe. It was such a hit!! Thank you!!
Katherine says
Made this with venison and it turned out wonderfully. The spices were spot on. I doubled the recipe for a larger party and added parsnips to the veggie mix and some port along with beef broth to give the venison a little more help.
If cooking with game meat I do suggest using lard for the vegetable cook down.
I skipped the tomato paste and cheese, it’s just not what we’re used to in a cottage pie.
Anne says
Wow! This looks yummy! I only have a 9×13 or a deep 9×9. Which should i use?
Nora says
Anne, I’d go with the 9×9! Hope this helps.
Sandra Wilson says
Made this for my daughter, my grandson loved it so much he asked for more. Here I am today making another one for my daughter.
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear, Sandra!
Martha says
I chare it with I made it once and will to make it again today. It is delicious. I share it with friends that aren’t into cooking and or baking.
Malcolm says
Hi, I’m English, living in England and have been eating Shepherds/Cottage Pie for over seven decades and your recipe is the closest I’ve seen to how I make it (based on my late mum’s version). Being a traditional dish it is made in many different ways throughout the UK & Ireland, and now worldwide, this is a good thing.
Something to experiment with is to use 1/2 sweet potatoes 1/2 normal potatoes.
Nora says
Malcolm, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I can only imagine how wonderful your mum’s cottage pie recipe tastes. My late nan was English and the few times I visited her in Sussex, we always went out to the local pub for cottage pie – she had a bad arm and didn’t cook much, so the ancient pub with thatched roof and all it was. But it’s definitely where I acquired my love for the dish. Such a comforting classic!
And I will definitely try with the sweet potatoes, sounds delicious. Thank you for the tip!
Kimberly says
Made this last night. I used Buffalo since that’s what I had and it turned out amazing. I’m looking forward to having leftovers as I believe the flavors will be even better today.
Robin V says
My favorite recipe! I make it more then any other. I make double or triple the recipe with just the meat and vegetables mixture to freeze in a ziplock bag. Then it is easy to just add the potatoes and cheese for a quick meal and it doesn’t take much freezer space.
Patricia says
I made this exactly as written and it was delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Jessica says
Do you drain the meat before adding anything?
Nora says
Jessica, I do drain the meat if I use a higher fat ground beef or ground lamb. For grass-fed or very lean ground beef, I usually find I don’t need to drain it. Hope this helps!
Scott D. Hanson says
Perfect! Made this with 1/2 lamb and 1/2 beef. Tripled the rosemary. Family loved it.
Donna Turner says
Loved this recipe. Very easy to make and delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
Kevin Waitley says
Very good…..I double the batch & make 2 in foil pans……freeze one for the future. It is very good recipe that allows for personalization.
Sydney says
Made this with wegmans instant mashed potatoes and a cab sauv wine and it’s delicious! My roommate said it’s the best shepherds pie she’s had!
Rosie says
I’m usually not a huge fan of shepherds pie, but this was SENSATIONAL. I was almost willing the day away so I could go home and eat this for dinner again.
Cathy says
I added a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce to the meat & veggie mixture, followed the recipe and it came out sooo good!!! Delicious!
Meredith says
This recipe is AMAZING! Such an upgrade from the plain ground beef, corn, and mashed potatoes I used to have as a kid. Thank you for sharing — I have made this many times 🙂
Carol says
The best cottage pie I have ever eaten was in Kilkenny Ireland. They had cinnamon and rosemary in the meet filling. Absolutely delicious….
Hallie says
This was good! I didn’t change anything.
Del Davies says
Sounds delish and will use yr recipe when next making Shepherd Pie. Thnku ,!
Jen says
I used half ground beef and half ground pork. Loved it!
Jackie Murphy says
I have made this recipe several times. I love it and so does everyone who tries it. Thank you for posting it.