This Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe is gravy-soaked beefy goodness, with peas and carrots, covered with 5 pounds of potatoes. Because there are NEVER ENOUGH MASHED POTATOES. The best Shepherd’s Pie, done right my friends. Originally published February 23, 2016.
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Have you ever taught a kid to roller skate before? Turns out I am literally the worst person in the world for this job. (Where is my parenting manual?? I know I’m going to need it come 6th grade math, too. Don’t judge me.) This about sums it up:
Here’s Charlotte and I at her cousin’s birthday party at the skating rink. You will note that I am most certainly not wearing roller skates. If I had, we would BOTH be sprawled out under the disco lights.
“Stand straight. Lean into it. Glide your skates OUTward. Hold tight. Don’t slip! Find your balance.”
Seriously, “find your balance?” “glide outward”? SHE’S FIVE. It’s like I’m giving yoga instructions to a puppy. No wonder she’s holding on for dear life in that photo. I may as well be telling her to do the crow pose.
I was laughing, but that’s because I only had one kid at the party. You should have seen the moms trying to drag 2 or even 3 kids along. Note: a 5-year-old wielding a roller-skate-clad foot is a danger to innocent feet everywhere.
Now Charlotte is asking for her own pair of roller skates. I am now preemptively collecting donations for her body cast. And for my pair of steel-toed shoes.
Best Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Do you love shepherd’s pie as much as I do? We didn’t have the traditional version growing up. My mom made “Meat and Potato Stuff.” No, I’m not kidding. (We also had “Chicken and Broccoli Stuff.” Bless your heart Mom.) Meat and Potato Stuff had tomato sauce and was basically Sloppy Joe Casserole. (Which explains why I was not into it. Sloppy Joes are gross. Slop sloppy joes…slop, sloppy joes.)
THIS easy shepherd’s pie recipe, however, is anything but sloppy. You make a flavorful gravy with beef broth and ground beef, add some peas and carrots, and cover it up with All The Potatoes. In my opinion, the greatest fault of most Shepherd’s Pies is a serious lack of creamy potato-y goodness. It’s all meat, tiny potatoes. Not gonna cut it for this mashed potato freak. 5 pounds definitely does the trick though!
Top it off with some cheddar cheese that you broil for a few minutes to make it extra crispy. Mm-mm. Invite the neighbors because this casserole feeds a small army!
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s pie is a baked British casserole traditionally made of ground lamb and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes. In this version (and many American versions), we’re making it with ground beef instead of ground lamb since it’s cheaper and easier to find at the store. Technically when this dish is made with beef, it’s called “cottage pie.”
Shepherd’s Pie Origin
Shepherd’s pie had its humble beginnings in the British Isles. It was called “cottage pie” as well as “shepherd’s pie” and was a way to use up leftovers. It’s always satisfying to see that the problems home cooks have today (“You can’t just keep expecting me to make dinner when we have all these leftovers in the fridge!”) also troubled our ancestors.
Shepherd’s Pie vs Cottage Pie
Technically, shepherd’s pie contains lamb or mutton, and cottage pie contains ground beef. You can definitely see why this makes sense, shepherds aren’t taking care of cows. However, I call this recipe Shepherd’s Pie because we don’t really make the distinction as much in the US, where I live, and calling it Cottage Pie would actually be more confusing.
Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
For the mashed potatoes:
- Potatoes (5 lbs) (Yukon gold potatoes and russet potatoes are both good!)
- Salted butter
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Seasoning salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cheddar cheese
For the beef mixture:
- Onion
- Carrots
- Frozen peas
- Ground beef (1.5 lbs)
- Beef broth
- Cornstarch
- Worcestershire sauce
- Better than Bouillon beef base (you could use beef broth instead, but this adds great depth of flavor!)
How to make Shepherd’s Pie
Here’s how to make shepherd’s pie. Scroll down to the recipe card below for complete instructions!
- Cut and boil your potatoes until fork tender, then drain. Add butter and mash the potatoes, then stir in sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cover and set aside.
- Saute onions and carrots until tender in butter.
- Add ground beef and cook. Drain the fat and add the peas, cornstarch, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the meat mixture to a baking dish, then add mashed potatoes, followed by cheese.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and amazing. I like browned cheese. Don’t be afraid to turn your broiler on for a minute!
What is the point of baking Shepherd’s Pie?
If the meat mixture and mashed potatoes are already fully cooked and ready to eat, why are we baking this thing?? Casserole comfort food, baby. The mashed potatoes start soaking up the beef gravy, the cheese on top melts and browns, and the whole dish is heated through to the same temperature.
You could take this question a step further. What’s the point of putting the mashed potatoes on top of the meat? What’s the point of making dinner at all? What’s the POINT OF EXISTENCE??
Just bake your shepherd’s pie–I promise it’s better that way ;-)
What to serve with this recipe for Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is pretty much a whole meal in one pan all by itself. Layer up the protein, carbs, veggies, you’re done! But if you’re making this for something other than a busy weeknight dinner, feel free to add on.
I love serving Shepherd’s Pie with dinner rolls or with a salad. Here are some of my favorites!
Rolls:
Soft and Fluffy Parker House Rolls << so soft. So fluffy.
Big Fat Crescent Rolls, yeah << not just for holiday meals!
Easy Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls << sometimes you’ve only got an hour.
Aunt Shirley’s Famous Homemade Dinner Rolls << these are legendary in my family.
Salad:
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad << beautiful colors, flavors, and textures!
Green Salad with Feta and Beets << NO chopping. If you hate chopping, this is your salad!
Pistachio-Pear Cucumber Salad << simple and refreshing, a perfect contrast with all those cheesy potatoes.
Pineapple Spinach Salad << a fun twist on the traditional strawberry spinach salad!
How to store Shepherds Pie
Can you freeze Shepherds Pie?
Yes! Shepherd’s pie is a great one to make ahead, freeze, and defrost and reheat when you need an easy meal. You can freeze individual portions or the whole pie. Either way, you’ll want to let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in tinfoil. Don’t forget to tape a label on so you remember what it is. It will still be perfectly delicious in 2-3 months (or even longer).
How to reheat Shepherd’s Pie with Beef
If your shepherd’s pie has been refrigerated, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave (covered, so they don’t splatter) or a whole shepherd’s pie in the oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
If you’ve frozen your shepherd’s pie, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight (or a few hours for individual pieces) before heating in the microwave or oven as you prefer.
Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Recipe FAQs
No, a classic shepherd’s pie recipe should not be soupy. It should contain a gravy that comes from the juice of the cooked vegetables and juices of the cooked ground beef. This gravy should mostly absorb into the part of the mashed potatoes that is touching the beef mixture; it shouldn’t create a pool of liquid on your plate. The important thing is getting the proportion of beef broth right; I think the amount in this recipe creates just the right amount of gravy.
Yes, but you won’t see “gravy” on the ingredient list. A gravy is naturally created from the juice of the cooked vegetables and juices of the cooked ground beef. It’s super delicious, especially in combination with the creamy mountain of mashed potatoes.
This recipe calls for a cornstarch slurry (just a simple mixture of cornstarch and broth or water), which will thicken the gravy perfectly. Any extra gravy that you see in the beef mixture will be absorbed by the huge pile of mashed potatoes on top.
More casseroles to love!
One Skillet Shepherd’s Pie << subtract the mashed potatoes, add a flaky pie crust. Yes please
Leftover Roast Beef, Carrot, and Creamy Potato Pie << if you thought you loved pot roast, get ready to have your mind blown.
Easy Cheesy Chile Relleno Casserole << it doesn’t get easier or cheesier than this!
Easy Pizza Casserole << for the kids, or the kids at heart. So stupid easy.
Easy Cheesy Ravioli Lasagna << family classic right here! Huge crowd pleaser.
Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping << comfort food at its finest.
John Wayne Casserole from Casserole Crissy
Mexicali Chili Tater Tot Casserole from Not Entirely Average
BBQ Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole from The Forked Spoon
If you make this Shepherd’s Pie, snap a photo and tag #TheFoodCharlatan on Instagram! I love seeing what you’re making! Here’s a link to a pin where over 150 people have tried this recipe and shared their review. Check it out!
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Shepherds Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the mashed potatoes:
- 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 or 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup salted butter, 1 stick
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
For the beef mixture:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, 1/2 stick
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4-5 medium carrots, (about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups)
- 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 & 1/2 pounds ground ground beef
- 1 & 1/2 cups beef broth, *
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon paste*, see note
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Fill a large stock pot with plenty of water. Add the chopped potatoes and make sure the water covers them.
- Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue boiling for about 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.
- Add 1/2 cup butter. Mash with a potato masher or mixer until they are as smooth as you like them.
- Stir in sour cream, milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. All seasonings are to taste. Cover and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add the onions and carrots. Saute for about 8 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- Add the ground beef and cook and crumble until no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes.
- Drain the fat.
- Add the frozen peas.
- In a small bowl, stir together beef broth* and cornstarch.
- Add this mixture to the meat, as well as the Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture boils and the sauce has thickened. Cook and reduce until it has reached a consistency you like.
- Season with salt and pepper. Taste it and see how you like it! Add other seasonings if you want.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pour the meat mixture into a deep 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Top with the mashed potatoes and spread evenly.
- Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly. (You could do 375 if you are in a hurry. Check it at 20 minutes.)
- Broil on the top rack for about 2 minutes if you are obsessed with crunchy brown cheese like my family is. Don’t walk away!!
- Now invite over the neighbors. Because this pie feeds a crowd!
Hey just to be clear, I can just use the Better than beef bouillon and water instead of beef broth?
I made this about a year ago and it’s perfect! Just can’t remember what I did with the broth.
Hey Sandra! Yes, Better than Beef bouillon and water is what I always use! Enjoy!!
Better then bouillon…..I assume you mean beef since it’s a beef dish, or ? Thanks
Also, what size pan do you recommend?
Hey Leia, yes I use Better Than Beef Bouillon! And I bake this in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Enjoy!
At least you call yourself a charlatan…
Ha!! Why thank you Liz.
This recipe is DELICIOUS! So far I have made it twice. The first time I made it pretty close to recipe except I increased the ground beef to 2 lbs. I was shocked that I actually used all 5 lbs of potatoes. I caused a problem though when glopping in and spreading the potatoes where I got a bit of a crater in the middle of the dish and had some areas with very little meat to a mountain of potatoes. The second time I swung the ratio too far the other way when I increased the meat and decreased the potatoes. I fixed the crater issue by using a piping bag for the potatoes to apply them evenly and the second time and the rows of little potato mounds were really pretty.
I’m so glad you liked it Courtney! I remember thinking that the first time I made it…am I REALLY about to use 5 pounds of potatoes?? But yes, yes I did :) So glad you were able to work out the crater issue! Piping it would be pretty!
I loved this recipe so yummy !!!
Delicious Shepherds Pie. I grew up in Scotland so used Bisto instead of corn starch. Bisto gives the meat mixture a lovely brown colour and adds flavor too.
Had to google Bisto! Lots of others have commented that gravy mix is a good sub for the bouillon, but that’s a good idea to use it instead of cornstarch. Adds more flavor. Thanks for the tip Liz! Also thank you for being a Scot and not lecturing me about Shepherd’s vs Cottage pie. Haha! ;)
I’ve always thought it’s a bit rude and pedantic to quibble over cottage pie (beef) and shepherds pie (lamb). Small stuff indeed! Anyway, we used Bisto in stews, mince (ground beef), meat pies etc and it is fantastic stuff for gravy. Bisto also comes in turkey, chicken and I think lamb flavours now. Not sure how readily available it is in the US. I live in Canada and it’s available all over here. I’d bet Amazon has it.
Hey Karen, Have you ever use Kitchen Bouquet in your recipes, it can a rich beef flavor and color to your beef dishes. I do add it to my Shepard pies and to Salisbury steaks and beef stews and other things. :)
Hey Susan, no, I never have! That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing the tip!
I typically use yukon gold potatoes but what would you suggest for this recipe?
Hey Rachel! Any potato will work. I used Russet I think. Yukon would be good too!
Absolutely loved this Shepherd’s Pie recipe. I actually have never made it and wasn’t overly interested to be honest. We have a friend from Norway staying with us and she requested it for her birthday. I stuck pretty close to the recipe but since I had 2 pounds of ground beef I increased the veggies just a little. I ended up with a large 4.8 qt. casserole dish. We ate it for 4 days in a row and we still weren’t sick of it!! So Yummy!! I have to admit, although I love mashed potatoes, 5 pounds seemed extreme but it was not!! Thank you for this awesome introduction to Shepherd’s Pie! I won’t ever have to look for another recipe!
That is so awesome Linda! I’m so glad this was a hit for you guys, even the Norwegian! High praise indeed :) And I know, even when I was developing the recipe I was like, really Karen, 5 pounds?? but all the other recipes I tried I always wanted MORE POTATOES! Thanks so much for the feedback!
would love to try this, but need to downsize since there is only 2 of us. can yu help?
Well you can definitely cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan. Then eat what you want, individually portion the rest, and freeze! That’s what I would do! hope you love it!
No, no, no! Shephed’s pie should never be made either with beef or peas and carrots. The true recipe calls for ground leftover roast lamb with a mashed potato covering. NO cheese, either!!!!
That is what I always hd in England……..
Hey Susan! This is an American Shepherd’s pie. Ground beef, peas, and carrots is what we use over here, with LOTS of cheddar on top :) I’ve never seen anyone in the US serve Shepherd’s pie with anything but ground beef. You can see additional commentary on the subject below the recipe on the Facebook comments. Hope this helps!
This is so super delicious. I made it for dinner. It just outstanding.
Just tried this today. Dont have ‘Better than Bouillon’ paste, so for the liquids I used Beef Consommé. Was too lazy to cook & mash potatoes, so I always have Sherriff’s Instant potatoes ( which frankly for this kind of dish is just FINE!) Anyway, the meal was SCRUMPTIOUS- have enough for another 2 meals each.
Great shortcut Janet! Good tip! Thanks for commenting!
I was dirt you mentioned kitchen bouquet. My mom always had that in our kitchen. Eager to try recipe.
Disregard error.where that came from is a surprise to me. I was surprised to see you mentioned kitchen bouquet.
coming from an Irish girl this is a great recipe!!!
Woohoo, thanks Meghan, high praise indeed!! :)
Absolutely love this recipe. Never made Shepherds pie and searched for the perfect recipe……so glad I found this one…..it will be my go to.
Thanks Lisa, I’m so glad you are happy with the recipe! It’s my favorite as well! It’s so nice when the search is over, right? :) Thanks for coming back to comment!
Made this over the weekend and it’s great, need to cut back on the potatoes a little tho.
I’m so glad you liked it Kelly! I’ll take your extra potatoes. Sit by me next time ;)