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.
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!
Carrie says
Super easy to follow and tweak! I didn’t have any potatoes to mash but I had frozen potato cubes that I baked separately then topped on the casserole before baking the whole thing. I substituted a medley of frozen peas, green beans, carrots, and cauliflower instead of just peas and carrots. I also used herbs de Provence (again, it’s what I had on hand) instead of the separate herbs. All around flexible recipe! Delicious results. Family loved it! I will add it to the rotation of repeatable meals! Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
So good and simple.
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 ❤️
Nora says
This was amazing! I subbed with Beyond Beef. Added a sprinkle of allspice and cinnamon to meat mixture and used frozen peas and carrots. Easy and delish!
Tammi says
Delicious! Followed the recipe, however, I assembled and baked the pies in individual baking ramekins. I mixed mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes for the tops! A huge hit in my house❤️
A. Honest says
For delish I rate this a 5. For working moms wanting to prepare a fast nutrish, delish meal this is not it…too many steps of cutting this that and making mashed potatoes. If you want to use fake potatoes(eek ok). If you prep by cutting the carrots, onions, garlic and do some other preparation yes, but what working mom has “extra time”. This is a great meal for a Saturday night, instead of ordering out
Janet says
This was so easy! I followed instructions accept I used canned peas and carrots and corn.
Cassie says
Delicious recipe. Subbed the frozen peas with canned corn and it still worked perfectly (I’m not a peas person). Thank you Nora!
Jesse Jan says
Rather than finally chopped the vegetables, I cut them in chunks because I like them a little crunchier plus effect I’m too lazy to do the fine chopping.
I added in green pepper as I had some on hand
I use the ketchup instead of tomato paste and I will never buy tomato paste again. Recipes always call for less than a can and I end up throwing most of it away. The catch-up seem to work just fine and I always have that in the refrigerator.
The spices were absolutely perfect
This will be my go to shepherds pie recipe
Melissa says
Best shepherd’s pie recipe ever!! Going to make this for a dinner party!
Michelle says
I was hungry for shepherd’s pie and it’s been years since I made it. Loved your recipe and so easy to make. I used broth instead of red wine and maybe slightly more garlic. Putting this one in the rotation!
Ellie says
This was delicious! I will definitely make it again (and again). I had some trouble with the recommended sized baking dish. It over flowed in my oven :(. Next time I’ll bump up the pan size.
Debbie J Harbin says
Fast, easy,delish
Debbie says
This sounds delish except that I really don’t care for rosemary. What would be a good substitute seasoning I could use instead?
Nora says
Debbie, you can just skip it, or use a little extra thyme instead. Hope this helps!
Kat says
Delicious! The wine adds a great taste, easy to make.
Sandy says
Delicious! This is my go to recipe for sure!
Stacy says
very good! will definitely fix again!
Deanna says
FABULOUS!! made this recipe for the first time tonight and it was a hit with everyone in the house! Used green beans, onions and minced garlic in the meat mixture and topped with green onions. We left off the cheese. Next time I may add peas and carrots. This will be going on our fall/winter rotation of meals!
Vicki Glass says
Despite this not being a difficult recipe, there are a lot of steps and I made a mess of my kitchen making this! But it turned out SOOO good! And looked just like the pictures. Will definitely make this again!
Brenda says
Delish! Yes, you can substitute lentils for ground beef if you’re vegetarian but you also would want to use vegetable broth. It’s quite yummy with the lentils. This is a very homey, comforting meal!
Carol Lee says
I used 1/2 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork. I sautéed sliced mushrooms in addition to the carrots, celery, and onions. Otherwise, I followed the recipe pretty closely, however it was very juicy and didn’t hold together when I served it. The flavor was very good.
Nora says
If you want to hold it together, it really needs to sit on the counter and cool a little before serving. Otherwise yes – it’s a bit sloppy. But that’s kind of the point 😉 Glad you otherwise enjoyed it, Carol!