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.
Gail Drummond says
Thanks for the recipe, I made it Friday and we finished it Saturday. I will be making it again.
Nora Rusev says
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Gail!
Brie says
2nd time making this with adding a few teaspoons od worstishire sauce and i also sautated bella mushrooms with butter and garlic. Also added a bit more tomato paste. This was so amazing! This time i had to triple the batch to make for a house biilding party of 20 people! Going to eat today. Im sure it will be a hit. Thank you!!
Valérie SCHAEPELYNCK says
perfection!
Valérie SCHAEPELYNCK says
My first Sheppherd’s pie!!! ( i am french 🙂 ) An excellent recipe, even better the day after! all the family enjoyed it. Thank you
Tracy says
This is de-frickin-licious! We loved it! Rich and flavorful. Definitely will be making it again and again. And, passing it along for other to enjoy!
Kennedy says
I’m in the process of making this recipe and the portions are throwing me off. Once I put all the vegetables into the pan with the meat, It appears as if there are way too many veggies. I only did one stalk (not rib) of celery, and one onion, yet my meat is completely taken over by the vegetables. In your video, you are clearly not putting two onions into the pot. I’m very confused…
Nora Rusev says
Kennedy, I’m so sorry to hear you’re having trouble with the recipe. I’ve never had anyone complain about too many vegetables in the filling, so I really am sorry it didn’t work out for you. Also, I can assure you I did use two onions, mine were home grown, so maybe they’re much smaller than yours? I can absolutely update the recipe with a cup amount later so people can better gauge. Thank you for the heads up about that.
If you checked the video, I’m sorry you didn’t notice that I use the term “celery stalk” as the commonly used way to describe one stick of celery vs an entire head. I know the USDA’s official descriptor is head=stalk, stick=rib. But unfortunately that’s not how most people use those terms, and as much as I’m a fan of using the correct terms, I do have to go by the 95% of people who call one stick of celery a stalk, or I’d get flooded by messages about what I mean by that. I hope it at least tasted nice, and sorry again it didn’t work out as you hoped.
Silvan says
Delicious and easy. I’ve had an instant pot for more than a year and never made mashed potatoes in it! ? Thanks for that….so simple!
Tammy says
This is a really yummy recipe! Easy to make and so tasty. It will be one that I will make again. Maybe even for company…. Thank you!
Jessica says
Made this vegan with Gardien Crumble instead of beef. Used Daiya cheddar cheese in my mashed potatoes. Delish and will be making this again!
Nora Rusev says
Those are some amazing substitutions to make my shepherd’s pie vegan/vegetarian, Jessica. Thank you so much for sharing with everyone, I’m sure others will appreciate and try it, too!
Penny Teed says
Really good! I added corn and 2 Tlbs Worcestershire sauce. Will definitely make this again.
Nora Rusev says
I love your additions, Penny. I need to try adding corn next time! Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Katie says
So yummy! First time making shepherds pie and my boyfriends first time having it. He scarfed it all down and said “freaking good.” Haha. Don’t be shy with the seasonings and paste because the mashed potatoes kind of mask the flavor of the filling. Thanks for sharing!!!
Nora Rusev says
Haha, love it, Katie! Glad you enjoyed it, and thank YOU for making and reviewing my recipe, I appreciate your time so very much.
Jess says
This was a hit in my house! So much flavor and the parm cheese was a great addition!
Nora Rusev says
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jess!
Donna M Goodman says
So delicious. Not hard to make. I used a tub of mashed potatoes and i used the already chopped onions, carrots and celery. i made a pie plate about 8 inches round and a small casserole i will freeze.
Nora Rusev says
I love the idea of using pre-chopped veggies, Donna. Definitely a time saver, as well as the mashed potatoes! Thank you so much for coming back to share your experience with the recipe, I appreciate it very much.
Nwazi says
I didn’t get it as Golden brown as yours and my beef was a little dry. But you were spot on with the fluffy mash tips ?
Nora Rusev says
I’m sorry your beef turned out a bit dry, Nwazi. Did you use a very lean ground beef? That could have caused it to be more dry than it should. When I only have very lean ground beef, I usually add a tablespoon of butter or oil to the filling to help balance it out.
Chelsea Kane says
Made this tonight and couldn’t stop eating the filling while I was preparing the mashed potatoes. So good! A little more work than the shepherds pie I used to make with frozen veggies, but SO worth it. We won’t be going back to the old recipe 🙂
Nora Rusev says
Haha I have the same problem! ? thank you for coming back To let me know about your experience with the recipe, Chelsea. I appreciate it.
Maria says
This was a lot of work, but it tasted AWESOME!! I sautéed the vegetables separately first as I didn’t have room in the pan for them and the meat. I was out of thyme and so left it out. I added a full teaspoon of salt.
Nora Rusev says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the recipe, Maria! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Michelle S. says
Just made this last night. Came out so amazingly yummy I had to go back for seconds. Since I don’t cook with alcohol I used extra broth but also a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Beyond delicious. This cottage pie is definitely part of my meal rotation with my kids now. Thank you ?
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad to hear this, Michelle! Thank you for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Joyce says
Excellent recipe! Will definitely make it again
Nora says
Very glad to hear it, Joyce. Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it!
Jeanne Wallace says
Wonderful comfort food and the ingredients are those that you usually have in the house. I did cut the rosemary to 1/2 tsp because we found the whole tsp to be overwhelming. I also cheat by buying refrigerated ready-to-eat mashed potatoes.
Nora says
Jeanne, I’m so very glad you enjoyed the Shepherd’s Pie. Glad you cut the rosemary back to an amount that suits your taste! And cheating to make life easier is 100% allowed 😉
Joyce says
I did that too. Cut the thyme in half also
Anna says
Has anyone tried red cooking wine instead of regular wine?
Nora says
You can absolutely do that, Anna. I just prefer not to buy cooking wine because we’re veeeeery slow wine drinkers so we usually only have one bottle we use for both cooking and drinking 😉
Anna says
Thanks! Will be making this tonight and excited since we have never tried it but looove comfort food and one dish type meals!
Jack says
If you can’t drink the wine, don’t cook with it !
Nora says
Jack, normally I tend to agree with this. I usually write a paragraph on wine suggestions when I use wine in a recipe, but it must have slipped my mind here. I always recommend using a decent dry red over cooking wine, but then again I’m also all in favor of using up what we already have in the pantry – less food wasted, more money saved. Also, not everyone enjoys drinking wine 😉
Joyce says
Cooking wine has salt added, so you may need to watch other added salt or it will be too much
Nora says
Joyce, thanks for pointing this out! Very true.
Linda M says
Turned out so well!!!! My dad was one happy guy that I made his childhood Dave for him, thank u for a great recipe
Nora Rusev says
This is making me so happy, Linda!
Warren says
First time making shepherd’s pie, thanks for the recipe. My three year old loved it so much he ate his whole serving, I couldn’t believe it.
Nora Rusev says
So glad to hear it, Warren! And yay for your boy loving his Shepherd’s Pie, my 3 year old does, too!
Carol says
We are just finishing up our dinner with this wonderful recipe! We will definitely do this again. Thank you! It was my first time making Shepherd’s Pie. Delicious!
Nora says
Glad you enjoyed the Shepherd’s Pie, Carol! Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate your time!
Kelli says
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh? And if so, what quantities would you suggest? I would love to give this a try for the family coming to visit, but we don’t keep fresh herbs on hand.
Nora says
Oh absolutely, Kelli! I would go with 1.5 teaspoons dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Hope that helps!
John Baker says
Wonderful, made with your instant pot mash. Turned out absolutely perfect!!!!