Easy Shepherd’s Pie | A Classic Comfort Food Recipe

This easy shepherd’s pie is a comfort food classic – meat and veggies in a savory gravy sauce, smothered in cheese and mashed potatoes. Yum! Enjoy for dinner tonight and make an extra to freeze for a future meal.

I’ll be the first to tell you I like to try all sorts of new flavors, different ways of eating, and food preparation methods. But sometimes, it feels good to get back to the basics in the kitchen – so I fill my meal plan with easy breakfasts, from-scratch soups, and favorite family dinners.

I pride myself on cooking wholesome foods that my family enjoys. But truth be told, there are only a handful of dinner recipes that every member of my family raves about – and this is one of them! I usually double the recipe and serve it two or three nights in a row, and I get clean plates back every. single. time.

What’s the recipe? This classic Shepherd’s Pie.

WHAT IS SHEPHERD’S PIE?

Shepherd’s Pie originated among poor farm families in Scotland and northern England around 150 years ago and, as its history suggests, it’s the most basic of comfort foods – meat, potatoes, peas, carrots, and a little cheese. Nothing fancy – just a delicious and hearty meal that your whole family will love!

I’ve also learned that if you’re cooking this recipe with beef, it’s technically cottage pie, while classic shepherds pie is made with minced lamb, but whichever way you make it and whatever you decide to call it, I know one thing: it’s delicious!

WHY MAKE SHEPHERDS PIE

What makes this the best shepherds pie recipe? In addition to the simple, savory flavor, it’s also:

• Healthy. Made with simple, real food ingredients that are easy to find.
• Budget-friendly. While this is technically a meat and potatoes meal, there are plenty of ways to make it affordable.
• Versatile. Change the veggies (or just add extras), switch out the potatoes, use more meat and cheese, or use less. Adapt this meal to what you have.
• You’ll have leftovers. I know leftovers aren’t a favorite in every house, but a meal that I can cook once and eat at least twice? That’s a winner for me.
• Easy to make ahead. You can prep the shepherd’s pie in the morning and bake it in the evening, or you can make several batches and freeze them for future meals.

SHEPHERDS PIE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

I’ve included shepherd pie ingredients for both the filling and the mashed potatoes here, but my secret for making this easy shepherd’s pie recipe come together quickly is that I almost always use leftover mashed potatoes for the topping.

Plan a meal with Mashed Potatoes as a side dish earlier in the week, and make sure you have at least 4 cups of mashed potatoes saved for this recipe.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• Potatoes, chopped into 1″ pieces. You can leave the peels on for added nutrition or peel the potatoes before chopping if you prefer. I like russet potatoes, but golden potatoes or red potatoes would work too.
• Butter and milk (or cream) for flavor and creaminess
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Meat and Vegetable Mixture:

• Unsalted Butter. For sautéing the veggies. Olive oil would also work.
• Onion + Celery + Carrots. You can also use a bag of frozen mixed veggies if you’re in a rush. See the notes below for additional veggie options.
• Garlic cloves. Fresh garlic works best but you can substitute garlic powder if that’s all you have.
• Ground beef. This shepherd’s pie recipe uses 2 pounds of ground beef, but you can lower that to one pound and still have a tasty dinner! You can also use one of these methods to stretch ground beef and use some of that mixture instead. Ground lamb is also tasty or use a 50/50 mix of beef and lamb!
• Beef broth. The base for the sauce.
• Flour. Use more for a thicker, gravy-like consistency, or less for a thinner sauce. You can also substitute cornstarch or arrowroot powder for a gluten-free shepherd’s pie.
• Cheddar cheese, shredded. Like with the beef, you can use a lesser amount and still have a yummy dinner. Cheddar is the classic choice but use whatever cheese you have in your fridge. Parmesan cheese is tasty on top!
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).

HOW TO MAKE COTTAGE SHEPHERDS PIE

For the Creamy Mashed Potatoes:

Step 1: Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Start chopping your vegetables for the shepherd’s pie while the potatoes cook.

Step 2: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Step 3: Slice the butter into several pieces and add it to the hot potatoes, allowing it to melt.

Step 4: Add the milk or cream and mash the potatoes just until smooth.

Step 5: Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

You can also make the mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot! Follow this recipe for hands-off cooking.

For the Shepherd’s Pie:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and beef and sauté, stirring often. Drain any excess fat (or leave it in to add to the richness of the sauce).

Step 3: Turn the heat down to low and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: In a small saucepan, heat the beef broth and whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour over the meat/vegetable mixture, stirring well. Continue to cook on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly.

Step 5: Transfer the meat mixture to a 13×9″ casserole dish or divide evenly into 6 smaller ramekins.

Step 6: Sprinkle shredded cheddar evenly across the top of the meat mixture.

Step 7: Spoon the mashed potatoes on top and spread in an even layer across the surface.

Step 8: Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is heated through and the surface begins to firm slightly.

Step 9: Optionally, broil for 1-2 minutes to get a nice, light crisp and golden brown on the surface of the potatoes. Be careful with broiling if using a glass baking dish, as the high heat can cause it to shatter.

Note: This dish can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake, and it makes excellent leftovers! Store any leftovers in an airtight container. It will retain a better flavor than if you just throw some aluminum foil over the pan. Bonus points if you have one of the Pyrex baking dishes with a lid! That would make it super easy!

SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE TIPS

One of those principles I teach in Grocery Budget Bootcamp is to use what you have on hand, substituting where necessary. Grocery Budget Bootcamp enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE 5-day Crush Inflation Challenge for tips just like this and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!

Shepherd’s pie is a perfect recipe to try this concept of using what you have.

• Boost the veggie value:
  • Double the carrots and add half a bag of frozen peas
  • Try adding parsnips or turnips to the mix
  • Add chopped mushrooms or cooked lentils to the ground beef to stretch it further.
  • Add pureed cauliflower to the mashed potatoes.
• Swap out the potatoes: Try sweet potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower instead.
• Save money by reducing the meat and cheese: Use only one pound of lean ground beef instead of two. Likewise, the cheese can be reduced by half (1 cup instead of 2 cups). Both versions are yummy.

TO SERVE THIS EASY RECIPE FOR SHEPHERDS PIE

This easy recipe for shepherds pie is hearty enough to serve alone. However, if you’re feeding a crowd (or you just want to make sure you have enough leftovers for a few days), you can add a side dish or two.

• Add some No-Knead Artisan Bread to sop up any extra sauce.
• A pretty Wedge Salad plated up next to an individual ramekin of Shepherd’s Pie? You’ve turned a comfort food classic into a dinner party-worthy meal.
• Don’t forget dessert! Try my easy Slow Cooker Blueberry Cobbler for an easy and yummy hands-off addition to your supper.

RECIPE – SHEPHERDS PIE FAQS

MORE COMFORT FOOD FAVORITES

WATCH HOW TO MAKE SHEPHERD’S PIE