Shepherd’s Pie

A hearty baked pie with a rich lamb-and-vegetable gravy beneath a layer of smooth mashed potato. Parmesan and melted butter give the potato topping a crisp, deeply golden finish. Lamb makes this Shepherd’s Pie; using beef instead turns it into Cottage Pie.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Australian, British, Western

Keyword: Easy Shepherd’s Pie, Shepherd’s Pie

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Ingredients

Filling

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
3/4 tsp each dried thyme and rosemary (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 sprig rosemary)
1.5 lb 750g ground lamb (mince) OR beef
1/4 cup flour, plain/all purpose
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups beef stock / broth
1/2 cup red wine (or water)
1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled (OXO brand crumbles easily)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup frozen peas

Mashed Potato

2.2 lbs 1.2kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes
2/3 cup milk (whole or low fat)
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter

Cheesy Crust

2-3 tbsp grated parmesan, optional
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, melted
Fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish

Instructions

Prepare the filling

Cook the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrot, celery, thyme, and rosemary, then continue cooking for 3 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and developed some sweetness.
Brown the lamb. Increase the heat to high. Add the lamb and cook until browned, breaking the meat apart as it cooks.
Build the sauce. Stir the flour into the meat mixture. Add the tomato paste, beef stock / broth, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Mix thoroughly.
Reduce the gravy. Bring everything to a simmer, then lower the heat so the mixture continues at a rapid simmer (medium heat works well). Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a thick gravy consistency.
Season and cool. Stir in the salt and pepper, taste, and adjust the seasoning if desired. Transfer the filling to a 1.5 litre / 1.5 quart pie baking dish and stir through the frozen peas. Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours or overnight to cool. This cooling step is optional.

Assemble and bake

Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (both fan and standard).
Cook the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by 10cm / 4″. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain thoroughly, then return the potatoes to the pot on the turned-off stove. Leave them for about 30 seconds so excess moisture can steam away.
Make the mash. Add the butter and mash until it has melted into the potatoes. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, then mash until soft and smooth. The potatoes should be easy to spread without becoming sloppy. Add a little more milk if necessary.
Top the pie. Spread the mashed potato over the filling. Run a fork across the surface to create ridges and squiggles. Sprinkle with parmesan and drizzle the melted butter over the top.
Bake. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Insert a knife into the centre to check that the pie is piping hot throughout.
Rest and serve. Leave the pie to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Carrot and celery: These vegetables help create the flavour base for the filling. They may be omitted; if you leave them out, add 1 tsp of sugar instead.
Getting the sauce consistency right: The filling will not reduce significantly once it is covered with potato and baked. For that reason, cook the sauce until it reaches the consistency you want before transferring it to the baking dish. It should resemble a thick gravy rather than a thin or soupy sauce.
Cooling the filling: Chilling the meat mixture helps keep the mashed potato separate from the filling and makes the topping much easier to spread. If time is short, place the filling in the freezer while preparing the potatoes.
Drying the potatoes: Excess water left in the potatoes can make the filling thinner and may cause moisture to seep into the mashed-potato layer. Allowing the drained potatoes to steam dry is therefore important. The mash should also still be hot when you spread it over the pie because cold mashed potato becomes firm and difficult to distribute evenly.
Variations: For an extra-rich potato topping, mix in a generous handful of cheese such as cheddar, tasty, gruyere, or Monterey Jack.
You can also use less lamb and supplement the filling with chopped vegetables such as zucchini and spinach. The spinach can be fresh or frozen and thawed.
Gluten-free option: Omit the flour. Instead, combine 2 tbsp of cornflour / cornstarch with a splash of water and stir this mixture into the sauce during step 4. It will thicken as it heats. Omit the Worcestershire sauce as well, as it is not GF.
Make ahead: Assemble the entire pie but do not bake it. Once cooled, refrigerate or freeze it. If frozen, thaw the pie before baking because baking it directly from frozen will take too long. Once thawed, bake according to the instructions above.

Nutrition

Nutrition is per serving, based on 5 generous servings, as specified in the original recipe card.

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