This Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie) is made with ground beef or lamb and vegetables in a flavorful gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven. This hearty dish is the best comfort food!
Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie, Either Way it’s so Delicious!
This shepherd’s pie recipe is everything I look for in an easy dinner. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, then your oven does the rest. The best part is that this shepherd’s pie has meat, vegetables and potatoes, all in one dish. Just add in a simple salad and dinner is done!
This classic meal originated in England and Ireland, as a way to use up leftovers from other meals when budgets were tight. Shepherd’s pie was traditionally made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is the name for the similar recipe made with ground beef. Whatever you call it, it’s pure comfort food that the whole family will love.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef or Ground Lamb: I use ground beef since it’s more readily available here in the United States.
- Onion and Garlic: For flavor.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: I use frozen vegetables to save time. I used a mixture of carrots, peas and corn; any similar frozen mixed vegetables will work. If you prefer to use fresh vegetables, you can sauté them with the onion. Try carrots, bell peppers, green beans, and/or mushrooms.
- Flour: To thicken the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: The tomato paste adds richness and also helps to thicken the gravy.
- Beef Broth: I like to use a low sodium broth. Beef broth gives the gravy rich flavor, but chicken broth also works well.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds depth of flavor and enhances the flavor of the ground beef.
- Seasonings: We use paprika, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
- Mashed Potatoes: I started with my favorite Mashed Potatoes Recipe and added sour cream for richness.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
Make the mashed potatoes. Peel and cube the potatoes. Then boil them until tender and drain well. Add the butter to the hot potatoes and mash. Then stir in the milk, sour cream, salt and pepper.
While the mashed potatoes cook, make the shepherd’s pie filling. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Add the garlic, frozen vegetables, flour and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook the meat mixture at a low simmer for 10 minutes.
Bake. Transfer the meat filling to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and then spread them into an even layer. Use a fork to make textured ridges on top of the potatoes. These will brown and crisp in the oven. Bake at 400° F for 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Tips for the Best Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
- Season the mashed potatoes to your tastes before spreading them on top of the casserole.
- This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. To make the potatoes creamy again so that they will spread evenly over the casserole, first warm them, stirring in a little milk since mashed potatoes tend to dry out over time.
- If the meat mixture starts to dry out as it simmers, stir in a little more broth. You want it to be moist but not soupy.
- If your baking dish is really full, you may want to put a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven to catch any drips.
What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie
This hearty main dish goes well with a salad or simple vegetable side dish. I like to pair it with:
- Glazed Carrots or Roasted Carrots
- Arugula Salad
- Dinner Rolls or a loaf of crusty bread.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can assemble the shepherd’s pie up to one day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate the unbaked dish. Before baking, let the casserole come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. You may need to add about 10 minutes to the bake time.
More Cozy Casseroles
This shepherd’s pie is one of our favorite easy casserole recipes. Here are a few more I think you’ll love!
- Hamburger Casserole – Here’s another easy ground beef casserole, made with pasta, tomato sauce and cheese all baked to gooey perfection.
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole – This classic is a favorite for good reason!
- Taco Casserole – This one’s packed with our favorite taco flavors.
- Chicken Noodle Casserole – With spiral pasta, broccoli, a creamy homemade sauce and melty cheddar, this casserole is so comforting.
- Tuna Casserole – Forget the tuna casserole from your childhood, my recipe is made from scratch and so delicious.
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
The Best Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
- 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, or Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, or ground lamb
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, such as carrots, corn and peas; about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare Mashed Potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes under cool water; peel (you do not need to peel if using Yukon golds). Chop into 1-inch pieces and place in a pot of cold water.2 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil potatoes for 12-15 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a fork, but not falling apart. (While the potatoes cook, you can prepare the meat filling.) Transfer potatoes to a colander and drain well.
- Return potatoes to the empty pot or place them in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces to the potatoes in the pot. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir or mix with a hand mixer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup sour cream, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Prepare Filling
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion to the pan and cook, breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned. Drain off excess grease.1 pound ground beef, 1 small yellow onion
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, frozen vegetables, flour and tomato paste. Cook stirring, for 1-2 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes (reduce the heat as needed to keep it at a low simmer), until most of the liquid is gone. If the meat looks dry, you can add a little more broth. You want it to have some moisture, but do not want it soupy. Then remove pan from the heat.1 cup low sodium beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Transfer the meat mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and then spread into an even layer. Use a fork to make some textured ridges on the mashed potatoes; these will crisp and brown in the oven.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown on the edges. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.) If desired, broil for 1-3 minutes to brown the potatoes in spots. Let stand for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes
- Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes: This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. To make the potatoes creamy again so that they will spread evenly over the casserole, first warm them, stirring in a little milk since mashed potatoes tend to dry out over time.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the shepherd’s pie up to one day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate the unbaked dish. Before baking, let the casserole come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. You may need to add about 10 minutes to the bake time.
- To Store and Reheat: Store leftover shepherd’s pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a covered dish in a 350 degree F oven until steaming hot.
I originally shared this recipe in February 2023. Post updated March 2026.
Use ground turkey, can of cambells tomato soup, can of cut green beans, chopped onions and garlic powder. Top the potatoes with cheddar cheese and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Bake.
I made this recipe and it was very good and my husband also liked it. I used a smaller baking dish and that worked very well. I’m sure I will be making it again.
Most delicious Shepherd’s pie I’ve made! I made it with ground lamb and made sure to drain liquids from the sautéed lamb. I also added mushrooms and used vegetable broth. I used red potatoes and added sour cream with a bit more butter. Just for more flavor I used ground cayenne to in the meat. Everyone loved it.
Thank you so much
Zoe
Very tasty! . . Using frozen mixed vegetables is a great time saver! Thanks for the recipe.
You talked about using leftover potatoes but didn’t specify how much that would be. How many cups of leftover mashed potatoes would this need? Hoping we have enough!
You would need about 4-5 cups of mashed potatoes. If you have less than that, you’ll just end up with a thinner mashed potato layer but it will still be good.
Kristine,
Can you use ground white chicken in this shepherd’s pie recipe or shredded white chicken? I don’t like eating beef.
I would love to do this, but I would think I’d have to change the sauce to a chicken gravy and what different seasonings would you use? Please let me know, I appreciate your expertise. I think it would also taste good this way for those like me who don’t eat beef, what do you think?
Thank you.
Susan
Hi Susan! That’s a great question! Yes, you can absolutely make this with chicken! Ground chicken would work really well as a direct swap for the beef; just cook it the same way in the skillet. Shredded chicken is also a lovely option and would give it a slightly different texture.
You’re right that swapping the broth makes sense — use chicken broth instead of beef broth, and you can skip the Worcestershire sauce or reduce it since it’s primarily there to enhance the beef flavor. For seasonings, I’d use herbs like thyme (which is already in the recipe), rosemary, and a little garlic powder. The paprika in the recipe would work with chicken, too, if you’d like to use that instead of rosemary.
Let me know how it turns out if you try it. 😊