The Best Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Close up of serving of shepherd's pie on a plate with bite on a fork.

5 from 2 ratings

from kristineskitchenblog.com

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! Serve it with a simple salad for an easy dinner.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

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.
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.
Add the milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir or mix with a hand mixer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

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.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, frozen vegetables, flour and tomato paste. Cook stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
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.
Transfer the meat mixture to a 9x13-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.

Video

Notes

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.
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.
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 in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.