Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

Looking for the ultimate comfort food for meat and potato lovers? Try this easy shepherd's pie recipe. Your family will devour it, and with one taste you'll agree it's like a hug in a skillet.

Love comfort food at supper? Try our popular Salisbury steak with onion gravy and our kid approved American goulash.

Ingredients

The ingredient list is long for this American version of shepherd's pie, but most are pantry staples and are easy to find at any large grocery store in the U.S. except for the ground savory. You can order that online or go to a more upscale grocery store that has a larger spice section.

• Meat: We used ground beef sauteed in oil for this photo shoot, but you can also substitute with ground turkey, or leftover chopped roast beef. In the U.K. and Ireland, chopped or ground lamb is what is traditionally used for shepherd's pie.
• Potatoes: We used russet potatoes, but Yukon gold would be a good substitute.
• Fresh Garlic: We used roasted garlic for the mashed potatoes, which provides wonderful flavor and freshly minced garlic in the filling.
• Unsalted beef stock: We used unsalted beef stock which provides lovely flavor for the gravy. Don't use salted beef stock, or the shepherd's pie will taste too salty.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make

Prep all the ingredients for the shepherd's pie before you start.

1. Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes. Place in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer until fork tender, then drain.

2. Mix the potatoes in the bowl of a standing mixer with the butter, roasted garlic, sour cream, buttermilk, salt and pepper. Whip until smooth and adjust seasonings according to taste.

Not Pictured: To roast the garlic, rub olive oil on the 5 large peeled cloves and bake uncovered in a ramekin for 15-20 minutes at 425°F.

3. For American shepherd's pie, cook the ground beef in oil until it's no longer pink. Break up the pieces as it cooks with a wooden turner or spoon. (In the U.K. and Ireland, it's traditional to use lamb for shepherd's pie.)

4. Use a metal spider or a large slotted spoon to remove the meat to a bowl, and pour the fat out of the skillet into a small bowl.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of rendered fat back into the skillet, then sauté the onions and carrots for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6. Add the cooked ground beef and peas back into the skillet.

7. Melt the butter over medium heat and gradually add the flour, whisking constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour.

Add the Worcestershire sauce to the beef stock and whisk one cup of broth into the roux. As the gravy thickens up, add the last ½ cup of stock.

8. Mix the gravy into the hamburger vegetable mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings.

9. Assemble the shepherd's pie in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, or a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Start with the meat and veggies, then spoon the mashed potatoes on top. Fluff up the surface with a fork, and brush with egg white to help it get golden brown.

10. Sprinkle on smoked paprika and grated extra sharp cheddar cheese. Bake the shepherd's pie for 20 minutes at 400°F, then broil for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, and let stand for 10 minutes to set, then serve and enjoy.

Recipe FAQs

Serve

Traditionally, the meat filling in shepherd's pie has no vegetables in it, so if it's made that way it makes sense to serve either peas or carrots on the side. Other popular vegetables to serve with this dish are green beans, diced parsnips, finely shredded cabbage, leeks or sauteed kale.

A warm slice of crusty buttered bread or a green salad would also round out the meal very nicely. For dessert, try a St. Patrick's Day shamrock shake for a fun twist!

If you're looking for another tasty recipe that uses ground beef, try our recipe for Spanish stuffed eggplant.

Store

Make Ahead: Certainly! This an excellent make ahead recipe. All of it can be made ahead of time. When ready, cover the shepherd's pie with foil and refrigerate.

Bake: While the oven is preheating, take out the shepherd's pie and let it sit on the counter. Increase the cooking time to 40 minutes and broil for 3 minutes to get the textured potatoes extra crispy. The shepherd's pie needs to be heated through and the potatoes should be golden brown on top.

Store: Any leftovers from the shepherd's pie can be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Yes, shepherd's pie recipe freezes really well. It's best to freeze it before you bake it.

Assemble the shepherd's pie in a 9x13-inch pan and wrap it in foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight. If it's completely thawed, bake at 400°F for 40 minutes and broil for 3 minutes.

If it's partially frozen, increase the cook time to 1 hour and 10 minutes and cook it on the bottom rack. When the shepherd's pie is done it should be golden brown on top and heated all the way through so the filling is steaming hot.

Expert Tips

• Want to use leftover mashed potatoes? You'll need about 3 ½ to 4 cups.
• Don't own a cast iron skillet? Use a 9x13-inch pan or an oven safe Dutch oven.
• Potato options? Mash, whip, or rice the potatoes for the texture you want.
• Overfilled the skillet? Put it on a cookie sheet to catch drips that could bubble out.
• Need this vegetarian? Use mushrooms or cooked lentils, and vegetable broth.

Other St. Patrick's Day Recipes

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Recipe

This post was originally published on October 27, 2017 and was republished on February 26, 2019 with updated photos and content, and again on March 4, 2022 with photo collages and reformatted content.