Shepherds Pie

shepherds pie

Food doesn’t have to be sophisticated to be delicious. Repurposing leftovers instead of reheating and having the same dinner all over again adds variety to your meal rotation. So next time you’re making mashed potatoes, be sure to add a few extra potatoes to the pot so you have an excuse to make Shepherds Pie.

The first time Mr. H suggested I make Shepherds Pie, I had to do some research because my mother didn’t make it. I wasn’t exactly sure what was in it and I found there are multiple versions. Everyone has a different opinion. The traditional version uses ground lamb but you can use ground beef (which is technically Cottage Pie). I prefer not to use corn out of season either so I make this with peas and carrots and with no cheese on top.

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shepherds pie

People have busy lives, work, kids and all sorts of other distractions. Shepherds Pie is a quick and easy weeknight meal. But if you have a little extra time you can make the meat and potato layers a little more flavourful and interesting. In fact you might even fool your family into thinking they’re not eating leftovers.

How to make Shepherds Pie

Start by finely dicing celery and onion. Sauté in a large skillet in a little olive oil. If you happen to keep bacon fat in the fridge like I do, this is one of those times you can use it, just to add a little extra flavour to the meat mixture. Add a big clove of chopped garlic and the ground lamb and sauté until the meat is browned. Break up the larger chunks as it cooks. Tilt the pan and scoop out most of the fat. You may have a lot or just a little, depending on how lean your meat is. You will want about 2 Tbsp of fat to mix with the flour.

Once the meat is browned, sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir while it cooks. You need to cook flour mixed in with the fat to make sure it doesn’t taste pasty and to ensure when you add the broth you’ll get a smooth gravy. When you thicken with flour you need to allow time for all the flavours to cook together to get a thick rich meat mixture that doesn’t taste like raw flour.

Once the mixture is bubbly and thick, add chili sauce and Worcestershire. And horseradish if you’re using ground beef instead of lamb. Definitely not typical for traditional Shepherd’s Pie but it goes well with beef so why not? Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you don’t have chili sauce, ketchup will work too. Add the frozen peas and carrots last so they don’t over cook and lose their colour. Make sure you rinse and drain frozen vegetables if they’re frosty and clumpy, otherwise you’ll add extra moisture.

shepherds pie filling

Pour the meat mixture into a wide baking dish. You wan’t something that’s large enough that you have extra space at the top for the potatoes. Something around 30 cm or 12 inches oblong should work.

Hot to top Shepherds Pie

Mix sour cream and milk with the potatoes. The milk helps thin the potatoes so you can easily spread them and the sour cream adds a little zip. If the potatoes are really cold you can soften them by warming them in the microwave. Use a hand mixer to really whip them up so they’ll be light and fluffy and easier to spread on top. Taste and see if they need any more seasoning. Assuming they already have milk and butter if you’ve got leftover mashed, they may just need the sour cream.

Add large spoonfuls on top of the meat mixture and spread evenly to the edges. Now, a handy trick I learned on Royal Recipes – use a fork to score the top of the potatoes in a criss cross pattern. What happens is you get lots of peaks in the potatoes that get browned and crispy in the oven. Total Shepherds Pie game changer!

Did you know you can freeze leftover mashed potatoes? I do it all the time. You can even make the Shepherd’s Pie filling in advance and freeze that. Just don’t add the frozen veggies until you’re ready to bake it.

potato topping for shepherds pie

Bake for 45-50 minutes if you’re baking immediately or a little longer if you refrigerate it and bake it later, until the filling is bubbling and the top is lightly browned. The gravy will sneak out along the edges and that’s the best part! Just like scalloped potatoes, Shepherd’s Pie is ready when it spills over in the oven.

shepherds pie

Serve with some extra chili sauce if you like.

shepherds pie

Here’s the recipe:

shepherds pie

Shepherd's Pie

Ground lamb with peas and carrots, topped with creamy zesty mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Keyword: cottage pie, how to make shepherds pie, leftover gravy, leftover mashed potatoes, shepherds pie
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp bacon fat or oil
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 - 1¼ pound lean ground lamb or beef
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp chili sauce or Ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp drained horseradish if using beef
  • 1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots
  • salt and pepper to taste

Potato Topping

  • 3 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Finely dice celery and onion. Saute in bacon fat or oil until soft. Add ground lamb and crushed garlic and cook until browned. Drain any extra fat reserving about 2 Tbsp.
  • Sprinkle flour over meat mixture and cook, stirring for a few minutes to make sure flour is cooked. Add beef broth and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, horseradish (if using) and chili sauce or Ketchup. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Rinse and drain frozen peas and carrots and add to meat mixture. Pour into a wide baking dish.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Combine mashed potatoes with sour cream and milk. Heat if necessary to soften. Season with salt if desired. Use hand mixer for extra creamy potatoes. Spoon over meat mixture and spread evenly to edges. Use a fork to score criss cross pattern in potatoes to make peaks.
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes until filling is bubbling and top is slightly browned. Bake an additional 10 minutes if made in advance and refrigerated.
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more fun with leftovers

Shepherd’s Pie Yorkies

Fried Rice

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas

Beef Vegetable Soup

2 thoughts on “Shepherds Pie”

  1. I love Shepherds pie. I believe I made it once for you but used sweet potatoes for the top. That was yummy too.

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