Irresistibly Fantastic Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

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Classic British comfort food at it’s absolute BEST, this easy peasy Shepherd’s pie is more than worth the wait! With a rich lamb mince filling, and a silky smooth mashed potato topping, everyone will be wanting seconds! Keep reading for the easy recipe, top tips and more…

Why you’ll love this recipe

Whether it was in the school canteen, or in place of a Sunday roast, Shepherd’s pie was certainly a staple of mine growing up.

Not to be confused with cottage pie, which is made with beef mince, Shepherd’s pie uses lamb, and comes in all sorts of varieties. From traditional, to vegetarian Shepherd’s pie, there’s a version of this dish to please just about everyone!

And no, it might not be the quickest meal to make. But with plenty of hands off time throughout the recipe, you can easily potter about the house doing other things.

Ingredients

Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you might need to know…

For the lamb filling

• Onion – Any onion will do! I used a regular brown onion. Shallots or red would also work.
• Carrot – You can use fancy heirloom or purple if you like, but regular orange carrots taste just great!
• Mince – Lamb mince from the butchers is usually best, but supermarket versions will work great too.
• Tomato Puree – No need to get fancy, the cheap stuff is ideal.
• Worcestershire Sauce – This is a unique flavour, and one I wouldn’t skip if you can help it. Good alternatives are mushroom ketchup or a little HP brown sauce.
• Thyme – You can use fresh thyme instead. Simply remove the sprigs when you transfer the mince to the oven proof dish.
• Stock – You can use beef or lamb stock here. Cube, pot or fresh – it doesn’t matter. Go with your favourite.

For the mashed potato topping

• Potato – All rounder potatoes are best for mash. Like Maris Piper or King Edward. Don’t believe me? The potato queen herself says so!
• Butter – A good quality salty butter will add a heft of flavour. Use your fave, or whatever you already have in.
• Sage – Again, you can use fresh sage here if you can get it. Just finely chop it and mix it right through.
• Milk – I used semi-skimmed cows milk, but literally any milk will work. Go with your preference.

Emma’s top tips

Here are tips you’ll find helpful when making Shepherd’s pie.

• Taste the mince as you go. That way you can adjust the seasoning throughout cooking. (If you add lots of salt at the end, it will just taste salty. Rather than bringing out the best flavour of the other ingredients.)
• The smaller you chop the potatoes, the faster they will cook. (This is due to the combined larger surface area).
• For best results, potatoes should be put in cold water then brought up to the boil. But, in a pinch, you could use boiling water from the kettle to speed things up.
• For a super rich and creamy mash, use full fat milk and add a little cream too.

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Timings

Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some time managing info to make your life easier!

• It will take about 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
• Breaking up the mince and cooking it through will take 5-10 minutes.
• Simmering with the seasonings and stock will take 40-45 minutes.
• Bringing the water to a boil for the potatoes could take up to 20 mins.
• It will take around 10 mins to boil the potatoes.
• Mashing will take 5-10 minutes.
• Assembly should take no more than 5 minutes.
• The final bake will take 20-25 minutes.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

Here is what you will need to serve 4.

Ingredients

For the lamb filling

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 3 Carrots, chopped small
• 500g (1 pound) Lamb Mince
• 2 tbsp Tomato Purée
• Generous Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp Dried Thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 500ml (2 Cups) Beef Stock

For the potato topping

• 900g (2 pounds) Potato, peeled and chopped
• 100g (1/2 Cup) Butter
• 2 tsp Dried Sage
• 100-200ml (1/3 – 3/4 Cup) Milk
• Salt and Pepper

Essential Equipment

• Large Frying Pan with a Lid
• Spatula
• Large Saucepan
• 23cm (9″) Square Oven Proof Dish
• Piping bag and Round Nozzle (optional)

Lamb filling instructions

Heat the frying pan over a medium heat then add the oil (1 tbsp). Fry the onion (1 x finely diced) and carrots (3 x chopped small) for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Next, add the lamb mince (500g | 1 pound) to the pan and break it apart with a spatula. Fry until there is no more pink, then drain any excess fat/liquid from the pan.

Now it’s time for some flavour! Mix in the tomato purée (2 tbsp), Worcestershire Sauce (generous splash), thyme (2 tsp) and some salt and pepper. Give it all a good stir and let cook for a minute or two.

Then pour in the beef stock (500ml | 2 Cups), give it a thorough stir and bring it up to the boil.

When it’s boiling, reduce the heat and hold at a simmer. Then pop the lid on and allow to bubble away gently for 40 minutes. Remove the lid 20 minutes in, and stir every now and then.

Potato topping instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/356ºF.

To make the mash, place the chopped potatoes (900g | 2 pounds) into a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and sprinkle in some salt. Then bring it up to the boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tender.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and mash straight away with a fork.

While the potatoes are still hot, dot in the butter (100g | 1/2 Cup), sage (2 tsp) and a few splashes of milk. Then beat with a fork and add as much extra milk (a total of around 100-200ml | 1/3 – 3/4 Cup) as you need, until it’s nice and smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, the lamb should now look something like this…

Assembly instructions

First tip all the mince into the oven proof dish, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.

Then we need to add the potato topping. You can simply dot it all over the top and ruffle up with a fork, or you could pipe it on like I did. It really doesn’t matter!

To pipe it on, simply load a large piping bag with a large round nozzle, fill with the potato, and pipe blobs on top.

At this point you can freeze your Shepherd’s pie for up to 1 month (defrost thoroughly before cooking), cover and pop in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to develop, or cook it straight away.

Finally, place the pie into the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until the top is beautiful and golden. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

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Continue to Content

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Classic British comfort food at it's BEST, this easy peasy Shepherd's pie is more than worth the wait! (I guarantee you'll want seconds!)

Print

Ingredients

For the lamb filling

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 3 Carrots, chopped small
• 500g (1 pound) Lamb Mince
• 2 tbsp Tomato Purée
• Generous Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp Dried Thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 500ml (2 Cups) Beef Stock

For the potato topping

• 900g (2 pounds) Potato, peeled and chopped
• 100g (1/2 Cup) Butter
• 2 tsp Dried Sage
• 100-200ml (1/3 – 3/4 Cup) Milk
• Salt and Pepper

Essential Equipment

• Large Frying Pan with a Lid
• Spatula
• Large Saucepan
• 23cm (9″) Square Oven Proof Dish
• Piping bag and Round Nozzle (optional)

Instructions

For the lamb filling

1. Heat the frying pan over a medium heat, then add the oil. Add the onion and carrots, and cook (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Then add the mince, and break it up with a spatula. Cook until it's no longer pink, then drain any excess fat/liquid from the pan.
3. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the lid, stir thoroughly, and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. (Stir regularly.)

For the potato topping

1. While the mince is cooking... Place the potatoes and some salt into a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until tender.
2. Drain the water, then mash immediately with a fork.
3. While still hot, add the butter, sage, a little milk, and some salt and pepper. If you need to add more milk to reach your preferred consistency, you can.

To assemble

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/356ºF. Spread the lamb filling out in the bottom of an oven proof dish.
2. Top with the mashed potato. You can either spoon it over and fork the top, or pipe it on in blobs (using a piping bag and round nozzle).
3. Bake for 20-25 mins. The top should be a lovely deep golden colour. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you would rather use a more in depth picture recipe, please see the main body of this post. Where you’ll also find lots of extra FAQs and helpful tips, should you need them.

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

Tips

• Taste the mince as you go. That way you can adjust the seasoning throughout cooking. (If you add lots of salt at the end, it will just taste salty. Rather than bringing out the best flavour of the other ingredients.)
• The smaller you chop the potatoes, the faster they will cook. (This is due to the combined larger surface area).
• For best results, potatoes should be put in cold water then brought up to the boil. But, in a pinch, you could use boiling water from the kettle to speed things up.
• For a super rich and creamy mash, use full fat milk and add a little cream too.

Storage/Serving

If you're not cooking and serving your Shepherd's pie immediately, you can freeze it (fully prepared and assembled) for up to 1 month. Make sure you defrost thoroughly before cooking.

Alternatively, you can cover and pop it into the fridge overnight, to allow the flavours to develop.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 924Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 202mgSodium: 775mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 48g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

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• Easy crispy roast potatoes recipe
• Vegetarian mince and onion pie recipe

I want to see YOUR cooking!

Have you made this comforting Shepherd’s pie? I’d love to know if you have! Tag me in your pics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

Emma Mason

Experienced British Online Publisher, recipe writer, and home cook, Emma has a background of over 20 years in British cuisine and cooking. Born and bred in the UK, she excels in classic British dishes, is passionate about air frying, and loves sharing her Gran’s old school recipes. She has been featured in popular publications such as Food Network, Cosmopolitan, and The Huffington Post.

Knowledgeable On: Traditional British Cuisine, Recipe Writing, Air Frying, Home Cooking.