Shepherd’s pie is a meat pie made with ground meat cooked in a sauce then topped with potatoes and baked until golden brown. It is wholesome and hearty and you can load it up with veggies that picky eaters won’t know are there.
Recipe for Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is a hearty, savory blend of succulent ground meat, tender vegetables, and aromatic herbs, all enveloped in a luscious, velvety blanket of creamy mashed potatoes. Each forkful is delicious mesh of flavors and textures. This classic dish has a rustic charm that makes it the ultimate comfort meal.
Why You’ll Love This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- Family Friendly: This is a dish where you can hide tons of veggies. Every time I made it I like to add lots of chopped veggies to the ground meat. Here I added onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and parsley. Feel free to sneak any kind of veggies in there if you have picky eaters.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: It is perfect for meal prepping. Make a large pan for meals throughout the week. I love a dish that is easy to pull together and can span two or three meals.
- Great Comfort Food: Indulge in something hot, hearty, and delicious. Dairy-free, creamy mashed potatoes and a savory meat mixture are the main components for this shareable dish.
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie is a classic British dish with rich and savory meat filling. Although it is traditionally made with ground lamb or mutton, it’s also common to use ground beef. The meat filling is typically cooked with vegetables and seasonings, then topped with a layer of mashed potatoes before being baked to perfection. The result is a hearty and comforting all-in-one dish that’s perfect for colder weather.
- Recipe for Shepherd’s Pie
- Why You’ll Love This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- What is Shepherd’s Pie?
- Ingredients for Shepherd’s Pie
- How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
- Cooking the ground beef and veggies
- Assembling the Shepherd’s Pie
- Baking the Shepherd’s Pie
- Storage
- Tips for the Best Shepherd’s Pie
- Recipe Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Shepherd’s Pie {Whole30}
Ingredients for Shepherd’s Pie
The two main components of this recipe are the mashed potato topping and the meat filling.
For the Mashed Potato Topping:
- Potatoes: Most Shepherd’s pie recipes are topped with white potatoes. I love mixing up the type of potatoes I use. In this recipe I am using a combination of white (russet) potatoes and golden or white sweet potatoes. The combination of the sweetness from the sweet potatoes and the fluffiness from the russet potatoes makes a really delicious topping for the pie.
- Water: to boil the potatoes
- Seasoning: granulated garlic, onion powder, iodized sea salt
- Mayo: In classic Shepherd’s pie recipes, butter, cream and even cheese is added to the creamed potato topping. When I am on a round of Whole30 I just add Whole30 compliant mayo to my potatoes and that does the trick.
For the Filling:
- Ground beef:
- The New Primal’s Classic Marinade and Cooking Sauce or The New Primal’s Coconut Aminos: Some recipes use beef broth but I prefer either of these Whole30 sauces.
- Tomatoes: diced
- Garlic cloves: minced
- Yellow onion: diced
- Mushrooms: diced
- Frozen peas and carrots:
- Parsley: fresh finely chopped or dried flakes
- Seasoning: salt and paprika
- Cooking spray: Use this or another oil/grease for the baking dish
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
Prepare the Potato Topping
Add russet and sweet potatoes to a large stock pot on high heat. Then add enough water to cover the potatoes followed by 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil, then cover them (with the lid slightly ajar).
Boil until fork tender, then remove from the heat and drain the water. Next, return the potatoes to the pot then crush them with a potato masher or fork. Then add the seasonings and set the mashed potatoes aside.
Cooking the ground beef and veggies
Add the ground beef to a hot skillet on medium heat (no oil is needed for this step). Stir often to ensure even cooking and cook until all the pink color is gone from the meat. Add salt and your preferred vegetables. For this shepherd pie’s recipe, I added onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and parsley.
And of course, I add a good amount of peas (peas are now allowed in whole 30) and carrots. My two older kids love peas and carrots. I swear I would add it to every dish I make if I could, just so that they are eating vegetables.
Assembling the Shepherd’s Pie
The order of cooking is important for this dish. Add potatoes first, then the meat. I do it this way because I often make the pie right in the cast iron skillet that I am using to cook the meat. When the meat mixture is ready, I top it with the creamed potatoes and stick it in the oven. This is what I love most about using an oven-safe skillet!
You can dress up the top of your pie with lines using a fork, scallops using the back of a spoon, make it smooth using a spatula, or leave it rustic. Anything goes! I love that about this dish.
Baking the Shepherd’s Pie
Before adding the pie to the oven I give it a generous dusting of paprika. Here I am using Penzey’s Spanish Style Paprika. It’s a little on the pricey side of the spice aisle but it is so worth it. The richness and depth of flavor is unlike any other paprika I’ve used.
In addition to a lovely flavor, the paprika adds a golden color to the finished dish. Look at how absolutely gorgeous this pie looks. Yum.
This dish is a winner in my home. The kids really love it. Even our one year old eats it up. I can eat this at any meal. A complete meal in one dish? Yes, please! And if you’re looking for another hearty, baked dish, try my Whole30 Fish Pie next.
Storage
Once the dish has cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze shepherd’s pie for up to 3 months. Reheat it in the microwave or in the oven.
Tips for the Best Shepherd’s Pie
- Season generously. Season the meat filling with a variety of fresh herbs and spices for maximum flavor.
- Properly cook the veggies. Sauté the onions, carrots, and other vegetables until they’re tender, but not mushy. This preserves the texture and flavor.
- Use an oven-safe baking dish, such as a casserole dish or a cast-iron skillet.
- Allow the pie to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This helps the filling set and makes it easier to serve.
Recipe Variations
- Mayo Substitute: You can also add nut milks, ghee and even coconut milk or cream to yours if you like.
- Meats: Instead of ground beef, you can use ground lamb or ground turkey.
- Cheese: If you don’t need a Whole30 meal, feel free to add cheddar cheese to the meat mixture, the topping, or both.
- Cauliflower Topping: For a more nutritious, low-carb meal, use cauliflower instead of potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots.
Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.
Cottage pie and shepherd’s pie are two terms that are often used interchangeably. In England and Australia, they refer to the dish as cottage pie and here in the United States, we call it shepherd’s pie. Pie made with lamb is often referred to as shepherd’s pie, whereas cottage pie is used to refer to shepherd’s pie with ground beef.
Shepherd’s Pie {Whole30}
Equipment
- Large Skillet or Casserole Dish
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 lb golden potatoes white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- Enough water to boil the potatoes
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon iodized sea salt
- 1/4 cup mayo
For the Filling:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/4 cup The New Primal's Classic Marinade and Cooking Sauce or The New Primal's Coconut Aminos
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup mushrooms diced
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh finely chopped or dried flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Cooking spray or other oil/grease for the baking dish
Instructions
Preparing the Potatoes:
- Add russet and sweet potatoes to a large stock pot on high heat. Then add enough water to cover the potatoes followed by 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- Next bring to a boil, then cover (with the lid slightly ajar)
- Boil until fork tender, then remove from the heat and drain the water
- Next, return the potatoes to the pot then crush with a potato masher or fork
- Then add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the granulated garlic, onion powder and mayo to the crushed potatoes, mix together well and set aside
Preparing the Meat Filling:
- Add the ground beef to a hot skillet on medium heat (no oil is needed for this step)
- Stir often to ensure even cooking and cook until all the pink color is gone from the meat
- Next add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the onions, garlic, mushroom, tomatoes and parsley and sauté until the vegetables cook (about 3-5 minutes)
- Then add the classic marinade sauce or coconut aminos
- Continue to sauté, then add the frozen peas and carrots
- Cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the peas and carrots come up to temperature
- Then remove from the heat
Assembling the Shepherd’s Pie:
- Preheat oven to 375 °F
- If you used an oven safe skillet for the meat filling, you can simply add the potato topping directly on top of the meat in the skillet
- Then smooth the potatoes over the meat filling making sure to cover all of the meat
- Next sprinkle with paprika and bake for 30 minutes
If you prefer adding to a separating baking dish follow these instructions:
- Spray a baking dish large enough for the pie, with cooking spray
- Add the beef filling to the dish, then add the potato topping and smooth until all of the meat filling is covered
- Decorate the potato filling with a fork or any way you choose
- Sprinkle the shepherd’s pie with paprika then bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
Julie Says
Love this Whole 30 version. So yummy that my family loves when I make this.
Nicole Says
I made this for my first Whole30 and my family LOVED it! It’s on our regular go-to menu now!
Althea Brown Says
Thank you so much. It’s a fave in my family too
Mela Coke Says
DEEEEE-LEEEESHHHH-US! Happened to make this on a rainy day- it was PERFEKT. My husband was skeptical of the sweet potato mash topping- but he has been transformed. He also LOVED it. Easy and yummy- my favorite!
Althea Brown Says
Thank you so much. Glad your husband is now a believer!