Shepherd’s Pie
A savory lamb and vegetable filling sits beneath creamy mashed potatoes and a golden parmesan crust. Make it ahead by assembling the pie and chilling or freezing it before baking.
By Cookin' Kitchen
- Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 5 servings
Recipe
Shepherd’s Pie
A savory lamb and vegetable filling sits beneath creamy mashed potatoes and a golden parmesan crust. Make it ahead by assembling the pie and chilling or freezing it before baking.
Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/shepherds-pie
- Prep
- 10 minutes
- Cook
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings
- 5
Ingredients
For 5 servings
Filling
Mashed potato
Cheesy crust
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- 1.5 litre pie baking dish
- Oven
- Fork
- Knife
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrot, celery, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 3 minutes, or until softened and sweet.
Step 2: Turn the heat to high. Add the lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
Step 3: Add the flour and mix it in. Add the tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir well.
Step 4: Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so the sauce simmers rapidly. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a thick gravy consistency.
Tip: The sauce will be about as thick after baking as it is when you pour it into the dish, so cook it to the consistency you want.
Step 5: Add the salt and pepper, taste, and add more if you like. Transfer the filling to a 1.5 litre baking dish. Stir in the peas. Cover and refrigerate to cool for 1–2 hours or overnight; chilling is optional.
Tip: Cooling thickens the filling and makes the potato easier to spread over it.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F, fan or conventional.
Step 7: Put the potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover them by 10 cm. Bring to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, return the potatoes to the pot on the turned-off stove, and let them steam-dry for about 30 seconds.
Tip: Steam-drying helps keep excess liquid from making the filling watery.
Step 8: Add the butter and mash until melted. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, then mash until soft and smooth, spreadable but not sloppy. Add a little more milk if needed.
Tip: Use the mash while it is hot so it is easier to spread.
Step 9: Spread the mashed potatoes over the pie and use a fork to draw squiggles over the surface. Sprinkle with parmesan and drizzle with the melted butter.
Step 10: Bake for 30–40 minutes, until deep golden on top and bubbling at the edges. Insert a knife into the middle to check that it is piping hot.
Step 11: Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Notes
Variations and make-ahead
The carrots and celery can be left out; add 1 teaspoon of sugar instead. For a gluten-free variation, omit the flour and Worcestershire sauce, and stir 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with a splash of water into the sauce at step 4. The sauce thickens as it heats.
For a richer variation, stir a handful of cheddar, tasty cheese, Gruyère, or Monterey Jack into the mashed potatoes. You can also reduce the lamb and add chopped zucchini and spinach.
To make ahead, assemble the pie without baking it. Let it cool, then refrigerate or freeze it. Thaw a frozen pie before baking; baking it straight from frozen takes too long.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 653 kcal
- Fat
- 50 g
- Saturated fat
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Protein
- 31 g
- Sodium
- 742 mg
- Cholesterol
- 139 mg
Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.
About this recipe
Shepherd’s pie layers a savory lamb-and-vegetable filling with peas, creamy mashed potatoes, and a golden parmesan crust. For a beef version, use beef in place of the lamb; it is called cottage pie.
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