A rich gravy with ground beef and vegetables topped with ultra creamy mashed potatoes. The ultimate comfort food: Shepherd’s Pie!
Shepherd’s Pie
Growing up, my family had a tradition of big Sunday dinners. Nearly every Sunday we’d go to our grandparents house for some kind of pot roast or ground beef dish, mashed potatoes, and lots of sides. Whenever it was my parent’s turn to make the roast and potatoes, they’d make extra which my mom would refashion into a shepherd’s pie for Monday night dinner. It was one of the most frequent meals we had growing up and luckily, everyone loved it!
I was talking to one of my sisters recently about mom’s famous shepherd’s pie and realized I’d never really made it for my own family. Since making it a few times for my boys, we’ve decided this shepherd’s pie needs to show up frequently on our dinner table.
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
First of all, this meal is not technically a true “Shepherd’s Pie”! A true shepherd’s pie originates from England and is traditionally made with ground lamb. However, since in the states, ground beef is eaten more than lamb, this meal is usually referred to as a shepherd’s pie. (In England and other parts of the world, they’d call this ground beef version a “cottage pie” and the lamb version “shepherd’s pie.”)
Although the name might be a bit different, a shepherd’s pie is essentially a casserole with cooked meat and vegetables in a flavorful gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, and sometimes cheese. This casserole gets baked in the oven until the the mashed potatoes are golden and slightly crispy on top.
Shepherd’s pie is a great way to repurpose a big meal (or holiday leftovers) into an equally delicious dinner! While I’m sharing ground beef in this recipe today, my mom often made shepherd’s pie with leftover pot roast which you can certainly do.
How to make Shepherd’s Pie
Because shepherd’s pie is often made up of leftovers, it is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make! Here’s how to make it in a few quick steps:
- Prepare your meat base: Add sauce or gravy and vegetables to your meat. This creates the base of our shepherd’s pie. The wonderful thing about shepherd’s pie is that you can always change the veggies, sauce, and meat that you use. While I’ve included my favorite version of shepherd’s pie here, you should feel free to try your own variations using the veggies or meat you have on hand – just make sure you keep to the recipe’s ratio of meat and veggies.
- Add the potatoes: Once the meat and veggie base is prepared, you can add the mashed potatoes on top. After you add the mashed potatoes on top, use a fork to add texture to my potatoes. This will give you plenty of crispy potatoes bites after you’ve baked the pie. Alternatively, you can add cheese to the top of your shepherd’s pie. When adding cheese, prepare it first without cheese and then remove the pie 3-5 minutes early, add shredded cheese, and return to the oven until cheese is melted.
- Cooking shepherd’s pie: Because all of the components are already cooked, this meal cooks relatively quickly. The pie should cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the edges are bubbling – approximately 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yummy side dishes
Because shepherd’s pie is a heavier dish that already includes meat, potatoes, and vegetables, I would recommend a lighter salad to go with it. Here are a few of my favorite sides:
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Candied Pecan and Pear Salad
- Candied Almond and Mandarin Salad
- Pomegranate Orange Salad
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Preparing ahead
- Shepherd’s pie is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. Make it the night before or the morning of, store it covered in the fridge, and then bake it when you’re ready to eat!
- After your shepherd’s pie is cooked, you can store typically it for an additional 3-5 days, covered in the fridge. You may need to adjust that storage time depending on whether you used fresh ingredients or leftovers. If using leftover meat, remember that meat should not be stored for more than five days from when it was originally cooked, NOT from when the pie was made!
- You can freeze this Shepherd’s Pie! After cooking the pie cover it tightly and you can freeze it for up to two months. Cook the frozen pie at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour before enjoying.
More Comfort Food:
A rich gravy with ground beef and vegetables topped with ultra creamy mashed potatoes. The ultimate comfort food: Shepherd's Pie!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups mirepoix (mix of carrots, onion, & celery), finely chopped (I chop 1 small yellow onion, 1 celery rib, & 1 carrot to get 2 cups)
- 1.2 pounds ground chuck round
- 1/4 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas or corn
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 and 3/4 cups beef stock (low sodium) (can use low sodium beef broth)
- 1/2 cup 100% grape juice
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves, separated
- 2 and 1/2 pounds potatoes (I use an equal mix of Yukon Gold and Russet; if just using one use Yukon Gold)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream (can use fat free)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Optional: fresh parsley or fresh thyme, for topping
Pour 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (oven-safe to save a dish!) skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic cloves and finely chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Add the finely chopped carrots and celery and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until veggies are softened.
Increase heat to high and add in the beef. Cook, breaking up the beef, until browned through. If there is excessive grease, drain off that additional fat. Add in the flour and cook an additional minute to cook off the flour taste. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in the frozen peas or corn, can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, grape juice, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves.
Bring this mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to medium and bring the mixture to a rapid simmer. Cook for 25-35 minutes at medium heat, stirring every 5 or so minutes, until you have a good thickened gravy. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. (I like making in the morning and assembling before dinner). If making immediately, place in the fridge until potatoes are done (you want the mixture to chill for as long as possible so the layers stay separate when baking, 15-20 minutes at a minimum) 🙂 If you didn't prepare in an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a 2 quart oven-safe dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and then cube the potatoes into golf-ball sized pieces. Place in a strainer and rinse under cold water until the water rinsing through comes out clear. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and 1 bay leaf, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender; about 15-20 minutes. When a potato can easily be pierced, drain the potatoes in a strainer and make sure you get rid of ALL the extra moisture. Let them dry for about 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
While the potatoes are drying in the strainer, add the heavy cream, sour cream, and butter to the pot. Melt on low heat and stir to combine. While potatoes are still hot, put them through a ricer and add right on top of the butter/sour cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Cover and place in the fridge until ready to assemble pie! OR add these mashed potatoes to top the pie in an even layer.
Use a fork to add marks into the surface of the potatoes. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Broil for 1-2 minutes on high to get the very tops of the potatoes crispy! Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme or fresh parsley as desired. Serve hot 🙂
Recipe Video
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C Frost says
Sounds delicious! Would it be okay to just use more beef broth rather than the grace juice?
chelseamessyapron says
Thank you! We love this! Yes that will work great 🙂
Lori LaDart says
I substituted red cooking wine, instead of grape juice. I’m sure the tastes are very similar. Amazing recipe. Thank you.
chelseamessyapron says
YUMM!! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
Sabrina says
wow, this screams savory and perfect time of year for this and a nice change to the usual pot roast, etc., a nice “import” from across the pond too, thank you!
Aileen says
Looks yummy, I will try it soon!
You’re right that shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. When it’s made with beef then it’s called Cottage pie. Strange how many people around the world love these pies, but don’t know the naming differences. ?
Knight says
Can I use Lamb instead of beef?
chelseamessyapron says
Yes, definitely! 🙂
Karyn says
This looks delicious! Can I substitute red wine for the grape juice?
chelseamessyapron says
Yes absolutely! 🙂
Emmi says
As I sit here eating this recipe, I have to compliment the creator. It’s something extremely yummy and comforting. I used a 12” cast iron skillet to make this dish, this time around. 3 large Idaho potatoes. The meat mixture seemed very liquidity even after cooking 30 minutes stovetop and in the oven for another 30 minutes. The layer of potatoes for me was very thin maybe 1/4 inch. I used drained canned peas and canned corn, recommendation that. Can never have too many veggies.
I am going to make this again.
I will use 1 lbs 80/20 ground beef and 1 lbs ground lamb for a more authentic flavor profile. 1 extra carrot and 1 celery stick. Use a large Dutch oven. And 4-5 large Idaho potatoes. For a thicker mash potato topping. I will include fresh chopped chives in the mash potatoes as well.
chelseamessyapron says
Glad you enjoyed it Emmi! 🙂
Amanda says
I can’t help but fell I did something wrong mine is really thick not a liquidy ad the picture and more of a red then a brown color I did all the measurements right I don’t really know where I went wrong
chelseamessyapron says
Did you simmer the mixture too long? Any recipe substitutions? It will be more brown with all beef broth/stock if you opt to use that instead of wine/juice.
stephanie says
Do you use white or purple grape juice in your recipe? Thanks
chelseamessyapron says
Purple grape juice 🙂
Wendy Mantooth says
This recipe is absolutely delicious..will make it again and again! So yummy!
chelseamessyapron says
Yayyy!! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks Wendy! 🙂
David says
I made this with a few substitutes.
I used chicken broth instead and i didn’t have grape juice so i used water and extra chicken bouyang and instead of using olive oil i used bacon fat. Came out extraordinary thank you for sharing
Olivia Mendenhall says
Yay!! Soo glad you enjoyed and were able to work with what you have 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
priyanka says
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Have a great day.
Priyanka
Kristin says
Great recipe! I was going to use lamb but my grocery store was out of ground lamb. So I used beef. I also used red wine instead of grape juice and added it after I added the flour. To deglaze the pan and cook off some of the alcohol. Delicious!
chelseamessyapron says
Yay! so glad you were able to. make this work! Thanks Kristin!:)
Trevor N. says
I made this recipe last week and my family loved it. I omitted the grape juice and added a little more broth. The prep and cooking time is not even close. Between chopping vegetables, making the meat base, cooling the base, preparing the mashed potatoes, assembly, and cooking, this took me over 2 hours to prepare. Great recipe, but give yourself more time than the instructions state.
Anne says
I made this recipe using Burgundy instead of grape juice. WOW. Replaced the mashed potatoes with premade mashed potatoes from the grocery (I know, I know…). And it still worked beautifully. Topped with grated cheese. My husband went back for seconds, which is rare.
chelseamessyapron says
Yayyy!! I’m so happy to hear this! 🙂 Thanks Anne!
Kelly says
Wow! So good! I made this for my family and we all loved it. Kids went back for seconds and requested that I make it again soon. ? I was also pleasantly surprised at the delicious new flavors that resulted from pantry staples. And while it took longer to make than my standard weeknight supper, it was easy. Thanks for a great recipe!
chelseamessyapron says
Yay!! I’m so glad you guys all enjoyed! Thanks so much for sharing Kelly! 🙂
Jane says
This recipe is really a delicious comfort food. I usually use a shepherd’s pie seasoning mix. This was my first try making it from scratch. This is so much better. The only change that I made was using red wine instead of grape juice. I did simmer it for 35 minutes to thicken and stirred frequently to keep from sticking. I made the meat mixture one day. Then put it together with the mashed potatoes the next day. Another great recipe. Thanks Chelsea!
Ginny says
About to make this, I am using both ground beef and ground lamb is that okay and using grape juice?
chelseamessyapron says
Sounds great! 🙂 Enjoy!
Heidi says
OMG. This is SO DELICIOUS. I have made shepherd’s pie before and it was bland and blah. This recipe is … wow. I actually made cauliflower mash with two heads, and all frozen veggies. I also used Pinot Noir instead of grape juice ?
chelseamessyapron says
That sounds amazing with a cauliflower mash! I’m so glad you enjoyed!! Thanks so much Heidi! 🙂
Molly says
Made this tonight-excellent! Any ideas of how to transition this to a make ahead freezer meal?
Godliver says
Yummy
Celeste says
INSANELY good! Best I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot of shepherd’s pie in my day 🙂
Miciah says
Making this currently. Subbed a local hard cider for the grape juice, added a bit more seasoning, and a dash of balsamic vinegar (while browning the meat). My supermarket actually had lamb this week, so I’m using that instead of beef. Currently at the simmering stage and my house smells amazing. Dinner is gonna be late tonight (prep too a lot longer than I thought for whatever reason) but it’s definitely going to be worth the wait.
Miciah says
So busy cooking I forgot to leave 5 stars!!
chelseamessyapron says
This is the best part about Shepherd’s pie, you can personalize it so easily and it’s still delicious! I’m sooo glad you enjoyed! Thanks Miciah!:)
Bobbie Jo Lanham says
This came out amazing and was gobbled up quickly! There was lots left. Thank you.
chelseamessyapron says
So happy it was enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for the comment Bobbie! 🙂
Amy says
I made this for the first time. Never made this dish before so I didnt really know what to expect. It was really good. Everyone loved it. The only thing I would change is that I would use twice as much peas and carrots. It definitely needed more veggies. Besides that it was perfect!
Little Bright Feather says
It’s so faded here I couldn’t see where to post. Just wondered where the link is for the video. No link is there.
chelseamessyapron says
The video should play in the middle of the post 🙂 Otherwise, here is another place to view it: https://youtu.be/m4WHGJiX6yE
Karen says
Just wondering what size pan/pot/baking dish I should be using??
Chelsea Lords says
6 cup capacity; 1.5 to 2 quart size
Jo says
I always thought Shepherd’s Pie was an English dish, not American.
chelseamessyapron says
Yep! 🙂
Jeanne says
This was the best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried a number of different recipes. Thanks! The depth of flavor was incredible
chelseamessyapron says
Ahh I am so happy to hear this! Thank you so much Jeanne! 🙂
kellie says
I love love this recipe! I used cran-raspberry juice so delicious!
chelseamessyapron says
Ahh i’m so happy to hear! And cran-raspberry juice sounds awesome. Thanks so much Kellie! 🙂
Mary says
Meat and veggie mixture was great, thickened up nicely, I added a half cup more veggies. The amount of potatoes seemed half of what it should be (it was a very thin layer) at least to my liking. Next time more potatoes. Great tasting recipe though!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks Mary! 🙂
Kimberly says
I love a good shepherd’s pie and this is absolutely DELICIOUS!!
chelseamessyapron says
Thank you so much Kimberly! 🙂
Ashley F says
This is one of my favorite comfort foods! It turns out perfectly every time!
chelseamessyapron says
So happy to hear it! Thank you Ashley 🙂
Allyson says
I love this ultimate comfort food! YUM!!!!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks so much! It seriously is the best comfort food! 🙂
Andie says
I love Shepards’s Pie but I have never attempted making it! – I need to! This recipe looks so yummy!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks so much! You’ll love it!
Liz says
Such a classic! My family will love this Shepherd’s Pie!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks Liz! 🙂
Erin says
This is total comfort food – my family loves shepherds pie!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks!! It really is the best comfort food!
Jen says
The weather turned rainy and chilly today so this looks like the perfect dinner. Sounds delicious!
chelseamessyapron says
Ahh the perfect rainy day dish! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Laura Reese says
Perfect comfort food. This recipe looks amazing.
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks Laura! 🙂
Steph says
Such a delicious recipe! This is my all time favorite comfort food!
chelseamessyapron says
Thanks Steph! 🙂
Sanchez says
I don’t like potatoes very much, but I really like beef, I replaced potatoes with sweet potatoes and the result is great food. My husband is quite fond of this recipe, just a little change to suit my family’s taste.
Thanks for your recipe!
chelseamessyapron says
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Christina says
Followed your recipe to the T. So delicious! Now one of my favorite recipes!
Thank you!!
Chelsea Lords says
I am sooo happy to hear this! Thanks so much!! 🙂
Emily says
Seriously fantastic recipe! Excellent flavor! I substituted sherry for the grape juice. Picky husband couldn’t think of a way to improve it!
Olivia Mendenhall says
Ahh I am sooo happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Ashley says
Making this right now. Can’t wait!
Chelsea Lords says
Hope you love it! 🙂
Ashley says
I think I put too much olive oil on top and forgot to crush the bullion cube…oops
Chelsea Lords says
How did it turn out?!
Nancy Perine says
Hi Chelsea! I had so much fun cruising around your website/blog. Your recipe for Shepherd’s Pie caught my eye. I had just about everything on hand, except for the grape juice. Grape juice? I couldn’t even imagine that in a Shepherd’s Pie. But .. I trotted on over to our friendly grocery store just a couple blocks away and picked up the grape juice. Amazing! This recipe was absolutely yummy!! Thank you so much for sharing. I’ll be back!
Olivia Mendenhall says
Yay!! I’m soo happy you enjoyed this!! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Lynnita says
What is the purpose of the grape juice? And did you use regular or Concord grape juice?
Chelsea Lords says
Depth of flavor! 100% concord grape juice. Enjoy!
Aaron says
Wonderful meal, probably the best one to date. I am going to try skme of the other ones for the kiddos. Thanks again!!!
Chelsea Lords says
Yayyy!! I am sooo happy to hear this!! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Kelsey Cole says
I changed many things about this recipe (only because I was working with food I received from a food pantry.) This recipe is the perfect guideline for making a great cottage pie. I only had instant potatoes, three cans of mixed veggie tables, amino acids, ground beef, garlic cloves, rosemary. Turned out amazing. Even had a neighbour ask for a go bowl.
Chelsea Lords says
So happy it turned out amazing! Thanks so much for the comment Kelsey 🙂
Sophie Anderson says
I followed the recipe with the slight twist of doing 50/50 sweet potato and ordinary potato. It looked lovely and tasted delicious and filled us all up very comfortably!
Chelsea Lords says
Oh that sounds amazing!! 🙂 I’ll have to try that next time 🙂 Thanks for the comment and review 🙂
siobhan says
It was edible, and people enjoyed it. Though, it was SWEET. Too sweet. I would leave out the grape juice and tomatoes, double up on peas.
Chelsea Lords says
Thanks for the feedback Siobhan!
krystal says
Can you please send me a bowl of yours please and thank you.
Robert says
Just made this last night and it was amazing… I did alter it slightly as I tend to like it a little spicy. I used wine (cabernet) instead of grape juice. and added Smoked Tabasco and a little black pepper…perfect.
Chelsea Lords says
Sounds delicious! Thanks for the comment and review Robert!
Julia G says
Love this recipe. I forgot to buy grape juice, so I used some white wine that I had open and finely chopped some dried apricots for similar depth of flavor (my stew go to). Made one to take to family and small one for here. Can’t. Stop. Eating, It. Thank you.
Chelsea Lords says
I am seriously sooo happy to hear this!! Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂
Kellie says
I love love this recipe. It’s just me and my boyfriend so this is way too much food but I always forget to cut it in half. So….leftovers!!
Chelsea Lords says
Leftover Shepherd’s pie is the best! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Joseph says
How would you determine an amount to sub Instant Potatoes for the 2 1/2 lbs Yukons ?
Chelsea Lords says
I wish I could be more helpful, but to tell you the truth I’ve never used Instant potatoes! Hopefully someone else could chime in here
Jennifer says
I’ve made this fantastic recipe several times the past couple of months; it was immediately our new favorite comfort food dish. I make it fairly close to as written, but we love the richness of red wine in place of juice and I like to add in some sliced mushrooms. I also puree the fire roasted tomatoes (picky wife lol). Thanks again!
Chelsea Lords says
I’m so thrilled it’s been a hit! Thanks so much for your comment and review Jennifer 🙂