Best Shepherd's Pie

In my book, nothing quite satisfies a meat and potato craving like a classic, hearty shepherd’s pie. I spent awhile perfecting this comfort food staple, so your weeknights can be as cozy as possible. In my recipe, ground beef is cooked with aromatics and red wine before being combined with corn and peas, all covered with a blanket of velvety, rich mashed potatoes and topped with Parmesan before being broiled until golden brown. It’s the perfect choice for a fall dinner on a chilly day, or as a fully satisfying addition to your holiday potluck. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most comforting version of this classic dish:

What People Are Saying:
"This is so easy and so delicious and such a big hit. I've made this twice already and will be making it again and this time for my son's family. If any leftover, they reheat well and the taste is still there. Enjoy!" - OliveStrawberry

"Made this tonight following the recipe exactly as written. Delicious!!!" - OliveRing

How To Make Shepherd’s Pie

INGREDIENTS

• Russet Potatoes: I’m calling for russet potatoes here to keep it simple, but a mix of russet and Yukon Gold potatoes would yield a delicious result as well. Whatever potato you’d normally use for mashed potatoes would work here as well.
• Half-And-Half: I am using half-and-half here to add a little fattiness to the sauce, without adding too much of a binder to thicken the gravy too much. We still want the gravy to be a little liquidy.
• Parsley: The clean earthiness of parsley, with a hint of mint and other green herbs, adds a nice freshness to the pie that works well with all of the stronger, meaty flavors of this dish.
• Lean Ground Beef: Ground lamb is the traditional UK choice, but it’s certainly not the most affordable (and there’s nothing comforting about breaking the bank on dinner groceries). Ground beef is more commonly found in American shepherd’s pie (also known as a cottage pie), and that’s what I went for here. It’s still plenty delicious, affordable, and more likely to satisfy any picky eaters that might be around your table.
• Carrots: Carrots add a pop of sweetness and color the dish that stand out from the many meaty, savory flavors. While you can play around with other similar veggies, like celery, broccoli, or cauliflower—and we have—this is the more traditional route, and for good reason!
• Rosemary & Thyme: These two aromatic herbs work very well in warm savory dishes, and because of this are often seen in dishes that are a little heavier. Here they really kick up the flavor of the gravy.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is a great way to pack in extra tomato flavor when tomatoes aren’t in season, and works particularly well when you allow the paste to cook for a few minutes until brick red and fragrant.
• Dry Red Wine: If you’re on the fence about serving this to kiddos because of the wine, don’t fret! After some time in the skillet with the ground beef mixture, the alcohol content in the wine is essentially non-existent, allowing the wine to provide depth of flavor.
• Beef Broth: Beef broth has a nice rich flavor that kicks up the meatiness of the gravy while adding a lot of needed moisture. Because there will be plenty of sodium in this pie already, be sure to reach for low-sodium beef broth.
• Worcestershire Sauce: The deep, savory umami flavor of Worcestershire sauce works really well to add a tad bit of sweetness to the sauce while also bringing out and extra meatiness that makes the whole dish taste warm and comforting.
• All-Purpose Flour: The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy. The mixture won't thicken much in the oven, so it should be about the thickness that you're looking for before it goes into the baking dish. It also helps to allow the shepherd's pie to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into it.
• Corn & Peas: These two bright vegetables add a fresh, sweet pop—literally—of flavor in the otherwise savory, fairly heavy dish.
• Parmesan: What are mashed potatoes without a little bit of cheese? The Parmesan here isn’t going to add any overpowering cheesy flavor to the shepherd’s pie, but rather an extra layer of creamy, almost nuttiness to the cooked mashed potatoes.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by preheating your oven to 400° and placing a medium saucepan over a burner at medium heat. Into the saucepan add your potatoes and cover completely with water so there is ½” of excess water over the bunch. Season the water with 1 tablespoon of salt and turn the heat up to high to allow the water to boil. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes until they are fork-tender. One tip to ensure your potatoes cook through is to use a fork to poke small holes all around the potatoes before boiling. Drain the liquid from the pot and set the cooked potatoes aside in the colander or strainer.

Then, in the same pot, cook the butter and half-and-half over medium-low heat, stirring throughout until the butter is melted.

Then return the potatoes to the pot and use a potato masher or fork to thoroughly mash the potatoes. Add in your fresh chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before removing from the heat.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add in the beef, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking the mixture up with a wooden spoon, for 8 minutes until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef from the skillet and onto a plate on the side. We want to keep about 2 tablespoons of the beef drippings in the skillet for the gravy, but discard all the rest of the liquid.

In the same skillet, add in the onion and carrots and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Then add in the aromatics and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant. This should only take a few minutes.

Once fragrant, add the cooked beef back into the skillet and stir in the tomato paste. Cook the mixture until the tomato paste darkens in color to a nice brick red and has begun to smell warm and sweet.

Then add in the red wine and cook for about 3 minutes until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated. Add in both the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and allow the liquid to come up to a simmer before sprinkling with flour.

Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. If the liquid isn’t thickening, add in another pinch of flour until you reach the consistency you are looking for; just remember, a little goes a long way in thickening the sauce. Once the gravy has developed nicely, add in the corn and peas and stir to combine.

Transfer this mixture to a baking pan and use a rubber spatula to roughly form a flat top, then dollop the top with mashed potatoes and similarly spread the potatoes to a consistent layer over the beef mixture. Don’t worry about perfection here, this is a fairly rustic meal, we just want to make sure that the beef and potatoes are proportioned evenly throughout the pie. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of the potatoes and season with a pinch of black pepper.

Pop the pan into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the beef mixture is bubbling. Once bubbling, place the shepherd’s pie on a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to high. Allow the dish to broil for about 2 minutes until the top of the potatoes begins to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the reserved parsley then let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Shepherd's Pie Variations

• Make it gluten-free. If you need a gluten-free filling, substitute the 3 tablespoons of flour for 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
• Make it vegan. Looking for a meatless and dairy-free option? Make our vegan shepherd's pie.
• Switch up the filling. If you're looking to make this a bit lighter but still want the meat, turn to our turkey shepherd's pie.
• Ditch the mashed potatoes. If you're looking for a low-carb version, then check out our cauliflower shepherd's pie.

Storage

Your cooked shepherd’s pie will last for up to 3 days when sealed in an air-tight container in the fridge, or up to 1 month in a freezer-safe container in the freezer.