Ah yes—Shepherd’s Pie 🥧🥔—the ultimate comfort food: savory meat, veggies, and buttery mashed potato topping. Here’s a classic, foolproof recipe:
🥩 Classic Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients (6 servings)
Mashed Potato Topping:
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup milk (more if needed)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Filling:
- 1 lb ground lamb (traditional) or beef (technically cottage pie)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Make mashed potatoes
- Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (15–20 min).
- Drain, mash with butter and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the filling
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and carrots 5–7 min until softened.
- Add ground lamb/beef; cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, broth, thyme, peas, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 5–10 min until slightly thickened.
- Assemble the pie
- Preheat oven: 400°F (200°C)
- Spread meat/veggie mixture evenly in a baking dish (9×13 works well).
- Spoon mashed potatoes over the top, smoothing with a spatula or fork (fork tines create a nice texture).
- Bake
- Bake 20–25 min until potatoes are golden on top.
- Optional: broil 2–3 min for extra crispiness.
- Serve
- Let cool 5 min before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Cheesy topping: Mix ½ cup shredded cheddar into mashed potatoes.
- Vegetable boost: Add corn, green beans, or mushrooms to the filling.
- Make-ahead: Assemble in advance, store in fridge, bake when ready.
- Cottage pie: Use ground beef instead of lamb.
If you want, I can give a “luxury version” with garlic-parmesan mashed potatoes and a rich red wine gravy—it’s next-level cozy and decadent. Do you want that version?
