Here’s a classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe 🥧🥔—warm, hearty, and pure comfort food.
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
For the filling:
- 1 lb ground lamb (or beef for cottage pie)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 1 tsp thyme (dried or fresh)
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the topping:
- 4 cups mashed potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup milk or cream
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven:
400°F (200°C). - Cook the filling:
- In a skillet, brown the ground lamb (or beef). Drain excess fat.
- Add onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Add broth and peas, simmer 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Make mashed potato topping:
- Boil potatoes until tender, then mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
- Optional: fold in cheddar for extra richness.
- Assemble the pie:
- Spread meat and vegetable filling in a baking dish.
- Top evenly with mashed potatoes, spreading with a spatula or fork to create ridges (for a crispy top).
- Bake:
20–25 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Broil 2–3 minutes for extra crispness if desired. - Serve:
Let cool 5 minutes, then scoop and enjoy.
Tips & Variations
- Vegetable boost: Add mushrooms, corn, or parsnips.
- Make-ahead: Assemble, cover, refrigerate overnight, bake next day.
- Herby flavor: Add rosemary or parsley for extra aroma.
- Cheesy twist: Sprinkle Parmesan or Gruyère on top before baking.
If you want, I can also give a slow-cooker shepherd’s pie version for hands-off cooking. Do you want me to do that?
