Shepherd’s Pie is easily one of my family’s favorite ground beef recipes. This recipe for Shepherd’s Pie makes a perfect weeknight meal. It’s easy to make, delicious, filling, and comforting.
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
I’ve been making this Shepherd’s Pie recipe for my family for many years. When I was a young bride the only recipe I knew was actually called Hamburger Pie. That version was made with ground beef, tomato soup and a can of green beans topped with mashed potatoes. It was a common addition to my menu plan.
Over the years I’ve made some adaptations to a few recipes to come up with my own Shepherd’s Pie.
Cooking Tips
- This is a very versatile recipe. If you need to substitute something, likely it isn’t an issue. Wine can be used instead of or in addition to the broth.
- Different vegetables can be substituted, and you can even try using cauliflower mashed potatoes on top.
- Instead of grated zucchini, you can use grated carrot. Dried rosemary would be a delicious addition as well.
Ingredients you will need
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or lamb)
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1/2 medium zucchini, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen carrots
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
- a couple shakes of Parmesan cheese
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Shepherd’s Pie
To make this recipe, preheat your oven to 375 F. Have a baking pan and a casserole dish at the ready.
- In a large skillet, brown the beef until no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
- Next, add onion, garlic, and zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes.
- After that add the frozen carrots and peas and stir everything together.
- Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.
- Season with thyme and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add broth and simmer until 10-15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer beef mixture to a deep casserole dish. You can use an 8×8 square pan, a casserole or you can make individual servings.
- Spoon mashed potato on top of beef. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Place the dish on a cookie sheet in case it bubbles over while baking.
- Bake in a 375° F oven for 20 minutes or until top is brown and heated through. The sides may be bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped scallions.
The Argument: Is it really Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie was originally called Cottage Pie. Some would argue that this recipe can’t be called Shepherd’s Pie because it doesn’t contain lamb. Americans have adapted the original meaning of the recipe title to suit a beef-eating culture.
I’ll paraphrase from Wikipedia:
- Cottage pie, also known as shepherd’s pie, refers to an English meat pie. It has a crust made from mashed potato and filled with beef.
- The term cottage pie was common in 1791, when potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor. The word “cottage” meant a modest dwelling for rural workers.
- In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind. The pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.
- The term “shepherd’s pie” did not make an appearance until the 1870s. Since then it has been used synonymously with “cottage pie”, regardless of whether the main ingredient was beef or mutton.
- It’s now commonplace for “shepherd’s pie” to be used when the meat is mutton or lamb. The suggested origin being that shepherds work with sheep and not cattle, however, this may be an example of folk etymology.
I hope you enjoy this Shepherd’s Pie recipe as much as my family and I do. Throw in any extra ingredients you enjoy to make this classic meal even more comforting!
More casserole recipes you’ll love:
- Southwest Ground Beef Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas Casserole
- Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie
- Spaghetti Pie
- Rotisserie Chicken Nachos
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
- Chili Mac
- Cabbage Rolls
Shepherd's Pie
This recipe for Shepherd’s Pie makes a perfect casserole meal for any night of the week.
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItServings: 6 people
40 minutes
Calories: 473
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup zucchini grated
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 5 ounces carrots frozen, 1 cup, not thawed
- 5 ounces peas frozen, 1 cup, not thawed
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese finely grated
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Things You'll Need
Before You Begin
- Instead of grated zucchini, you can use grated carrot. Dried rosemary would be a delicious addition as well.
- Wine can be used instead of or in addition to the broth.
- Different vegetables can be substituted, and you can even try using cauliflower mashed potatoes on top.
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the beef until no longer pink. Drain off excess grease. Add onion, garlic, and zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes.
- Add carrots and peas and stir together.
- Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Season with thyme and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add broth and simmer until 10-15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer beef mixture to a deep casserole dish. You can use an 8×8 square pan, a casserole or you can make individual servings.
- Spoon mashed potato on top of beef. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese. Place the dish on a cookie sheet in case it bubbles over while baking.
- Bake in a 375° F oven for 20 minutes or until top is brown and heated through. The sides may be bubbly. Garnish with chopped scallions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 473cal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 979mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4330IU | Vitamin C: 42.6mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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This recipe originally published on: Jul 24, 2009 with this old photo
original photo of this recipe from 2009
Amanda Davis
President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.
Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!
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Cathy Rhodes says
This is undoubtably one of best recipes I have ever tried. Will be making this a lot in the future.
Linda Thousand-Ayres says
Great recipe! I added a half cup of good red wine. Really adds depth. I still cannot call it Shepard pie unless I use Lamb. I married in to a very British family. Each time I called it Shepard pie (when using beef), they always ask, “When was the last time you saw shepherds with cows??”. Lol. They broke me!
Julie says
I’m adding this to my family favorite list. It was extremely tasty.
marion says
dear Amanda, we need to hang on to our old traditional Shepherds Pie, you touched on it beautifully when you said they used ground Roast Lamb,, yes the already cooked meat is then ground, giving it a completely different texture and delicious taste,, Why do so many cooks just say “ground Lamb” when folk presume it to mean “mince meat” yet to be cooked,, S Pie has no vegies in it, that would break the texture of the meat,, If the tecipe says add vegies, then that is Cottage Pie from the cottage garden !!! I grew up with my German Grandma making SPie regularly, we as kids helped turn the mincer handle,,, please try it,, the two sauces bind the minced meat together beautifully,, today we can make it with cooked Lamb and silverside
if we dont have Pickled Lamb,, I could always ask my butcher to pickle a leg for me,,
so much nicer than silverside,,
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds marvelous Marion, thank you so much for sharing that!
Nicole Condiff says
Really easy to make. Very good, but I added more seasoning to it for more of a kick. Overall the family loved it..💓💓💓
Carol Graziano says
First time I have ever had it or made it. I saw your post on FB and had to do it. Thank you
Dave says
Not to my liking, but to each their own. I like PLAN and SIMPLE. Mine is just Ground beef, can of corn, slivered carrots, mash potatoes, with garlic powder, salt, and pepper
JESSICA CLEMENTS says
I made this recipe it is so good and very filling
Laura says
This was so good!! It was very easy to make, and I’m about to make it for the 2nd time…YUM!!!
Carol says
I am cooking during the National coronavirus stay home mandate. I have everything except the
Tomato paste. Any substitutions? Will it still work if I just leave it out???
Carol in PA
Amanda Formaro says
You should be fine. If you have canned tomatoes you can cook them down to make paste, or if you have any canned tomato sauce or juice, you can add a little of that!
Amanda J. S. says
I love shepherd’s pie. My mom would make it for me and my sister growing up but she called it poor man’s casserole. She made it with hamburger meat, canned corn (usually cream style) boxed mashed potatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. (Sometimes she added other canned veggies but she knew that I liked cream style corn.) I still make it to this day the way she made it. I even know how to make it using the microwave.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome, I love when recipes stay in the family like that!
Debbie C says
I love Shepherd’s Pie! Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Debbie!
Sharon Galaviz says
My Shepard’s pie is a little different. I use ground turkey mixed with portabello mushrooms for a good beefy flavor without the fat, add whatever veggies you like (my favorites are broccoli and cauliflower) with onions and garlic, and top it with a nuked sweet potato or two. Cheese, of course.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds great!
Alice says
The Joy of Cooking, the Bible of all things culinary, says cottage pie is beef and Shepard’s Pie is always made w/ lamb… Much better w/ lamb, but both are wonderful
Margaret Henry says
Alice you are absolutely right. Shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and cottage pie with beef. Take it from a Brit!
Baltisraul says
If you have never had lamb start out with the chops first. You are in for a treat. I cut back on the stock by one cup and added a cup of stout. This is a real nice recipe. Can you tell me why we can’t find mutton ( a sheep that is older than 3 mons.) in the super market? We love lamb but it is sorta expensive. I’m sure mutton would be less expensive than lamb or Spring lamb (7 weeks or younger).
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sure the availability of mutton is dependent on the area you live in. You may be better off looking up local farmers. :) So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Katharine Hiera says
Made this tonight following the recipe as written except only one pound of hamburger and slightly more cheese. Turned out great and will definitely make it again. No one would ever know there was zucchini in it!! Served it with carrots and a tossed salad. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
I love the hidden zucchini too!
Norman York says
I substitute a can of green chilis for the zuchini for a little added zip.
Terry says
My Mother used to make this dish, thank goodness it says beef (I don’t eat lamb) Sounds very good. Will have to try this since I haven’t made it for years
Chris Thomas says
As a ‘Shanty Irishman’ from New York City, I grew up eating and making Sheppard’s Pie. This is real peasant food and believe it or not, lamb was the cheapest meat you could buy. Olive oil, tomato paste and parmesan cheese came from the other side of 31st Ave.; the Italian neighborhood. Since lamb is very lean, we started off, as with almost everything else, with bacon fat. Then it was nothing more then carrots, peas, onions, potatoes, sharp white cheddar cheese, cream and butter, herbs and Worcestershire sauce; when we could afford it.
One of my aunts used to make this with Murph’s (Murphy’s Irish Stout), if she didn’t drink it all. It’s the real stout of the ‘shanties.’
God bless.
Amanda Formaro says
Can you believe I’ve never eaten lamb? I’d actually like to try the traditional version.