Shepherd’s Pie

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

• Large skillet
• Casserole dish
• Cookie sheet
• Chef’s knife

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.

1. In a large skillet, brown the beef until no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
2. Next, add onion, garlic, and zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes.
3. After that add the frozen carrots and peas and stir everything together.

4. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.
5. Season with thyme and cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add broth and simmer until 10-15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Transfer beef mixture to a deep casserole dish. You can use an 8×8 square pan, a casserole or you can make individual servings.

8. Spoon mashed potato on top of beef. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese.
9. Place the dish on a cookie sheet in case it bubbles over while baking.
10. Bake in a 375° F oven for 20 minutes or until top is brown and heated through. The sides may be bubbly.
11. 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.

4.93 from 38 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

40 minutes mins

Calories: 473

Author: Amanda Davis

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

• ▢
  Large skillet
• ▢
  2-quart casserole
• ▢
  Cookie sheets
• ▢
  Chef's knife

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