Shepherd’s Pie
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Warm up your winter nights with a comforting Shepherd’s Pie, a rich and flavorful stew topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes.
Shepherd’s pie is a comforting dish consisting of creamy mashed potatoes on top of a rich and bubbly stew. It originated in the UK and Ireland and is traditionally made with lamb, but in the U.S. it is more commonly made with beef (and referred to as cottage pie). While the original version is made with leftover lamb stew, modern recipes typically call for ground meat, which cooks quickly and doesn’t require leftovers.
For this version, you begin by whipping up a batch of buttery, sour cream-enriched mashed potatoes, and then you make a flavorful ground beef stew with bacon, vegetables, and wine. You can either spread the mashed potatoes over the stew right in the skillet (for easy clean-up) or assemble the layers in a separate casserole dish for baking.
Table of Contents
“This was excellent! So much better than the old school Shepard’s pie from when I was a kid. It was definitely worth the effort!”
What You’ll Need To Make Shepherd’s Pie
- Ground beef: Serves as the for the filling. Using extra-lean beef means there’s no need to drain excess fat.
- Baking soda: Tenderizes the beef.
- Russet potatoes: The key ingredient for a fluffy, creamy mashed potato topping.
- Sour cream, butter, and half & half: These enrich the mashed potatoes, making them creamy and flavorful.
- Bacon: Adds a smoky depth to the filling.
- Onions and garlic: These aromatics form the base flavor of the filling.
- Carrots and peas: Add sweetness, color, and a vegetable component to the dish.
- Red wine: Adds robust flavor and complexity to the sauce.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the filling, ensuring it’s hearty and not too liquidy.
- Tomato paste: Provides concentrated tomato flavor, adding umami and richness to the filling.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a tangy, meaty depth of flavor.
- Chicken broth: Adds savory moisture to the filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Tenderize the Beef
Before starting with the mashed potatoes, it’s important to tenderize the beef. Place the beef, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium bowl.
Mash with your hand to combine, and set aside for 20 minutes. As it rests, the baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and making the beef tender.
Step 2: Make the Mashed Potatoes
While the meat tenderizes, place the potatoes in medium saucepan and add enough cold water just to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and fork-tender.
Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher until they are dry and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the sour cream, butter, half & half, and the remaining teaspoon of salt.
Using a potato masher, stir and mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Stew
Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the onions and carrots to the bacon fat.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add the wine and increase the heat to high; bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the liquid reduces by about half.
Add the flour and stir until dissolved.
Add the reserved ground beef mixture, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
Continue cooking over high heat, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the thyme, pepper, peas, and reserved bacon.
Cook to warm the peas, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Step 4: Assemble & Bake
Dollop the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling.
Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly all the way to the edges of the skillet.
Drag a fork across the top to make ridges.
Place the skillet on a baking sheet or large sheet of foil to catch any drips. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. (For more color, turn on the broiler and broil for the last 5 minutes, or until the top is golden.)
Sprinkle the Shepherd’s pie with chives and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prepare Shepherd’s pie partially in advance. The stew portion can be made several days ahead and kept refrigerated. Before assembling the pie, simply reheat the stew, adding a bit of broth if needed to adjust the consistency if it seems dry. However, for the best results, the mashed potatoes should be prepared fresh, right before assembling and baking the pie. This approach ensures the topping is creamy and the filling is flavorful and moist.
Yes, as mentioned above, ground lamb is the traditional choice for Shepherd’s pie and would work beautifully here. For a lighter version, you can substitute ground chicken or turkey. When using meats other than beef, you can omit the step of tenderizing with baking soda.
Shepherd’s pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Ensure it’s covered tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat it in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
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Shepherd’s Pie Video Tutorial
Shepherd's Pie
Warm up your winter nights with a comforting Shepherd’s Pie, a rich and flavorful stew topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-in chunks
- ¼ cup half & half
- 4 oz bacon, diced (about 3 slices thick-cut bacon)
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the beef, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium bowl. Mash with your hand to combine. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- While the meat tenderizes, place the potatoes in medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft and fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher until they are dry and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sour cream, butter, half & half, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Using a potato masher, stir and mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set the mashed potatoes aside.
- Heat a 12-in oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the onions and carrots to the bacon fat and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and increase the heat to high; bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the flour and stir until dissolved. Add the reserved ground beef mixture, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce; continue cooking on high heat, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme, pepper, peas, and reserved bacon, and cook until the peas are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Dollop the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling. Use a rubber or offset spatula to spread the potatoes evenly over the stew and all the way to the edges of the skillet. Drag a fork across the top to make ridges. Place the skillet on a baking sheet or large sheet of foil to catch any drips and bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned, and the edges are bubbly, about 30 minutes. (For more color, turn on the broiler and broil for the last 5 minutes, or until the top is golden.) Sprinkle with chives and serve.
- Note: If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the meat mixture to a 2.5-qt casserole dish and then spread the mashed potatoes overtop.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The stew portion of the recipe can be made several days ahead of time and refrigerated. Before assembling the pie, reheat the stew, adding a little broth if necessary if it seems dry. The mashed potatoes should be made right before assembling and baking the pie.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 650
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Sodium: 1243 mg
- Cholesterol: 122 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Easy to follow the recipe & tasted amazing.
I went through so many recipes for my first time making shepherd pie and fell back on this one every time. My mother loves once upon a chef. Let
Me just say, this was the best shepherds pie we’ve ever had!!! I used ground lamb instead of ground beef.
Printed this recipe out and can’t wait to do it again! Perfected notes of YUMMMM.
Best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever made or eaten.
Ok, I live in Israel, not Jewish, but respect the laws of tref(I’m not worried about meat and milk, just unclean, like pork). So I made this recipe, with lamb bacon that I smoked myself, and it is awesome!!!!
Someone asked about using Jenn’s Cauliflower Mash on the Shepherd’s Pie….I cooked the cauliflower according to her recipe, but left out the thyme and broth while blending it in the food processor. Then I added 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and after it cooled a bit added 3 beaten egg yolks. It baked up nice and looked and tasted a lot like mashed potatoes (enough that my family had no idea.) I love Jenn’s recipes!
Would your recipe for cauliflower ‘mashed potatoes’ work instead of the potato mashed potatoes? If so, should I double the cauliflower?
Hi Carol, I worry that the cauliflower purée wouldn’t be thick enough to hold up over the stew. But you could definitely serve it “deconstructed” with the meat and purée side by side — that would be delicious.
This is certainly a family favorite now. Delicious!!! Look no further for the tastiest version of this classic dish! I do maybe triple the carrots and peas because it is a super easy way to get more veg into the little people of the house, but I don’t feel like it detracts at all from the hearty meaty goodness! My husband saw that I was making this for dinner tonight and actually cheered. 😉
This was delicious!!! I didn’t have bacon, but it was still so yummy! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes!
Great recipe and family loves it! Skipped the bacon as not fan of it but am sure that would make the pie even better!
Made it as is and it was a huge hit!!! It is now in the permanent rotation.
I prepared this last evening for dinner and it was the best Shepherd’s Pie I have ever made! I halved the recipe because there are only two of us. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out fantastic! Thanks for a great cold weather delish dish!
This recipe takes a standard comfort food to the next level. I have made dozens of shepherd’s pies, I wish I knew about this recipe sooner! The small additions make it hands down the best one I’ve ever tried. And my family would definitely agree! Thank you Jen, yet again 👏🏻
Would you also suggest tenderizing ground lean turkey? What if I used a combo of sweet and regular potatoes?
You can skip the tenderizing step with the turkey. And, sure you can use a combination of regular and sweet potatoes. Please LMK how it turns out!
You’re the best!
💗
Made this into a tater tot casserole for the kids but cooked the tater tots separately then put it on the stew with some cheese under the broiler… wow!!!!
If I were to serve the stew with the potatoes on the side would I bake it the same amount of time and uncovered?
I actually don’t think you’d need to bake it at all (unless you want to put the baked potatoes in the oven for a bit to get them browned on top. Hope that helps!
Would adding a little cheese on top ruin this recipe? If not, would cheddar be good?
Hi Kimberly, I think a little Cheddar would be delish!
My son recently asked me to make a Shepherd’s pie. Having never made one before, I immediately turned to Jenn’s website as it has been my go-to for new recipes. This recipe was easy to follow and although I couldn’t try the pie due to dietary restrictions, my entire family raved about the flavour. Thanks Jenn for sharing your expertise with the rest of us <3
❤️ Glad it was a hit!
I’m out of red wine, should I just add more broth?
Hi Lori, you can just omit the wine. Enjoy!
Yummy!
This recipe is comfort food at its best. I use ground turkey and add a few more peas. The base of aromatic vegetables cooked in bacon fat and reduced in red wine is the flavor profile that carries throughout the dish. I really enjoy Jenn Segal’s approach to cooking. If you have not checked out her cookbook you should!
My husband and 18 y-o son love Shepherd’s Pie, and this was a major hit. I could only get 1# of ground beef, so I cut the ingredients back by about 1/3 with the exception of the carrots, onions, and peas, which I kept full strength. The meat was tender, and the sauce was rich and flavorful. This site amazes me–one fantastic recipe after another! Like another reviewer said, I’ve stopped looking at other sites for recipes. These are so consistently good–why go elsewhere? I’m trying to make 1-2 new recipes from the site each week. Thanks for another great one!
So glad you like the recipes!! 🙂
This shepherd’s pie recipe was just over the top delicious with amazing flavor. Tenderizing the ground beef makes a huge difference. I’m a totally devoted fan of all of Jenn Segal’s recipes, have bought her cookbook as a gift for many people (including myself!), and am just so grateful for Jenn’s generosity in sharing so many wonderful recipes on line. I really don’t use any other recipe site now as I’ve found the BEST! Thank you!
❤️
I made this dish last night and everyone had seconds. I can’t stop thinking about it! Totally delicious. Not at all like the Shepard pies I have had in the past. This dish had so much flavor and did not make you feel stuffed. I did not have half and half so I used skim milk and it was still perfect. Used 90% lean ground beef. I also used edamame in lieu of peas. So so so good!! Passed the recipe on to friends already! Thank you!
Made this most delicious meal over the weekend. Pure Bliss! Delish! I used my Apilco large casserole dish and the presentation was beautiful. Thank you for this recipe Jenn!
The Husband would like me to use ground lamb, do you think that’s okay?
Thank you,
Juliana
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, lamb will work here. You can skip the tenderizing step as well as the bacon (lamb is so flavorful that I don’t think the bacon is necessary). Enjoy!
I made this on a Sunday and went into work on Monday and bragged to all my co-workers about how amazing this recipe is. Even the picky eaters in our household had more than one helping! The only change I would make is to prepare the potatoes after the sauce has been made. They were really hard to spread by the time I was ready to add them – probably the cook and not the recipe’s fault. Your recipes are fantastic! Thank you so much!
I used the recipe for the meat portion of my shephards pie and it was a delicious change! I will make again, I used 1 1/2 c of frozen corn and a can of cream style corn on the meat mixture and I eliminate all the butter, sour cream and cream in the potatoes and only use milk.
Another perfect recipe. This came out hearty, savory, and delicious. Don’t skip the meat tenderizing step, it made a big difference. Thank you Jenn for all of the detail and thought you put into each and every recipe.
I made this with ground venison and it was excellent! I’m going to have to double it next time so we can have some leftovers!
I just made this tonight with 3/4 ground pork, 1/4 ground beef and grilled steak tips cut up very small; as this was our choice for thawed meats, and let me tell you it was fantastic! I did put it in a 13 x 9 pyrex dish. I am going to look at more of your recipes and try another; my family was very pleased!
Made this last night and it was delicious. My husband and toddler went back for seconds! Our local grocery store was out of sour cream and chives. I added a little greek yogurt to the potatos and they came out great. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
I just made this tonight and it tasted great but was still a little soupy when I went to serve it. Should I have reduced it more before baking, or baked it longer? I followed the recipe but only had 80/20 ground beef.
Hi Lauren, I suspect it was the 80/20 ground beef that would’ve contributed a lot more fat which would create more liquid. Hope that helps!
I am going to try this recipe tonight, but also have 80/20. What do you suggest to combat the extra liquid?
Hi Brenda, after you make the ground beef mixture, I’d just use a spoon to spoon out some of the additional liquid. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious!! I used 2 pounds of hamburger to make it a little larger. Definitely this will go on the menu plan again!
This was delicious! It got rave reviews from my husband and (adult) daughter. I had to improvise a little because I didn’t have everything on hand, so white wine for red, no peas, and vegetable stock for chicken stock. I also added salt to the potatoes because for me they were a little sweet without it. But it still tasted amazing! This is definitely going in the rotation.
My family loved this recipe. Delicious!
It was a bit of a stretch making this given the limited inventory at our grocery store, but we were bound and determined to eat well for St. Pats! We ended up making the creamy potato topping out of your recipe for Cauliflower Purée with Thyme, and food processed in some instant camping hash browns(!) as the store was out of potatoes. We also ended up using turkey and pork sausage as the store was out of ground beef. Needless to say, the strew is so rich and flavorful, this recipe wasn’t too phased by the creative substitutions. Best part was we doubled the recipe, so have some frozen ready to eat later and we still had half of bottle wine leftover to enjoy with our dinner!
I just made this yesterday for St. Pattys Day and it was AWESOME! I even used instant mashed potatoes because all of the stores are out of potatoes right now – and it was still delicious! I paired it with the Irish Cheddar Soda Bread and everyone was so impressed. Thank you!
This Shepard’s Pie is delicious! My husband declared it the best he’s ever had – and he has spent a lot of time in Ireland! Thanks, Jenn for another great recipe!
Great recipe, however I used ground turkey instead. Other than a little more seasoning the recipe was followed to a T and was devoured!!
The best Shepard’s pie I’ve ever tasted! Thank you Jen! It was the easiest most perfect meal to have on a rainy evening!
Hello, I have left over mashed potatoes, how much should I use for this recipe?
Hi Asra, I’m not sure about the quantity you’ll need but basically you’ll want enough to cover the meat mixture with about 1/2-inch thick layer of mashed potatoes. Hope you enjoy!
My husband and I loved this! Was wondering if I could make it and freeze for an inevitable lazy & cold winter night? I love being able to take food out of the freezer the night before and tossing it into the oven 😊
Hi Penelope, I don’t think the assembled pie would freeze well because of the mashed potatoes on top, but I do think you could make the meat mixture in advance and freeze that. Hope that helps! 🙂
I freeze Shepard’s Pie all the time, and never have a problem.
Hi Jenn – I’m more a fan of the traditional lamb Shepard’s Pie……ie shepards tend sheep, not cattle. In any case, I prefer the taste of lamb. Can I sub lamb for the beef in this recipe? I imagine so, but…
Hi Heather, Yes, lamb would work here. You can skip the tenderizing step as well as the bacon (lamb is so flavorful that I don’t think the bacon is necessary). Hope you enjoy!
You’re quite right, a traditional Shepherd’s Pie is lamb, a recipe containing beef mince is usually referred to as Cottage Pie. I don’t know the significance of a cottage when referencing cows, but a shepherd tends to herd sheep.
I think this was just so-so. A lot of work and the taste was less than expected for all the ingredients that went into making this. I was disappointed and will not be making this again. Sorry.
I had the same experience. The bacon I used didn’t render much fat maybe that’s why we found it pretty bland. Added more salt and a few shakes of Tabasco but that didn’t help much. Heck – because it makes a lot.
The BEST Shepherd’s Pie we have ever tasted. It has changed our definition of shepherd’s pie.
I’m going to be in the minority here and say that I was not impressed with this at all. I was surprised at this since every recipe I had previously tried by Jenn so far had been amazing!
The meat was not tender at all/ had a weird texture to it. The flavor was not at the standard I expected. The prep time did not only take 30 minutes – it took me quite a while. Nobody in my family cared for it much. In fact, I had tried a sort of deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie a while back that was very simple and very savory – it was much better and I will make that again.
This has not shaken my faith in Jenn though and I plan to buy her cookbook soon as a show of support since I have been so impressed with her other recipes!
Hi! Can the red wine be omitted or substituted? Thanks!
Megan, You can use more broth in place of the wine (so you can go right from the step where you saute the garlic to adding the flour). Hope that helps!
Hi, Jenn!
I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. Amazing results! The gravy was a rich brown colour with excellent flavour. Another Once Upon a Chef recipe for the win! 5 stars!
Can you substitute the dairy items with non dairy? How so?
Hi Liorah, I’ve never made a non-dairy version of this, but believe you’d get good results with non-dairy sour cream and some readers have commented that for a non-dairy alternative to half and half, they’ve used Rich’s non-dairy coffee creamer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s unflavored non-dairy creamer. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it with either of these.)
Having explained the difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie why call this recipe shepherd’s pie? This Brit knows a great recipe and totally different method. Meat for cottage pie is boiled in broth which also makes the gravy! Never fried. Always tender and tasty.
I made this and it was delicious. I made a double batch to share with others and my husband almost ate it all he loved it so much.
I’ve made countless dishes from your site Jenn. All major winners! I found the beef in this recipe to be chewy, despite efforts to tenderize it. I will use a fattier ground beef next time. The mashed potatoes are perfect. The stew is flavorful. Thank you!
Your Shepard’s Pie recipe is now going to be our new go to recipe. Perfection. It is so flavorful and delicious. We made no changes. Thanks Jen!
I have made this a number of times, and about the only thing I do different is that I use Tomato Bisque Soup instead of tomato paste and only use about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I adjust the liquids to get it to consistency I like it (thick). I never used red wine before, but it really adds to the flavor!
I made this and loved it! My husband is not a fan of fresh herbs so I only added a tiny amount of fresh thyme and that was enough. Next time, and there will be a next time, I will make the mashed potatoes right before I plan to cover the meat mixture. Originally I followed the recipe and had set them aside, and by doing this I found that the potatoes got really thick and dried out. I did fix by adding more sour cream and milk. In the end, delicious!
I meant to give this 5 stars
Your Shepherds Pie was delicious. My husband and I enjoyed very much.
This will be my go to recipe in the future.
Dee