Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (but better!)

This meal… it’s the one that gives you the warm and fuzzies. With all the elements of a traditional Shepherd’s Pie recipe—ground beef, mashed potatoes, and veggies—but with a few delicious upgrades: roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese in the potatoes, a mix of dried herbs, and some Worcestershire sauce for that rich umami kick. It makes plenty of leftovers, but that’s a happy problem, because in my opinion, it only gets better with time!

London’s tip to make it a winner: It’s subtle, but roasting the garlic adds a touch of caramelized sweetness. Also, those peaks in the potatoes get a lovely crisp when baked, so don’t miss this step!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.

• Potatoes. Use a starchy variety like Russet for the best texture. Avoid waxy types like red or Yukon gold.
• Milk. Whole milk adds creaminess to the mashed potatoes. You can make it even more decadent with half and half or even heavy cream.
• Ground beef. Opt for a 90/10. If it’s too fatty, the filling will be runny. If needed, you can sub in ground turkey, venison, or ground lamb.
• Tomato paste. This addition is used to add flavor and thicken the filling. Avoid subbing with tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
• Broth. While beef broth adds the most flavor, you can also use chicken or vegetable broth.
• Worcestershire sauce. This gives the dish that indescribable umami flavor. If you don’t have this, a bit of soy sauce will work, too!
• Dried herbs. Thyme, rosemary, and parsley are all included in the filling. You can use fresh herbs, but you will need 2-3 times more.
• Frozen vegetables. Look for a traditional mix of corn, peas, and carrots.

How to Make a Traditional Shepherd’s Pie

Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.

• Prep the potatoes. Rinse the potatoes and scrub them under running water to get rid of any visible dirt. Remove the skins. Roughly cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. They don’t have to be exactly 1-inch, but the closer they are to the same size the more evenly they’ll cook.
• Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add enough water to cover everything with at least one inch extra. Sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Then, reduce the heat to low. Allow the potatoes to simmer for 10 minutes. They are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.

• Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink and then add them back to the pot. Pour in the milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Use a potato masher to mash all of the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and creamy with very few chunks left.
• Make the filling. Take your frozen vegetables out of the freezer and allow them to thaw while you are making the filling. Place a large skillet or saucepan with oil over medium or medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add in garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds. Push all of the vegetables to the side of the skillet. Add the ground beef and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, still over medium heat. You don’t want to see any pink remaining.

• Make the gravy. Add the tomato paste, flour, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper into the vegetable and meat mixture. Stir everything well. Carefully pour in the beef broth and mix the filling together. Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for another 10 minutes. When there is about 2 minutes left, mix in the frozen vegetables.
• Layer in the pan. First, add in the meat mixture. Use a spoon or spatula to evenly spread it out to each corner and across the middle. Then, carefully drop dollops of mashed potatoes across the top of the filling. Use a spatula to spread out the potatoes until there is an even layer covering the meat.
• Bake, rest, and serve. Place the Shepherd’s pie in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Watch for the edges to turn brown. If you want an extra crispy topping, turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end. Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This allows the gravy to thicken back up. When you are ready to enjoy, serve a big helping in a bowl with a sprinkle of fresh parsley!

FAQs

What to serve with shepherd’s pie?

While this dish doesn’t really need anything else, you can try it with one of these recipes:

• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
• Steamed Broccoli
• Roasted Asparagus
• Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

More Classic Comfort Food Recipes

If you are looking for more cozy meals to add to your recipe book, give one of these a shot next:

Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

1 hr 20 mins

Italian Wedding Soup

1 hr

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

1 hr

Chicken Dumpling Soup

1 hr

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 4 votes

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (but better!)

This meal… it’s the one that gives you the warm and fuzzies. It has all the elements of a traditional Shepherd's Pie recipe—ground beef, mashed potatoes, and veggies—but with a few delicious upgrades: roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese in the potatoes, a mix of dried herbs, and some Worcestershire sauce for that rich umami kick.

Yield 6 servings

Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 40 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes about 3 medium
• ▢ ½ cup whole milk
• ▢ 4 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons salt divided
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon black pepper divided
• ▢ 4 roasted garlic cloves minced*
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ▢ 1 small sweet onion finely diced
• ▢ 3 celery ribs finely diced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves finely minced
• ▢ 1 pound 90/10 ground beef
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce*
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1 ½ cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
• ▢ Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, optional

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Rinse and scrub the potatoes to remove any visible dirt, then peel and cut them into roughly 1-inch chunks.
  1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
• Add the potatoes to a large Dutch oven or pot and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Sprinkle in a pinch or two of salt and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a rapid simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink, then return them to the pot. Add the milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper, and roasted garlic. Using a potato masher, mash everything together until smooth and creamy with very few chunks remaining. Set aside until ready to use.
  ½ cup whole milk, 4 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 ¼ teaspoons salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 4 roasted garlic cloves
• Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion and celery, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
  2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 small sweet onion, 3 celery ribs, 3 garlic cloves
• Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart, for 7-8 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, flour, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, parsley, 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
  1 pound 90/10 ground beef, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce*, ¾ teaspoon dried thyme, ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary, ¾ teaspoon dried parsley
• Stir in the beef broth, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until it has thickened and is no longer runny. Stir in the mixed vegetables and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
  1 ½ cups beef broth, 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
• Spray a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add the ground meat filling, spreading it out to cover the bottom of the dish. Place evenly spaced dollops of the mashed potatoes on top. Use a spatula to spread the potatoes out to completely cover the ground meat layer. Use the side of the spatula to create little peaks in the potatoes.
• Bake the shepherd’s pie for 25-30 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crispy. Let the pie rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired.
  Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

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5 from 4 votes

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Notes

• Garlic: One clove of fresh, minced garlic can be used in place of the roasted garlic cloves.
• Worcestershire sauce: Soy sauce or Tamari can be substituted.
• Make ahead: Prepare the mashed potatoes and filling up to 2 days in advance, storing separately in the fridge. Assemble and bake when ready.
• Assemble ahead: Layer the Shepherd’s Pie in a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking.
• Storage (refrigerator): Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven at 350°F until warmed through.
• Storage (freezer): To freeze the baked pie, let it cool completely, then transfer pieces to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight or reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes, until warmed through.
• Dairy-Free: Use oat, soy, or cashew milk; replace the butter and Parmesan with dairy-free alternatives.
• Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend, and ensure the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth are gluten-free.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 1340mg, Potassium: 1150mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2757IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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