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Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe Made From Scratch

Make the best shepherd's pie from scratch with this easy, foolproof recipe. Rich beef filling with creamy mashed potato topping.
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Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the lamb filling
  • 2 lbs Ground lamb
  • 200 g carrots ( diced )
  • 200 g peas ( frozen or fresh )
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 large onion ( chopped )
  • 3 garlic cloves ( minced )
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 tbsp all purpose flour
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
For the potato
  • 3.5 lbs potatoes
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 120 ml milk
  • 25 g cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

To make the potato mash
  1. Peel and chop your potatoes into roughly equal chunks.
  2. Add them to a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until completely tender when pierced with a fork. 
  3. Mash with warm butter and warm cream or milk
To make the lamb filling
  1. Heat a large ovenproof skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add a little oil, then add your onion and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes.
  3. Add in your carrots, and celery to the same pan. 
  4.  Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden.
  5. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  6. Then add your ground lamb. Break it up with a spoon and let it brown properly
  7. Add in your tomato paste and flour and stir to combine. Cook it for two minutes.
  8. Reduce the heat to medium. 
  9. Add the Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs, and stock. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer.
  10.  Let the filling cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  11. Stir in the frozen peas right at the end and season well with salt and pepper.
  12. Assemble
  13. Transfer the meat filling to a baking dish and spread it into an even layer
  14. Spoon the mashed potato over the top and spread it gently from the center outward, all the way to the edges.
  15. Run a fork across the surface of the mash in a crosshatch pattern. 
Bake
  1. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
  2. Once timer is up, remove from oven
  3. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  4. Serve and enjoy