Shepherd S Pie Recipe

Back to Shepherd’s Pie All Reviews for Shepherd’s Pie - of Reviews Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Gallery Read the full recipe after the video. Recipe Summary prep: 20 mins total: 35 mins Servings: 4 shepherds pie

Ingredients Ingredient Checklist 1 pound ground beef chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 box (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw) Coarse salt and ground pepper 3 cups mashed potatoes

Gallery Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary prep: 20 mins total: 35 mins Servings: 4 shepherds pie

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary prep: 20 mins total: 35 mins Servings: 4

Recipe Summary

prep: 20 mins total: 35 mins

Servings: 4

prep: 20 mins

total: 35 mins

prep:

20 mins

total:

35 mins

Servings: 4

shepherds pie

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 box (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw) Coarse salt and ground pepper 3 cups mashed potatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook beef, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup water and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Reviews (41)

 Add Rating & Review     780 Ratings   5 star values:        143    4 star values:        187    3 star values:        267    2 star values:        141    1 star values:        42

Load More Reviews

Reviews (41)

Add Rating & Review     780 Ratings   5 star values:        143    4 star values:        187    3 star values:        267    2 star values:        141    1 star values:        42

Add Rating & Review

780 Ratings 5 star values: 143 4 star values: 187 3 star values: 267 2 star values: 141 1 star values: 42

5 star values: 143 4 star values: 187 3 star values: 267 2 star values: 141 1 star values: 42

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5.0 stars       12/16/2020   This recipe was a big hit in my household! It's easy, too. And it makes a lot. I made a few substitutions based on other comments below: I used both ketchup and worcestershire sauce (and was liberal with both); I used 2 lbs of ground turkey instead of 1 lb of ground beef (I like it to last longer); I used instant mashed potatoes (super easy); and I added cheddar cheese to the potatoes on the top. Definitely going to make again.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4.0 stars       06/17/2020   Instead of mashed potatoes I use mashed yam or mashed sweet potato Into which i have mixed powdered ginger and lite becel. Gives it a wonderful flavour.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4.0 stars       06/15/2020   To answer your question, Sarah, I do dice my onions but I leave the root end intact so the onion doesn't slip and move around so much cause I always think I will end up cutting my fingers! :)  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4.0 stars       02/17/2020   Very good  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 1 stars       08/30/2019   Shepherds Pie is made using lamb, preferably cut into 1-2 lnch cubes. This is a recipe for Cottage Pie. Shepherds Pie is made using 1-2 inch chunks of lamb. This is a recipe for Cottage Pie. Thank you, Dale  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5 stars       07/31/2019   I made it exactly as written. It is delicious. I’ve made it for company and always get rave reviews. They also ask for the recipe. I watched Martha make this on her show in the 90’s and it been a favorite since then.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5 stars       02/27/2019   I read the reviews. And a lot of the time, they are a little bland for my taste. I have made this type of thing many times over the years. Pretty much, never the same twice on seasoning. The thing is, this recipe can be what you want. I went with the original base, half the onion, increased the garlic a bit. I prefer a little gravy, so I added Worcestershire, beef broth, corn starch with a tablespoon or so of A-1. I forgot the ketchup and thyme. After browning meat and onions, I added in all this along with the mixed veggies. I tasted and it still needed something, (probably the ketchup and thyme), so I threw in some dry fajita seawsoning and paprika. Re -tasted and it was perfect. For the potatoes, I used Yukon golds with cheddar cheese mixed in. This was really good, and husband said best yet....so I will make again. One of the commenters said, cooking should be fun. You don't have to have a bland dish if you can taste it before it's finished and this is one of those recipes that allows that. So go with what you like....it's a great recipe.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4 stars       01/27/2019   Since several people mentioned that this recipe was bland, I made adjustments as I was making it. I happened to have some leftover caramelized onions, so I put those in the mashed potatoes. I also used more than three cups of mashed potatoes. I figured...how could it hurt? For the liquid, I used beef broth and some red wine...which I just happened to have in the refrigerator...along with a few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. I think I had more than a half a cup of liquid, so I added a little extra flour, and I used a 16 ounce bag of mixed vegetables--instead of the listed 10 ounce box. Besides the thyme I added some Italian Seasoning, garlic powder,and smoked paprika. It was delicious. I think it would have been delicious and flavorable even if I would have followed the recipe. I will definitely make this again! :)  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5 stars       03/21/2018   This is my "go to" Shepherd's Pie recipe. So very easy and every person I have made it for, loves it. It's perfect with a small salad.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       08/30/2017   I have a recipe For Martha's Shephard's pie from the 90's. It's more chopping but still not difficult. I recently made it for a friend recovering from surgery. She raved about it and asked for the recipe. It's quite tasty.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4 stars       08/06/2017   I also added sliced mushrooms and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup to this recipe. If the top of the potatoes do not brown to your liking, you can also pop the dish under the broiler until the tops are browned to your liking. Great easy, basic recipe. Sarah makes the video and cooking this recipe very enjoyable. I love her personality and look forward to more videos from her :)  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4 stars       07/23/2017   Could everyone please get over what it's called and focus on the recipe? The "traditional" Shepherds Pie was made with minced lamb because that was abundantly available, England didn't have lots of cows but there were plenty of sheep. My mom was British, I was born and lived in England, but when we moved to America even my mom made it with beef and still called it Shepherds pie. Lamb was not familiar to most Americans and has only recently grown in popularity. However, lamb is far more expensive than beef which prohibits many families from using lamb. Use what you like and can afford!! Most recipes for any Shepherd's Pie say use beef or lamb. That said, I made this version because it was fast and easy and I didn't have time for a more complicated recipe. It turned out very good, but I added a little Worcestershire sauce, about a 1/2 cup of beef stock, and a can of cream of celery soup to give it a creamy sauce. It's not like my mom's more traditional recipe but both are good. Cooking is about fun, experimenting, and making something tasty. This is a good recipe for a quick meal when you don't have lots of time, and you can tweak it to your own taste.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       06/26/2017   This isn't shepherd's pie? This is a cottage pie hun. If it's made with beef it's cottage if it's made with lamb, it's a shepard pie. Alot of people get them confused or don't know the difference!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 2 stars       01/11/2017   This recipe was very bland. Warming the veggies through and cooking for 10 minutes in the oven really isn't enough to give them any of the flavors in the rest of the pie. I'd recommend just saving this recipe for a weekend or whenever you have extra time, and cooking fresh veggies separately and adding them to the pie. Will definitely take more time, but my husband had been begging me to make shepherd's pie, yet tried hard to hide his disappointment at this one.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       03/11/2016   I found this recipe to be really bland and tasteless. Perhaps small children would like it. I added some Worcestershire sauce and a few sprinkles from a package of dry au juice gravy mix, and more water, and it helped a lot. I will not use this recipe again.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/13/2016   When I was living with the French Nun's and they made their Shepard's pie for all the children at the orphanage. They used chopped beef and they made a white sauce for the gravy!!! I loved it this way too! I actually found I liked peas because of the white sauce and the Nuns were EXCELLENT cooks who NEVER over cooked the veggies!!!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/13/2016   Like so many casserole recipes from Ireland or the UK these dishes origins came from leftovers. My Gram made Shepard's pie from left over leg of lamb. She did not use ground lamb it was lamb that was chopped up after it was removed from the Roast leg of lamb. She also would make a casserole called Rectors hash. It wasn't a hash it was Chunks of Lamb, potatoes and carrots all mixed together with cheese and tomato sauce. Both casseroles were made of left overs normally served on Monday night!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5 stars       10/26/2014   I made this recipe and my family is still raving. I added a cup of grated white cheddar cheese to the mashed potatoes. Mmmm mmmm good.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       05/05/2014   In response to Calvin Curry: Someone always has to make the lamb comment don't they. GET OVER IT! If you look in most cookbooks and from most chefs it is made with beef and still called shepheards pie, not "cottage pie". GET OVER IT!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       04/04/2013   Surely a sheperd's pie is made with lamb, the name should tell you this.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/16/2011   i use a can of tomato soup in this instead of ketchup...also add diced carrots and peas for color and sweetness instead of mixed veggies. and ground lamb is an excellent substitute for the beef!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       09/12/2011   I drained the ground beef before I added the veggies (I thought it was a little to greasy otherwise). I also added Worcestershire sauce and substituted Guinness for the water (1/4 cup) for a richer taste. The great thing about this dish is that you can use left over mashed potates and veggies and cook on a night when you don't really want to put too much effort into cooking!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       07/15/2010   does anyone know if the ketchup is a must? i am not so sure how well it would turn out with the whole pie!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       02/16/2010   One of my favorite dishes! If you add a 1/2 cup of beef stock instead of water you get a lovely gravy like taste to the sauce. I've added sausage to mine for a new twist. You can also do a ground turkey or chicken version, omit the ketchup and use a little Worchester sauce or soy sauce. You can also use up any left over gravy to make your sauce. A splash of wine is always a good flavor boost. Any left over veg you have goes well in here. Have fun trying your own version.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/03/2010   So delicious! Slight correction though for those who enjoy working from their EF mags... it's from Everyday Food, November 2006.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       12/07/2009   Deeeeelish%21  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       12/07/2009   Very good recipe! I used both Worchester sauce and tomato ketchup, and mushrooms instead of frozen vegies. Kids loved it.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       03/25/2009   I generally use either shaved carrots or corn instead of mixed veggies. Then, when I have about ten minutes left, I sprinkle the top of the potatoes with some shredded Cheddar cheese. It is truly scrumptious!!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       03/13/2009   could i use a creamed corn with the vegies?  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       12/06/2008   Sooo Good! I used HP sauce (brown sauce- UK version of catsup) instead of catsup and worchester. I also added mushrooms for more of a meaty flavor. Easy to make and tasted awesome.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       11/17/2008   I doubled the recipe and used instant potatoes. I really liked it. It's great for a cold night and is really fulfilling. My father in law actually liked it so that's saying something!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/22/2008   This is actually a "Cottage Pie" as it is made with 'Beef' - A Shepherd's Pie is made with Lamb - Shepherd = Lambs/Sheep.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/21/2008   I use instant mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese to add appeal for the kids.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/29/2008   This was really good - my husband loved it! I was out of garlic, so I used garlic salt instead and it was great.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/16/2008   Since my daughter is learning to cook, this would be a good meal for her to make for our family. It reminds me of suppers when I was a child.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/16/2008   While this is one of my favorites, I add a little worchester sauce for stronger flavor and cream cheese or sour cream to the mashed potatoes for heavier substance.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/15/2008   I used groung lamb in the tradition of the UK. Can't stand what passes for ground beef here. I did use fresh rather than frozen vegies. It was very good that way. Served with fresh tropical fruit and Artichokes.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/15/2008   I added one small can of tomato paste to give it more flavor instead of ketchup and also added peas and corn. I also doubled it so that it would feed 6 people and found that I needed to add 1 cup of water, which I took out of the potato water, which helped to thicken the mixture too. Delicious!

Martha Stewart Member

Rating: 5.0 stars 12/16/2020

This recipe was a big hit in my household! It’s easy, too. And it makes a lot. I made a few substitutions based on other comments below: I used both ketchup and worcestershire sauce (and was liberal with both); I used 2 lbs of ground turkey instead of 1 lb of ground beef (I like it to last longer); I used instant mashed potatoes (super easy); and I added cheddar cheese to the potatoes on the top. Definitely going to make again.

Rating: 5.0 stars

Rating: 4.0 stars 06/17/2020

Instead of mashed potatoes I use mashed yam or mashed sweet potato Into which i have mixed powdered ginger and lite becel. Gives it a wonderful flavour.

Rating: 4.0 stars

Rating: 4.0 stars 06/15/2020

To answer your question, Sarah, I do dice my onions but I leave the root end intact so the onion doesn’t slip and move around so much cause I always think I will end up cutting my fingers! :)

Rating: 4.0 stars 02/17/2020

Very good

Rating: 1 stars 08/30/2019

Shepherds Pie is made using lamb, preferably cut into 1-2 lnch cubes. This is a recipe for Cottage Pie. Shepherds Pie is made using 1-2 inch chunks of lamb. This is a recipe for Cottage Pie. Thank you, Dale

Rating: 1 stars

Rating: 5 stars 07/31/2019

I made it exactly as written. It is delicious. I’ve made it for company and always get rave reviews. They also ask for the recipe. I watched Martha make this on her show in the 90’s and it been a favorite since then.

Rating: 5 stars

Rating: 5 stars 02/27/2019

I read the reviews. And a lot of the time, they are a little bland for my taste. I have made this type of thing many times over the years. Pretty much, never the same twice on seasoning. The thing is, this recipe can be what you want. I went with the original base, half the onion, increased the garlic a bit. I prefer a little gravy, so I added Worcestershire, beef broth, corn starch with a tablespoon or so of A-1. I forgot the ketchup and thyme. After browning meat and onions, I added in all this along with the mixed veggies. I tasted and it still needed something, (probably the ketchup and thyme), so I threw in some dry fajita seawsoning and paprika. Re -tasted and it was perfect. For the potatoes, I used Yukon golds with cheddar cheese mixed in. This was really good, and husband said best yet….so I will make again. One of the commenters said, cooking should be fun. You don’t have to have a bland dish if you can taste it before it’s finished and this is one of those recipes that allows that. So go with what you like….it’s a great recipe.

Rating: 4 stars 01/27/2019

Since several people mentioned that this recipe was bland, I made adjustments as I was making it. I happened to have some leftover caramelized onions, so I put those in the mashed potatoes. I also used more than three cups of mashed potatoes. I figured…how could it hurt? For the liquid, I used beef broth and some red wine…which I just happened to have in the refrigerator…along with a few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. I think I had more than a half a cup of liquid, so I added a little extra flour, and I used a 16 ounce bag of mixed vegetables–instead of the listed 10 ounce box. Besides the thyme I added some Italian Seasoning, garlic powder,and smoked paprika. It was delicious. I think it would have been delicious and flavorable even if I would have followed the recipe. I will definitely make this again! :)

Rating: 4 stars

Rating: 5 stars 03/21/2018

This is my “go to” Shepherd’s Pie recipe. So very easy and every person I have made it for, loves it. It’s perfect with a small salad.

Rating: Unrated 08/30/2017

I have a recipe For Martha’s Shephard’s pie from the 90’s. It’s more chopping but still not difficult. I recently made it for a friend recovering from surgery. She raved about it and asked for the recipe. It’s quite tasty.

Rating: Unrated

Rating: 4 stars 08/06/2017

I also added sliced mushrooms and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup to this recipe. If the top of the potatoes do not brown to your liking, you can also pop the dish under the broiler until the tops are browned to your liking. Great easy, basic recipe. Sarah makes the video and cooking this recipe very enjoyable. I love her personality and look forward to more videos from her :)

Rating: 4 stars 07/23/2017

Could everyone please get over what it’s called and focus on the recipe? The “traditional” Shepherds Pie was made with minced lamb because that was abundantly available, England didn’t have lots of cows but there were plenty of sheep. My mom was British, I was born and lived in England, but when we moved to America even my mom made it with beef and still called it Shepherds pie. Lamb was not familiar to most Americans and has only recently grown in popularity. However, lamb is far more expensive than beef which prohibits many families from using lamb. Use what you like and can afford!! Most recipes for any Shepherd’s Pie say use beef or lamb. That said, I made this version because it was fast and easy and I didn’t have time for a more complicated recipe. It turned out very good, but I added a little Worcestershire sauce, about a 1/2 cup of beef stock, and a can of cream of celery soup to give it a creamy sauce. It’s not like my mom’s more traditional recipe but both are good. Cooking is about fun, experimenting, and making something tasty. This is a good recipe for a quick meal when you don’t have lots of time, and you can tweak it to your own taste.

Rating: Unrated 06/26/2017

This isn’t shepherd’s pie? This is a cottage pie hun. If it’s made with beef it’s cottage if it’s made with lamb, it’s a shepard pie. Alot of people get them confused or don’t know the difference!

Rating: 2 stars 01/11/2017

This recipe was very bland. Warming the veggies through and cooking for 10 minutes in the oven really isn’t enough to give them any of the flavors in the rest of the pie. I’d recommend just saving this recipe for a weekend or whenever you have extra time, and cooking fresh veggies separately and adding them to the pie. Will definitely take more time, but my husband had been begging me to make shepherd’s pie, yet tried hard to hide his disappointment at this one.

Rating: 2 stars

Rating: Unrated 03/11/2016

I found this recipe to be really bland and tasteless. Perhaps small children would like it. I added some Worcestershire sauce and a few sprinkles from a package of dry au juice gravy mix, and more water, and it helped a lot. I will not use this recipe again.

Rating: Unrated 01/13/2016

When I was living with the French Nun’s and they made their Shepard’s pie for all the children at the orphanage. They used chopped beef and they made a white sauce for the gravy!!! I loved it this way too! I actually found I liked peas because of the white sauce and the Nuns were EXCELLENT cooks who NEVER over cooked the veggies!!!

Like so many casserole recipes from Ireland or the UK these dishes origins came from leftovers. My Gram made Shepard’s pie from left over leg of lamb. She did not use ground lamb it was lamb that was chopped up after it was removed from the Roast leg of lamb. She also would make a casserole called Rectors hash. It wasn’t a hash it was Chunks of Lamb, potatoes and carrots all mixed together with cheese and tomato sauce. Both casseroles were made of left overs normally served on Monday night!

Rating: 5 stars 10/26/2014

I made this recipe and my family is still raving. I added a cup of grated white cheddar cheese to the mashed potatoes. Mmmm mmmm good.

Rating: Unrated 05/05/2014

In response to Calvin Curry: Someone always has to make the lamb comment don’t they. GET OVER IT! If you look in most cookbooks and from most chefs it is made with beef and still called shepheards pie, not “cottage pie”. GET OVER IT!

Rating: Unrated 04/04/2013

Surely a sheperd’s pie is made with lamb, the name should tell you this.

Rating: Unrated 10/16/2011

i use a can of tomato soup in this instead of ketchup…also add diced carrots and peas for color and sweetness instead of mixed veggies. and ground lamb is an excellent substitute for the beef!

Rating: Unrated 09/12/2011

I drained the ground beef before I added the veggies (I thought it was a little to greasy otherwise). I also added Worcestershire sauce and substituted Guinness for the water (1/4 cup) for a richer taste. The great thing about this dish is that you can use left over mashed potates and veggies and cook on a night when you don’t really want to put too much effort into cooking!

Rating: Unrated 07/15/2010

does anyone know if the ketchup is a must? i am not so sure how well it would turn out with the whole pie!

Rating: Unrated 02/16/2010

One of my favorite dishes! If you add a 1/2 cup of beef stock instead of water you get a lovely gravy like taste to the sauce. I’ve added sausage to mine for a new twist. You can also do a ground turkey or chicken version, omit the ketchup and use a little Worchester sauce or soy sauce. You can also use up any left over gravy to make your sauce. A splash of wine is always a good flavor boost. Any left over veg you have goes well in here. Have fun trying your own version.

Rating: Unrated 01/03/2010

So delicious! Slight correction though for those who enjoy working from their EF mags… it’s from Everyday Food, November 2006.

Rating: Unrated 12/07/2009

Deeeeelish%21

Very good recipe! I used both Worchester sauce and tomato ketchup, and mushrooms instead of frozen vegies. Kids loved it.

Rating: Unrated 03/25/2009

I generally use either shaved carrots or corn instead of mixed veggies. Then, when I have about ten minutes left, I sprinkle the top of the potatoes with some shredded Cheddar cheese. It is truly scrumptious!!

Rating: Unrated 03/13/2009

could i use a creamed corn with the vegies?

Rating: Unrated 12/06/2008

Sooo Good! I used HP sauce (brown sauce- UK version of catsup) instead of catsup and worchester. I also added mushrooms for more of a meaty flavor. Easy to make and tasted awesome.

Rating: Unrated 11/17/2008

I doubled the recipe and used instant potatoes. I really liked it. It’s great for a cold night and is really fulfilling. My father in law actually liked it so that’s saying something!

Rating: Unrated 10/22/2008

This is actually a “Cottage Pie” as it is made with ‘Beef’ - A Shepherd’s Pie is made with Lamb - Shepherd = Lambs/Sheep.

Rating: Unrated 10/21/2008

I use instant mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese to add appeal for the kids.

Rating: Unrated 01/29/2008

This was really good - my husband loved it! I was out of garlic, so I used garlic salt instead and it was great.

Rating: Unrated 01/16/2008

Since my daughter is learning to cook, this would be a good meal for her to make for our family. It reminds me of suppers when I was a child.

While this is one of my favorites, I add a little worchester sauce for stronger flavor and cream cheese or sour cream to the mashed potatoes for heavier substance.

Rating: Unrated 01/15/2008

I used groung lamb in the tradition of the UK. Can’t stand what passes for ground beef here. I did use fresh rather than frozen vegies. It was very good that way. Served with fresh tropical fruit and Artichokes.

I added one small can of tomato paste to give it more flavor instead of ketchup and also added peas and corn. I also doubled it so that it would feed 6 people and found that I needed to add 1 cup of water, which I took out of the potato water, which helped to thicken the mixture too. Delicious!

All Reviews for Shepherd’s Pie

of Reviews Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

All Reviews for Shepherd’s Pie

of Reviews
Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful     Most Positive     Least Positive     Newest

Gallery#

Recipe Summary#

Ingredients#

Directions#

Reviews (41)#

All Reviews for Shepherd’s Pie#

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Reviews (41)

All Reviews for Shepherd’s Pie