Shepherd’s Pie

Ground Beef – use leaner ground beef like 90/10. If you want juicier beef layer, you can use 85/15 ground beef.

Corn – use canned whole kernel corn but make sure to drain it well first. If you choose to use frozen whole kernel corn, make thaw it first and drain off all the accumulated liquids.

Peas – you can use refrigerated fresh peas or frozen peas. If using frozen peas, thaw them first and discard any accumulated liquid.

Tomato Paste – make sure to use tomato paste, not tomato sauce. They are very different textures, richness, and consistency.

Beef Stock – Although beef stock is preferred for deeper flavor, you can substitute beef broth if needed. If using store-bought beef stock, make sure to get low-sodium or unsalted.

Potatoes – use Idaho (or Russet) potatoes to make the best fluffy and soft mashed potatoes.

Heavy Whipping Cream – this will give you the creamier consistency but you can also use half and half or whole milk. (Feel free to use lactose free or plan based cream or milk if needed.)

Butter – use unsalted butter to control the sodium. (Feel free to use plant based butter if needed.)

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Shepherd’s Pie consists of two parts: the beef and vegetable layer and mashed potato layer. 

To make the beef layer:

Preheat a large (12-inch) cooking pan over medium heat. Sauté diced onions and carrots until softened and add minced garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant. 

Add ground beef and break it up into as many pieces as possible. Season the beef with some salt and pepper, cover and let it cook until browned about half way. Stir and break up as many lumps as possible. Add peas and corn, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until meat is browned. 

While meat is cooking, heat up beef broth and mix it with Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Set it aside.

Sprinkle flour over the beef and stir well until flour is evenly incorporated. 

Pour in beef stock mixture and stir it in carefully as you pour. Add herbs and taste to see if more salt and pepper is needed. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until the gravy is thickened (1). 

To make mashed potatoes:

Peel your potatoes and cut them in about 1 inch chunks. Cutting the potatoes will make it faster to cook and easier to mash. (If you want to leave skin on, make sure to wash potatoes well.)

Add potatoes to the pot and fill it with cold water, enough to cover the potatoes. Season the water with the bay leaves, some salt and pepper. Cook potatoes over medium heat until potatoes are fork-tender.

Drain potatoes but save some cooking water. Add butter, heavy whipping cream, about 1/4 cup of cooking water, garlic powder and salt. Mash potatoes until all lumps are broken and it’s smooth (2). If you need to, add another 1/4 cup or so of cooking water to reach desired consistency. Mashed potatoes should be soft enough to easily spread over the beef.

To assemble Shepherd’s Pie:

Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish.

Spread beef mixture evenly over the bottom of the casserole dish (3). Spoon mashed potatoes over the beef mixture (4) and gently spread it over the top (5). 

Bake it for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on the top (6). 

Make Ahead Recommendation

You can easily prepare Shepherd’s Pie ahead of time. Prepare it up to the step of baking and instead of baking it, cover it air-tight with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Put away into the refrigerator. When ready to bake, take the casserole dish out of the refrigerator and set on the counter for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven, take off the cover, and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

Storing Recommendations

You can easily store cooked Shepherd’s Pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure that the dish is cooled to room temperature, cover it air-tight with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator.  

Freezing Instructions

Shepherd’s pie can easily be frozen as well. If you are planning on freezing it, use 9×13 aluminum foil casserole pan to assemble the beef and potatoes. 

Cook mashed potatoes and beef per the recipe. Spread beef mixture evenly over the bottom of the aluminum foil casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over the beef mixture and gently spread it over the top. Make sure to cool everything to room temperature.

Cover the whole pan air-tight. I recommend double wrapping the pan with a layer of plastic wrap all around and then a layer of aluminum foil all around. Make it air-tight.

Label and place in the freezer. Stuffed shells can be frozen for up to 2 months. 

To cook frozen Shepherd’s Pie, you can either bake them frozen or let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or up to 12 hours. 

If you are going to bake it frozen, take off the plastic wrap and cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 80 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or you can crisp the top under the broiler on low setting.

Thawed Shepherd’s Pie will take 35-40 minutes and it doesn’t need to be covered with aluminum foil.

Make It Gluten Free

Shepherd’s pie is actually a very easy dish to make gluten free because the only part that contains gluten is flour in the gravy. Gravy can just as easily be thickened with cornstarch or gluten free flour. 

To thicken the gravy in beef with gluten free flour, follow the recipe steps exactly and simply substitute regular all purpose flour for gluten free all purpose flour. 

If you would rather use cornstarch, it would need to be mixed with some cold broth fist, before adding it to the beef. Set aside about 1/4 cup of cold beef broth and mix it with 1 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix in the cornstarch mixture into the beef mixture after warm beef broth had been added. Gently stir and let it heat through and thicken.

More Irish Recipes To Make For St. Patrick’s Day

• Bangers and Mash
• Colcannon
• Potato Pancakes
• Honey Guinness Chicken Drumsticks
• Corned Beef In The Oven