Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort dish from the UK, traditionally made with ground lamb (if made with beef, it’s technically “Cottage Pie”), topped with creamy mashed potatoes. 🥔🍖
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
For the filling:
- 500 g ground lamb (or beef)
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Celery stalks, diced (optional)
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Beef or lamb broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Olive oil or butter
For the topping:
- 4–5 medium Potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp Butter
- ¼ cup Milk (or cream)
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: grated Cheese for a golden crust
Instructions
1. Prepare mashed potatoes
- Boil potatoes until tender.
- Mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cook the filling
- Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet.
- Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until soft.
- Add ground lamb and cook until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer until slightly thickened. Add peas at the end.
3. Assemble
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Spread the meat-vegetable filling in a baking dish.
- Spoon mashed potatoes over the top, smoothing with a spatula.
- Optional: sprinkle grated cheese on top.
4. Bake
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is golden and slightly crispy.
5. Serve
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve hot with a side salad or steamed vegetables. 🥗
Tips
- For extra flavor, mix herbs like thyme or rosemary into the filling.
- Leftovers reheat well and can even be frozen.
- For a lighter version, use sweet potatoes or cauliflower mash on top.
If you like, I can also give a step-by-step “ultimate comfort” version with extra creamy potatoes and caramelized onions—it makes the shepherd’s pie restaurant-style.
