Shepherd’s Pie
Seasoned ground beef and veggies are topped with mashed potatoes and cheese in this classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe that is so easy to make at home!
The search is over! This is the best Shepherd’s Pie ever. Hundreds of you have fallen in love with this recipe. After making it for more than a decade, additional step-by-step photos and recipe notes make it more tried-and-true than ever!
One reader, Carrie, writes: I have made several different shepherd’s pie recipes in search of a family favorite. This is hands down the BEST! My husband is not a raver and he raved! My only problem is that it is so good I eat way more than I ought to.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe relies on from-scratch ingredients vs store bought packets or instant mashed potatoes. There is nothing wrong with those store bought shortcuts, but this homemade version is stellar and not hard at all to make!
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes can be used. Cook the potatoes until tender, drain, and mash.
- Cheese: Two kinds of cheeses are used in the mashed potatoes: Parmesan and cheddar. This adds flavor and creaminess. Additional cheddar cheese is sprinkled on top of the casserole once assembled.
- Milk: Add the milk gradually until the ideal mashed potato texture is reached. That will depend on each person. I like the potato layer smooth and creamy.
- Egg Yolk: The egg yolk is optional, but if using, it is stirred into the mashed potato mixture and adds a richness to the flavor. It is a delicious addition – and I recommend using it if you aren’t working around egg allergies.
- Ground Meat: Ground beef, ground turkey, ground lamb, or ground sausage can be used. Or a combination of any of those meats can be used together in the recipe.
- Vegetables: The standard vegetables used in this Shepherd’s Pie recipe are onions, carrots, peas and corn.
- Broth: Beef broth is preferred.
Bonus tip: adding a teaspoon of beef bouillon paste to the filling mixture is optional but amplifies flavor in a big way! I use the Better than Bouillon brand that comes in a jar.
Assembling Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe bakes in a 9X13-inch dish. Glass or ceramic dishes are preferred, but metal pans can also be used.
- Spread the filling evenly in the bottom of a 9X13-inch dish.
- Dollop the mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly all the way to the edges creating a seal all the way around.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
Optional: if the dish is really full, consider placing it on a foil-lined baking sheet to bake so it doesn’t bubble over into the oven.
Make-Ahead Tips
Classic Shepherd’s Pie is an excellent meal to make ahead of time! Here are a few tips to make that happen.
- Freezer Meal: make and assemble the Shepherd’s Pie. Cover the dish tightly with layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Freeze (for up to three months). To bake, preferably, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the foil and plastic wrap and bake per the recipe instructions, adding 10-15 minutes to account for the chilled dish. If baking from frozen, remove the plastic wrap and foil and recover with a sheet of greased foil. Bake for 45 minutes covered. Uncover and bake another 30 to 45 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbling.
- Make-Ahead Meal: make and assemble the Shepherd’s Pie. Cover with greased foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge, covered for the first 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until hot and bubbling (may need an extra 10-15 minutes of baking time to account for the chilled dish).
Shepherd’s Pie Variations
Shepherd’s Pie is one of my family’s all-time favorite meals! Scroll below the recipe to see the adorable screenshot of how one of my son’s detailed exactly that.
This recipe has stood the test of time and is a solid tried-and-true favorite.
If you love the flavors of Shepherd’s Pie, here are two fun and delicious variations to try:
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Potato Layer:
- 3 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped, about 4 to 5 cups (see note for thicker topping)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ to 1 cup milk
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg yolk (optional – see note)
Meat Filling:
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds ground beef, ground turkey, ground sausage (or a combination)
- ½ to 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth (see note)
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme)
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary)
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- For the potatoes, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Mash the potatoes lightly. Add the butter, milk (start with 1/2 cup and add more if you want the texture creamier and softer), Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder. Mash together until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk, if using, and mix until well-combined.
- For the meat and vegetable mixture, in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain excess grease.
- Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the corn and peas.
- Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top all the way to the edges of the pan creating a seal over the meat mixture. Sprinkle the 1 cup cheddar over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden and the casserole is bubbling. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
- Potatoes: many readers (and myself) report over the years wanting a thicker potato topping. To do that, simply 1 1/2 or double the potato layer ingredients.
- Filling:I often increase the filling ingredients as follows: 2 tablespoons flour + 1 3/4 cups broth + 1 tablespoon Worcestershire. And I often add a teaspoon or so of beef bouillon paste to amplify flavor. This recipe is very adaptable to changes like this (and a great recipe to play around with).
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Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe sent to me by a reader, Danielle, who got it from a friend and convinced me I needed to give Shepherd’s Pie another shot (I reduced the butter and cheese a bit and changed up the spices and meat based on what I had on hand) – it looks very similar to this recipe by Alton Brown, no wonder it’s good!
Recipe originally published February 2015; updated October 2025 with new photos, recipe notes, and additional information.
Some funny, random memories of making this meal since my kids were little that were included in the original blog post:
Little Cam (2 1/2 years old – who is now 13!) thinks it’s called “Cow’s Pie” and we have been unable to convince her otherwise. You can imagine how the boys still giggle over that one, especially when she asks: “we having cow’s pie for dinner, mom?”
This snapshot of my 9-year olds’ annual birthday survey makes me smile (he’s now 20 years old!). 
Made this last night. I already had all the ingredients in the house, which was a good sign. It turned out amazing! One of my boys is usually determined to keep all his foods from touching on his plate. He didn’t like the look of this dinner at first, but in the end he loved it. We all did. Definitely a keeper!
Just want to say this recipe is so much fun my great grandkids came over and we made this together they loved every step and were so proud to serve it we made 2 and had 2 teams they both turned out great and it kept them out of trouble all were happy
Thank you so much
Grannie
We made this with leftover mashed potatoes from thanksgiving and we devoured it! Thanks for such a great recipe!
I did the same thing, Kelli!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Second time making this. I usually toss a wad of chili powder in it when I put in the herbs. I do not like casserole-style foods outside of Italian dishes, and this is one of my favorites. (I’d make it more often, but I’m not good with time management and usually start too late at night.) Definitely eat it.
Your mention of putting an egg yolk in the potatoes made me smile. My mother was an excellent cook and living on a farm she cooked for large harvesting crews a few times a year. She always put a whole egg or more in her mashed potatoes. And for the past 65 years I’ve done the same.
After visiting England last year and loving all the fresh Shepherd’s Pie, I decided that this needed to be a new meal in our rotation. Your recipe came in clutch (as usual). I find that a 9×13 pan is too large for my small family, so I divide it in half and freeze the other one. It thaws and bakes beautifully! Thanks again for another smashing recipe, Mel!
I made this for someone who requested it as a take in meal. I doubled amount of potatoes as I thought only 3 wouldn’t cover the whole top and I’m glad I did. It got rave reviews. A little more labor intense than I like to do for a weeknight meal but it’s a great recipe!