The Best Classic Shepherd's Pie
The ultimate comfort food featuring a rich, savory meat and vegetable filling simmered in a glossy gravy, topped with a blanket of velvety garlic parmesan mashed potatoes and baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil For sautéing the vegetables
- 1 cup yellow onion Finely chopped
- 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef or ground lamb Choose preferred protein option
- 2 tsp dried parsley leaves
- 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves Crush slightly
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic Minced finely
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour Thickening agent
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
Potato Topping
- 1 1/2 - 2 lb. russet potatoes About 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter 1 full stick
- 1/3 cup half & half
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt For potatoes
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper For potatoes
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put a large skillet on your stove over medium-high heat. Let your olive oil warm up for about two minutes until hot.
- Toss in your chopped yellow onions. Cook them for five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every now and then until soft and translucent.
- Drop your ground beef or ground lamb right into the pan. Use your spoon to break the meat into tiny pieces.
- Sprinkle in your dried parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to coat the meat evenly. Cook for six to eight minutes until fully browned with no pink left.
- Add your minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Stir together and let it cook for exactly one minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the meat and drop in your tomato paste. Stir fast until the paste blends in completely with no flour clumps left behind.
- Pour your beef broth into the skillet, then toss in the frozen peas, carrots, and corn. Bring the liquid to a quick boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer for five minutes until the sauce is thick. Turn off heat and preheat oven to 400°F.
- While the meat rests, wash, peel, and chop your russet potatoes into one-inch cubes. Put them in a big cooking pot, cover completely with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Simmer steadily for 10 to 15 minutes until fork-tender.
- Carefully drain the water using a colander, then put the hot potatoes straight back into the warm pot. Let them sit untouched for one minute to allow extra surface moisture to evaporate.
- Add your butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mash continuously until completely smooth and lump-free, then fold in the parmesan cheese until melted.
- Grab a clean nine-by-nine-inch baking dish and pour the thick meat and veggie filling into the bottom, smoothing it into a flat layer with a spatula.
- Spoon the warm mashed potatoes over the meat in small spoonfuls, then smooth gently with the back of a spoon. Drag a fork across the top to make textured ridges.
- Place your casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges bubble and the potato peaks turn golden. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes before serving to let the gravy set.
Notes
If you cannot find frozen mixed peas and carrots, substitute with a half-cup of frozen peas and a half-cup of frozen sliced carrots. Let the baked pie rest for a full 15 minutes before slicing so the rich gravy sets up nicely and doesn't run.