In this article
Shepherd’s pie crossed the ocean a long time ago and settled into the American weeknight without any fuss. It asks for ground beef, a few vegetables, a pot of potatoes and an oven, and it gives back a whole supper in one dish, meat and gravy and mash in every spoonful.
A word about the name, because it starts arguments. In Britain, a shepherd looks after sheep, so shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, and the same dish made with beef is called cottage pie. On this side of the water, the beef version has been called shepherd’s pie for as long as anyone can remember, and that is the name it keeps here.
Two small things separate a good one from a sunken, soupy one. The gravy has to be simmered until it is properly thick, and the filling has to cool for ten minutes before the potatoes go on. Hot filling melts the mash and it sinks. Cooler filling holds it up, the fork ridges stay sharp, and the top stays a top.
Why this shepherd’s pie works
- A properly thick gravy. Tomato paste and flour cooked for a minute, then broth simmered for ten, give a filling that does not run across the plate.
- The filling is cooled first. Ten minutes off the heat firms the gravy enough to carry the weight of the mash.
- Stiff mashed potatoes. Only 4 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of milk for 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes. A loose mash will not hold a ridge.
- Fork ridges. Dragging a fork across the whole top raises thin peaks of potato, and those peaks are what go brown and crisp.
Ingredients
Serves 6 from one 9 by 13 inch baking dish, or a deep 3-quart casserole. US cups with grams in brackets.
For the beef filling
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (680g), 85 percent lean
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth (360ml)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- A pinch of dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas (130g)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the potato top
- 2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (1.1kg), peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter (56g)
- 1/2 cup milk (120ml), warmed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- A handful of shredded sharp cheddar, about 1/2 cup (55g)
Cut the carrots small, about 1/4 inch, so they are tender by the time the beef is browned. The peas go in frozen at the end, which keeps them green.
How to make shepherd’s pie
The potatoes
- Put the potato chunks in a large pot, cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain well and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes with the butter, the warm milk and the salt until smooth. The mash should be stiff enough to spread and hold a shape, so do not add more milk.
The filling
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion and the carrots for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains. Drain off the fat.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste and flour. Stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens a shade.
- Pour in the beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce and add the thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is a thick gravy that clings to the meat. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Stir in the frozen peas. Scrape the filling into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, level it, and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Topping and baking
- Drop the mashed potatoes over the filling in large spoonfuls, starting around the edges to seal them, then spread gently to cover. Drag a fork across the whole top to make ridges, and scatter the cheddar over it.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, until the ridges are golden brown and the gravy bubbles at the edges. Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling settles.
Tips that make the difference
- Start the potatoes in cold water. Dropped into boiling water, the outside turns mushy before the center is cooked.
- Draining the beef matters. Fat left in the pan makes the gravy greasy and stops the flour from thickening it.
- Seal the potatoes to the edge of the dish all the way around. It keeps the gravy from bubbling over the top.
- For a deeper brown on the ridges, run the dish under the broiler for the last 2 minutes and watch it closely.
Variations
- Ground lamb. Swap the beef for the same weight of ground lamb and add a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary.
- Corn. A cup of frozen corn stirred in with the peas is common in the Midwest, and some families make it its own layer under the potatoes.
- No cheese. Leave off the cheddar and brush the ridges with a tablespoon of melted butter for the plain, traditional top.
- Sweet potato top. Replace half the potatoes with sweet potatoes for a softer mash that browns beautifully.
Storage and make-ahead
Leftovers keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, which keeps the top crisp.
To make it ahead, assemble the pie, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake from cold at 400°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
To freeze, wrap the assembled, unbaked pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil and keep it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Frequently asked questions
Is shepherd’s pie made with beef or lamb?
Both exist. The British original uses lamb, and the pie most American families grew up on uses ground beef. The method, the gravy and the potato top are the same either way.
Why did my mashed potatoes sink into the filling?
The filling was too hot or too thin. Simmer the gravy until it clings to the meat, then let it cool for 10 minutes in the dish before the potatoes go on. A stiff mash also helps, so measure the milk.
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes?
Yes, about 5 cups. Warm them slightly so they spread without tearing up the filling. If they are very soft, stir in an egg yolk to help them hold the ridges.
Can I use frozen mixed vegetables?
Yes. Use 2 cups of a frozen peas and carrots mix, stirred in at the end, and brown the beef with the onion alone.
Call it whichever name your family always has. Put the dish in the middle of the table with a big spoon, and the argument stops the moment everyone starts eating.
Shepherd's Pie With Ground Beef (Fork-Ridged Potato Top)
The American family shepherd's pie: ground beef with onion, carrots and peas in a thick brown gravy, under stiff mashed potatoes dragged with a fork so the ridges bake brown and crisp, with a handful of cheddar. Cups and grams.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (680g), 85 percent lean
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- A pinch of dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (1.1kg), peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup milk (120ml), warmed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- A handful of shredded sharp cheddar, about 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Put the potato chunks in a large pot, cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain well and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes with the butter, the warm milk and the salt until smooth. The mash should be stiff enough to spread and hold a shape, so do not add more milk.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion and the carrots for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains. Drain off the fat.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste and flour. Stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens a shade.
- Pour in the beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce and add the thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is a thick gravy that clings to the meat. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Stir in the frozen peas. Scrape the filling into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, level it, and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Drop the mashed potatoes over the filling in large spoonfuls, starting around the edges to seal them, then spread gently to cover. Drag a fork across the whole top to make ridges, and scatter the cheddar over it.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, until the ridges are golden brown and the gravy bubbles at the edges. Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling settles.
