British
Shepherd's Pie
Ground beef, peas, and carrots under a mashed potato lid, baked until the top browns. Lamb is the classic swap if you want the older name to match.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- The filling and the potatoes happen in a logical order, not all at once.
- A thin gravy under the potatoes keeps the meat from drying out.
- Peas and carrots are in the filling, so you do not need another side.
- The top browns in a hot oven, which is the part people want.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash with 3 tablespoons butter, the milk, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- 2
Heat the oven to 400°F.
- 3
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the beef and onion until the beef is 160°F, about 8 minutes. Add the carrots for the last 4 minutes. Drain extra fat.
- 4
Add garlic, then flour, and stir 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, pepper, and the remaining salt. Simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the peas.
- 5
Spread the filling in a baking dish. Spoon the potatoes over the top and rough up the surface with a fork. Dot with the remaining butter.
- 6
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is browned in spots and the filling bubbles at the edge. Rest 10 minutes.
Pro tips
- Wet mashed potatoes slide off. Let them be thick.
- Resting before you scoop keeps the layers from running together.
- Do not skip the flour. Without it the filling is soup under a lid.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground lamb, the more traditional meat.
- Peas
- Corn.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Cover and heat at 350°F until the center is hot, about 20 minutes. Uncover at the end to crisp the top.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Moderate · Oven, Stovetop
You might also like
Chicken Pot Pie Skillet
Chicken, carrots, peas, and onion simmer in a milk-and-broth sauce, then a puff pastry lid bakes on the skillet. The chicken should already read 165°F before the pastry goes on.
1 hr 5 min · Medium
View recipe
Classic Mac and Cheese
Elbow pasta is coated in a cheddar sauce that starts with a cooked butter-and-flour roux and milk. A breadcrumb layer can go under the broiler or into the oven, or you can stop at the pot.
45 min · Easy
View recipe
Baked Chicken and Stuffing
Chicken thighs sit on a pan of herbed stuffing that soaks up the juices as the chicken roasts. It is a Sunday plate on a Tuesday clock.
50 min · Easy
View recipe
Baked Potato Soup
Potatoes simmered in broth and milk, then blended partly so it stays a little chunky. Cheddar, bacon, and chives go on at the end.
45 min · Easy
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Beef Pot Pie
A beef and vegetable filling, already simmered until thick, bakes under a sheet of puff pastry until the lid is deep gold. It is not the chicken pot pie skillet.
1 hr · Easy
View recipe
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Rice, broccoli, and a simple cheddar sauce bake until the top is browned and the broccoli is tender. It is a side that can be dinner with a salad.
45 min · Easy
View recipe
Chicken and Dumplings
A chicken and vegetable stew topped with simple dropped dumplings. The dumplings are done when they are puffed and no longer raw in the center.
1 hr · Advanced
View recipe
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Bake
Shelf-stable gnocchi bakes in a tomato-cream sauce under mozzarella until the edges brown. It is a baked dish, not the speedy skillet gnocchi already on the site.
32 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.