Shepherd's pie
Shepherd's pie
Lamb mince under mashed potato — cottage pie if it is beef, and we will name the difference.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Shepherd's pie.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Shepherd's pie is cooked lamb mince in a gravy of onion, carrot and a little tomato or Worcestershire, topped with mash and baked until the peaks catch. Beef is cottage pie. Both are leftover logic that became a named tray.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Fry onion, carrot and lamb. Tomato paste, water, salt. Simmer 20 minutes until thick.
25 minStep 2
Boil potato, mash with butter and milk. Top the mince, rake. Bake at 200°C 25 minutes until the peaks brown.
35 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Lamb → Beef mince
Cottage pie. Same tray logic.
Tips
- Worcestershire or a splash of leftover gravy is the usual extra.
- Beef mince: call it cottage pie.
History & culture
British and Irish home cooking. A Thursday tray. Peas on the side if you want a fight.
Cottage pie is attested earlier; shepherd's as lamb is a later distinction people now treat as law.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shepherds%20pie%20-%20The%20Kew%20Greenhouse%20Cafe%202025-05-14.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Shepherd's pie take?
1 hr 5 min all in — 25 min prep, 40 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 trays. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan, Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Lamb → Beef mince. Cottage pie. Same tray logic.
Any tips from this recipe?
Worcestershire or a splash of leftover gravy is the usual extra. Beef mince: call it cottage pie.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Worcestershire or a splash of leftover gravy is the usual extra.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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