Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Parmesan Potatoes (video)
Learn how to make the most delicious and aromatic classic shepherd’s pie with parmesan potatoes! This incredible potato and lamb casserole is made with a saucy ground lamb filling with peas, corn, carrots, red wine and Worcestershire sauce! Plus, fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and parsley add even more aroma and flavor! I top it off with creamy garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes. You’ll love this easy, classic dish for Easter, or any time you’re craving some delicious comfort food! Not a fan of lamb? Make this dish with ground beef instead.
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Ingredients for the Recipe
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious and hearty Shepherd’s Pie with parmesan potatoes:
- Potatoes: for making the potato topping. Use russet or yukon potatoes, which are great for making mashed potatoes.
- Ground Lamb: the traditional meat used for Shepherd’s pie. Ground beef will also work well.
- Onion, Carrots & Garlic: for making the gravy or the meat filling.
- Peas & Corn: I used frozen and thawed sweet peas and canned, drained corn for the filling. Although these are traditional fillings, feel free to omit one or the other if you don’t enjoy them.
- Worcestershire Sauce: this sauce adds lots of savory flavor to the filling.
- Tomato Sauce: use a plain tomato sauce or puree, along with tomato paste.
- Red Wine: I recommend using a dry red wine, such as cabernet, zinfandel or merlot. If you don’t want to add red wine, you can replace it with more beef broth.
- Beef Broth: for the lamb filling.
- Fresh Herbs: fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and parsley are a must for this recipe. They add both flavor and aroma.
- Butter & Parmesan Cheese: for making the parmesan mashed potato topping.
Can I use Ground Beef?
Traditional Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground lamb, which is a popular meat choice for the Easter holiday. Even if you don’t usually enjoy lamb, I highly recommend giving it a try for this recipe. The tomato paste, ketchup and red wine really help mellow out the gamey flavor that’s common for lamb. The filling turns out so delicious and not gamey whatsoever! If you really don’t enjoy lamb and would prefer to use ground beef instead, that will work great, too! I recommend using a 80% lean ground beef, which has 20% fat. The extra fat will make the filling more juicy and more flavorful!
Making the Lamb Filling
The incredible saucy and savory ground lamb filling is what makes this Shepherd’s Pie recipe so special! It’s packed full of incredible flavor! Here’s how I make it:
- I start by first browning the ground lamb in a large frying pan. I break apart the meat into small pieces with my spatula so there’s meat in every bite.
- After removing the browned lamb, I add a few tablespoons of butter and sauté the onion and carrots before adding the garlic, corn and peas. I use frozen, thawed sweet peas and canned corn for this recipe.
- I then return the browned lamb back into the pan. Next, it’s time for the seasonings! I add fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley, plus some paprika, salt and pepper.
- Next, it’s time for the wine and Worcestershire sauce! I like to use a robust, red wine such as Cabernet for this dish. Wine isn’t a traditional ingredient in Shepherd’s Pie but I think it adds an incredible amount of flavor. The Worcestershire sauce adds tons of umami flavor to the dish, making it extra savory!
- Next, I add the tomato paste and ketchup, but you can also use tomato sauce. I like to use ketchup because it has a bit of sweetness and saltiness, making the filling really pop!
- To make the filling thicker, I also add a couple tablespoons of flour. And the last ingredient in beef broth. Once I add the beef broth, I let the filling simmer for a couple minutes and it’s ready!
Making Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
This classic Shepherd’s Pie is topped with the most delicious garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes! I love how the potatoes add even more flavor to the dish, besides just being the topping for the casserole. I start the potatoes while I’m making my savory lamb filling. I peel and cube about 5 to 6 medium sized potatoes, then cook them until they’re fork tender and drain them. Next, it’s time for the butter. I love to use a high-quality salted butter because it adds lots of great flavor. I mash the potatoes until they’re smooth, then I add the garlic powder, parmesan, parsley and a touch of thyme.
These mashed potatoes will be slightly on the drier side but it’s for a good reason! As the casserole bakes in the oven, moisture from the filling will rise and make the potatoes softer and wetter. I make the potatoes drier to begin with so they don’t get too soggy and turn into soup later.
How to Make Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
Once I have my ground lamb filling and mashed potatoes ready, it’s time to put together the dish! I like to use a medium-sized casserole pan – not too big, not too small and with taller sides. Using a medium sized pan will give the shepherd’s pie a good ration of meat to potato.
- First, I add the lamb filling into the casserole and make sure it’s even and level and then add the potatoes on top.
- Here’s a neat trick to make your Shepherd’s Pie extra fancy: try piping the mashed potatoes over the filling. I love to do this because it creates a perfect, even layer of potatoes and I’m not displacing the meat filling by pressing down on it.
- Once I have the pie assembled, it’s off to the oven for about 30 minute at 400F. I like to turn on the broiler for a couple minutes at the end to make the potatoes extra golden on top.
- After the casserole is baked, let it stand for at least 20 minutes to cool slightly. It’s going to be very hot out of the oven so be extra careful!
History of the Recipe
This delicious comfort food dish originated in England and Ireland and has been popular staple in Europe for hundreds of years. Shepherd’s Pie was originally called ‘cottage pie’ but the names can be used interchangeably. The original idea behind the recipe was to use any leftover meat from the day before and simply layer it with potatoes. The idea became an instant hit! It’s also a popular dish in France, where it’s considered a homely or commonplace food. I’m sure glad someone come up with the idea many years ago! Now, it’s a popular dish that’s often enjoyed for Easter all over the world, since lamb is a popular meat choice around the holiday.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this easy and delicious comfort food dish? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Easy Potato & Lamb Casserole – have this easy dish in oven in 15 minutes! It’s made with potatoes, carrots, herbs and cubed leg of lamb.
- Roasted Leg of Lamb – my all-time favorite recipe for leg of lamb, with loads of garlic, mustard and fresh herbs.’
- Ukrainian Braised Pork – tender, fall apart pork shoulder in a savory tomato sauce, served with mashed potatoes! It’s the best of Eastern European cuisine!
- Braised Beef Short Ribs – you can never go wrong with this classic recipe! Extra tender, fall-off-the-bone beef ribs in a red wine sauce, served with mashed potatoes!
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Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- White Casserole Dish – I like to use a medium-sized, deeper casserole pan for this Shepherd’s Pie recipe. And, it comes with a lid!
- Potato Masher – I love this potato masher because it’s easier on your hands and quickly mashes anything!
- Disposable Pastry Bags – I always use these disposable bags! They come in a bulk roll and last forever, too!
- Mauviel Frying Pans – my obsession with copper pans is real! I love these pans because they heat quickly and evenly, not to mention so pretty!
- Ateco Tip #829 – this is the tip I used for piping the mashed potatoes.
Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Parmesan Potatoes (video)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb or beef
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 to 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
- ½ cup canned corn, drained
- 1 tbsp EACH: fresh chopped: fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ cup red wine, such as Cabernet
- 2 to 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup ketchup or tomato sauce
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
For Mashed Potatoes:
- 5 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Peel and cubed the potatoes and place them into a large pot of salted water. Bring the potatoes up to a boil and cook them for approximately 15 minutes, or until fork tender and soft.
Making the Lamb Filling:
- Meanwhile, begin preparing the ground lamb filling. Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of cooking oil; I like to use avocado oil. To the hot pan, add the ground lamb. Brown the lamb for 7 to 9 minutes, until well browned all over; break the meat into small pieces as it’s cooking with a spatula. Season the lamb generously with salt and ground black pepper. Transfer the browned lamb into a bowl and set aside.
- Into the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of butter and reduce the heat to medium. Into the melted butter, add the diced onion and carrots. Sauté the mixture for about 4 minutes, until the veggies are softened. Next, add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the peas and corn.
- Return the browned lamb into the pan and season the filling with fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley and paprika. Season the filling to taste with salt and black pepper; I use about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Next, add in the red wine and Worcestershire sauce; let the liquids reduce for about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and ketchup/tomato sauce next and stir until well combined.
- Sprinkle the flour over the filling, then mix it in thoroughly so no flour remains visible. Pour in the beef broth and let the mixture come up to a simmer for a 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the prepared filling into a medium-sized casserole dish and spread it evenly.
Making Mashed Potatoes:
- Once the potatoes have finished cooking, drain the water and add the salted butter. Let the potatoes stand for a couple minutes until the butter is softened, then use a potato masher or hand mixer to puree the potatoes. Once the potatoes are smooth, add the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley and thyme and mix with a spatula. Season the potatoes with salt, to taste.
Baking the Shepherd's Pie:
- Transfer the mashed potatoes into large pastry bag tipped with a star tip; I used Ateco #829. Pipe an even layer of the mashed potatoes over the ground lamb filling. Don’t have a pastry bag? Drop small spoonful’s of the potatoes evenly across the filling, then use an offset spatula and very gently spread the potatoes into an even layer.
- Bake the Shepherd’s Pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown on top. Allow the casserole to cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. Be extra careful, the filling will be super-hot straight out of the oven!
Hello, I am wondering if I can premake it the day before and then just pop it in the oven an hour before dinner. Thank you!
Hi Anya! Yes, that’s a great idea! You can definitely make it the day before, just keep it well covered. It will need some extra time in the oven to warm up the filling again. Enjoy! 🙂
Just made this today. It was amazing! Everyone loved it. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 I hope you enjoy my other recipes, too!
Great recipe! I haven’t made shepherd’s pie in so long so I was hesitant. This is not the pie of my childhood! It’s very flavorful! I had to substitute chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce for the beef broth and I also used a little extra tomato sauce because I didn’t have tomato paste and it still turned out well! Those mashed potatoes alone are fantastic! Thank you! My girls loved it!
I’m so glad you and your family loved the recipe! I love how flavorful it is, too! One of my favorite comfort food dishes! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂