Shepherd's Pie {Easiest Ever Recipe}

Comforting Shepherd's Pie with mince and topped with mash.

5 from 22 votes

Shepherd's Pie {Easiest Ever Recipe}

This easy, comforting Simple Shepherd's Pie recipe is the perfect antidote to a cold winter's day. It is also ideal for batch cooking and freezing ahead of time. It's hearty, delicious and perfect for the whole family.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Family Food

Servings: People

Author: Sarah Rossi

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
500 g Lamb mince Lean
1 Onion Chopped
2 Carrots Finely chopped
2 sticks Celery Finely chopped
1 tbsp Plain flour
1 tsp Dried thyme Or fresh if you have it
1 tsp Dried sage Or fresh if you have it
500 ml Beef stock
2 tbsp Tomato puree
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper To taste

For the topping:

1 kg White potatoes
2 tbsp Butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Metric - Imperial

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C.
Heat your olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add in the mince and fry for 5 minutes on a high heat until browned all over.
Add in the chopped vegetables and fry for a further 10 minutes until softened.
Add flour and dried herbs, stir well to coat everything, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Pour in beef stock, tomato puree and Worcester sauce.
Season with salt and pepper. This is personal preference but I like to add lots of both in this recipe.
Cover and simmer for 30 mins. (See notes below)
Meanwhile peel and chop your potatoes, place in cold water, and bring to the boil for 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of potato.
When the potatoes are ready, drain and mash together with the butter and plenty of salt and pepper.
Put all of your meat into a large ovenproof dish. Spread your mashed potato over the top, ruffle with a fork to give those delicious crunchy bits. (You can also sprinkle some grated cheese on top it you wish).
(At this point you can leave to cool and then freeze your pie for up to one month to get ahead with your cooking)
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the mash is browning and the mince is bubbling at the sides.
Check that it is hot inside. It may take a few minutes longer if you cooked it straight from the fridge.

Notes

Cooking time for the mince: This will vary depending on the type of pan you are using. I'd say 30 minutes. By this time the sauce/gravy should be thick and deep brown and very tasty. If it's not, cook for a further 10 minutes at this point.

Gluten-free: Use cornflour rather than plain or any other gluten-free flour.

Nutrition