Quick shepherd’s pie

Shepherd’s pie recipe

Shepherd’s pie (and its close cousin, cottage pie – we’ll come back to that) is classic comfort food. Savoury lamb mince topped with creamy mashed potato is warm, delicious and especially good on a cold night. You can almost picture a long-ago shepherd, home at last from minding the flock, tucking into a bowl. It’s also easy to make, budget friendly and can be a good way to use up leftovers. Since there’s no pastry used, it’s also quicker to make than other pies. The name dates back to the 1870s in Scotland and England, although it’s likely this style of pie dates back to much earlier times. France has a similar dish too, known as hachis Parmentier. While earlier versions of shepherd’s pie often used up leftover lamb roast and leftover potato, today you can also make a delicious hearty dinner using lamb mince and freshly made mash. This quick shepherd’s pie recipe makes it even easier, using purchased mash so you can have dinner on the table in half an hour with out compromising on that classic shepherd’s pie taste.

What’s the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie?

These are both favourite British dishes, and they have a lot in common, including that high comfort factor! So, shepherd’s pie vs cottage pie: the key difference is that while shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb, classic cottage pie is made with beef. Cottage pie is often topped with potato mash, too, although some versions use sliced potato for the topping. These days, there’s some overlap in how the names are used – you might see a shepherd’s pie made with beef, for example. You might also come across another member of the family, Cumberland pie. The early version, still found where it originated in the English country of Cumbria, was a meat pie in pastry, often made with diced meat rather than mince, while the modern version found further afield is often topped with mash, cheese and breadcrumbs. If you’d like to give cottage pie a try, this easy cottage pie which also uses purchased mash, or Curtis Stone’s tasty twist, which uses Italian-style beef and pork mince for the base and tops the pie with parmesan mash.

Make easy shepherd’s pie your way

This recipe for shepherd’s pie is great to have in the repertoire, but there are many ways to change up the basic idea. You can try sweet potato shepherd’s pie instead of using potato. Try a mixture of vegetables, such as the swede and potato topping on these mini shepherd’s pies to make a vegetarian shepherd’s pie. You can also use up leftover cooked vegetables, by dicing them and using instead of some of the frozen veg. Got more time? This quick recipe makes a great family meal, but for a richly rewarding weekend meal, try Michael Weldon’s shepherd’s pie, a lamb shepherd’s pie where the meat is cooked until tender, then shredded and mixed into a rich rosemary, thyme, stock and tomato sauce. The mix has cooked onion, carrot and peas added before it’s topped with mashed potato and baked until golden.

What to serve with shepherd’s pie

Shepherd’s pie is a hearty meal, and you can serve it just as it is – after all, there’s plenty of veg involved! But if you’d like to serve some sides with your pie, greens such as steamed beans or broccoli go very well. For a fresh note, try a green salad, such as Curtis Stone’s green core salad with salsa verde, or add a splash of colour with a fuss-free lentil, carrot and beetroot salad. For dessert, try a classic apple pie, jammy puff pastry fruit tarts or retro no-bake jelly slice.

Now get cooking

This easy shepherd’s pie recipe makes mid-week comfort food so easy, and the idea has endless variations. Looking for more shepherd’s pie recipes? For a fun twist, pick up some pork and beef meatballs and baby potatoes with butter and parsley next time you’re shopping to make a meatball cottage pie. Beef korma and sweet potato cottage pie ups the flavour with an easy curried mince base and buttery mash. If you like a pie with pastry, this lamb shank shepherd’s pie uses slow-cooked lamb, with a home-made pastry case and buttery mash on top. And if the simple deliciousness of this British bake has reminded you how good mash can be, ring the changes next time you’re after a hearty side dish with garlic and herb mashed potato or mukimo, a potato mash with peas, corn and onion.