Shepherd’s pie

British · Casserole · 5 hr · Serves 6

Shepherd's pie is the ultimate comfort food—a simple, satisfying casserole with seasoned ground lamb and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Families have relied on this dish for generations because it's affordable, forgiving, and always brings everyone back for seconds.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kgground lamb
• 2onions
• 3carrots
• 2celery stalks
• 3garlic cloves
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 400 mlbeef or lamb stock
• 1 kgpotatoes
• 50 gbutter
• 100 mlwhole milk
• 2 tbspolive oil
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas 6).

2. 2

   Peel and chop the onions, carrots, and celery into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.

3. 3

   Heat olive oil in a large casserole or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground lamb in batches, breaking it apart as it cooks, then set aside.

   8–10 min

4. 4

   In the same pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute.

   6 min

5. 5

   Return the lamb to the pan, pour in the stock, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   15 min

6. 6

   While the lamb cooks, boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15–18 minutes. Drain well, then mash with butter and milk until smooth and creamy.

   18 min

7. 7

   Transfer the lamb mixture to a baking dish if needed. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top, creating gentle peaks with the back of a spoon.

8. 8

   Bake for 20–25 minutes until the potato topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.

   25 min