Today I'm going to show you how to make shepherd's pie using roasted lamb shoulder. This shepherd's pie is rich and savory, hearty and filling, warm and comforting and plenty of other things all wrapped into one.
Essentially a meaty, brown gravy topped with mashed potatoes in pie form, the shepherd's pie is one of the best kinds of comfort food ever invented.
This lamb dish works well anytime of the year, but especially for winter, spring and Easter meals. I like to serve it with this Easter sangria and sometimes a spring pea purée.
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Difference Between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie
While the names have historically been used somewhat interchangeably, current culinary terminology sets things straight in the way outlined:
One thing we get asked a lot in this area is about the meat. Most people think that Shepherd's pie is made of beef, but that is not the case. If it's made with beef, that is called a cottage pie. Traditional shepherd's pie is made from lamb, hence the name, because shepherds take care of sheep.
Whether you use beef or lamb is the difference, both being delicious but distinct British meat pies with their own flavor profiles worth trying.
Ingredients
- lamb shoulder - lamb shoulder is rich, juicy and needs to be cooked low and slow so that the meat is nice and tender
- olive oil - because we are roasting with it you don't need to use extra virgin olive oil which is actually more expensive than regular olive oil
- yellow potatoes - also called Yukon Gold
- shredded cheddar cheese - I like to use white old cheddar
*Check recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
Tweaks
If you're looking for ways to spice up the recipe, it's a fairly easy affair.
- Add more vegetables like carrots, peas or even corn (that puts you on the way to making a variant called Pâté chinois, in fact).
- Cleaning the pan with some added broth or a dry red wine are both great ways to boost the flavor of your shepherd's pie.
- You can even switch up the texture by using ground lamb.
Steps for How to Make Shepherd's Pie
Step #1. Season the Lamb. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a roasting pan with foil and place the lamb shoulder on top. Drizzle the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt on both sides.
Step #2. Roast. Roast the lamb for around 3-4 hours in the preheated oven. You'll know it's ready when it smells fantastic, it's golden brown and the meat separates easily from the bone. When it's done, let it cool.
Step #3. Boil and Mash the Potatoes. When the lamb has been cooking for around 3 hours, begin preparing the pie. First, boil the potatoes in salted water until soft. Reserve 2 cups of the water from boiling the potatoes and drain the rest. Mash the potatoes using a fork. Add half of the shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon butter and some salt. Mix well.
Step #4. Sauté the Onions. Heat a skillet to medium-low heat and add the other tablespoon of butter. Sauté the onions with dried rosemary for around 20 minutes, or until starting to brown. Set aside.
Step #5. Shred the Lamb. When the lamb has cooled, shred the meat with two forks and cut the skin into small pieces.
Step #6. Complete the Filling. Pour the 2 cups of boiling water into the baking tray to remove the grease and all cooking juices from the lamb. Pour some of this liquid over the lamb's meat and mix it with the onions to complete the filling. Season the filling, to taste.
Step #7. Layer Potato & Filling. Preheat oven to 400ºF. To make the pie, grease a pie plate with olive oil and cover with ½ of the mashed potatoes. Use your hands to spread it evenly, leaving a bit of a border. Add the lamb filling over top of the potatoes.
Step #8. Add Final Potato Layer. Cover with the other half of the potatoes and spread it with your hands to cover the shredded lamb. Spread the other ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the pie. Use a fork to make a rim around the pie.
Step #9. Bake the Shepherd's Pie. Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven - until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Step #10. Serve. Serve and enjoy!
Now you know how to make shepherd's pie from scratch, whenever you fancy. A simple but hearty homemade delight, it offers restaurant-quality taste while keeping things simple and straight to the point like a home cook likes.
Another delicious lamb recipe you might like is my electric skillet lamb chops!
Joss' Top Tips
- Choose Quality Lamb: Try to contact local farmers or go to farmers' markets.
- Layer Evenly: Spread the mash potato evenly over the lamb filling, trying to avoid gaps where the sauce could bubble through.
- Broil for Crispiness: For extra browning, finish under the broiler for a few minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can also store the pie in the freezer for up to a few months, well-covered, but let it cool first.
- Reheat: You can reheat the refrigerated shepherd's pie in a 350ºF oven until heated all the way through or in the microwave. You can reheat the frozen pie directly in the oven. You can also thaw it in the fridge first and then bake--this option will result in more even heating.
More Main Dish Recipes to Consider
What's your ❤️favorite part about a well-made shepherd's pie? The savory meat? The creamy mashed potato? The crispy top? If you tried this recipe tutorial for How to Make Shepherd's Pie or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Shepherd's Pie (With Lamb)
Ingredients
- 1 lamb shoulder - around 4.5 pounds/2 kilograms
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 12 medium yellow potatoes - peeled and quartered
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter - divided
- 1 large yellow onion - sliced
- ½ tablespoon dried rosemary
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a roasting pan with foil and place the lamb shoulder on top. Drizzle the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt on both sides.
- Roast the lamb for around 3-4 hours in the preheated oven. You'll know it's ready when it smells fantastic, it's golden brown and the meat separates easily from the bone. When it's done, let it cool.
- When the lamb has been cooking for around 3 hours, begin preparing the pie. First, boil the potatoes in salted water until soft (around 20 minutes). Reserve 2 cups of the water from boiling the potatoes and drain the rest. Mash the potatoes using a fork.
- Add ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon of butter and salt, to taste. Mix well.
- Heat a skillet to medium-low heat and add the other tablespoon of butter. Sauté the onions with dried rosemary for around 20 minutes, or until starting to brown. Set aside.
- When the lamb has cooled, shred the meat with two forks and cut the skin into small pieces.
- Pour 2 cups of boiling water (you can use the reserved liquid from the potatoes) into the baking tray to remove the grease and all cooking juices from the lamb. Pour some of this liquid over the lamb's meat (just enough to moisten it), and mix it with the onions to complete the filling. Season the filling, to taste.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. To make the pie, grease a pie plate with olive oil and cover with ½ of the mashed potatoes. Use your hands to spread it evenly, leaving a bit of a border. Add the lamb filling over top of the potatoes.
- Cover with the other half of the potatoes and spread it with your hands to cover the shredded lamb. Spread the other ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the pie. Use a fork to make a rim around the pie.
- Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven - until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
- Refrigerate: Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can also store the pie in the freezer for up to a few months, well-covered, but let it cool first.
- Reheat: You can reheat the refrigerated shepherd's pie in a 350ºF oven until heated all the way through or in the microwave. You can reheat the frozen pie directly in the oven. You can also thaw it in the fridge first and then bake--this option will result in more even heating.
- Choose Quality Lamb: Try to contact local farmers or go to farmers' markets.
- Layer Evenly: Spread the mash potato evenly over the lamb filling, trying to avoid gaps where the sauce could bubble through.
- Broil for Crispiness: For extra browning, finish under the broiler for a few minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Kelly Neil says
Oh wow! I love everything about this. And I think it's so neat how you made a double pie crust with potato. Pinned to try!
Joss D says
Thank you Kelly! The double potato crust is a nice tweak to the recipe, hope you enjoy!
Sabrina says
I love the simplicity and roasting the lamb first. This is such a delicious and satisfying dish, will definitely satisfy my craving!
Joss D says
Thanks Sabrina 🙂