8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is a hearty, comforting dish that originated in the British Isles. Lamb and vegetables are sauteed, then topped with mashed potatoes, and the entire dish is baked until it’s bubbly and brown. It’s a comfort food dream — a rich, savory meat and vegetable casserole, perfect for a cozy meal. You can also easily upgrade your shepherd’s pie by using mashed sweet potatoes instead of white, or by mixing up the spices to add new levels of flavor. Whether you stick with a simple shepherd’s pie recipe or venture into delicious, uncharted territory, you’re in for a treat.

During my personal chef career, I prepared shepherd’s pie for numerous clients, putting the tips and tricks I’d learned in culinary school to great use. From choosing the right meat, to properly simmering the lamb and vegetables and making mashed potatoes perfect for spreading on top, shepherd’s pie is chock full of culinary basics. If you can master these simple techniques, making shepherd’s pie will be a breeze. Just be sure to avoid some simple mistakes. 

If you don’t know the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, you’re not alone. They’re similar dishes, but they’re not quite the same. The choice of meat used in each recipe is what differentiates the two dishes. While cottage pie is made with beef, which is more common in the United States, traditional shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. This makes sense given the name — shepherds herd sheep. Shepherd’s pie is actually a variation of cottage pie, which was first invented in the mid-18th century.

You can use ground lamb or a lamb roast, like the leg or shoulder, but this particular meat is key to flavor of shepherd’s pie. Lamb loin chops are another tasty option. If you use bone-in chops, be sure to buy extra, about twice as much as your recipe calls for, to account for the removal of the bones. If you’re watching your wallet, look for lamb cut for stew or kabobs. These cuts are typically less expensive. You may be tempted to skip the lamb for a cheaper protein like beef, turkey or chicken, but for a traditional experience, give the lamb a try. It creates a delicious blend of flavors that pairs perfectly with the mashed potato topping.

Once it’s assembled, shepherd’s pie is a one-pan meal. The meat and veggie filling and the mashed potato topping are nicely contained in one dish. But not just any pan will work. There are a few tips you need to cook an unforgettable shepherd’s pie. 

One of the things you should take into consideration is the size of the pan. Choose a dish that is deep enough to hold the meat and veggie mix and the mashed potato topping. You should also allow for room for the juices in the filling to bubble up during cooking. Overfilling your pan will likely end with the juices spilling onto the bottom of your oven and burning. A heavy-bottomed pan will also circulate heat evenly, so your lamb will brown without hotspots that can cause burning.

Shepherd’s pie starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven, so be sure to use a skillet or dish that’s oven-safe. If you don’t have a pan that can go from stovetop to oven, transfer the browned lamb and vegetable filling to a baking dish before adding the mashed potato topping.

Speed can be your friend when you’re cooking certain dishes, but not when you’re making shepherd’s pie. It’s important to take your time to complete each step, especially when it comes to browning the meat. The lamb base of shepherd’s pie should be beautifully browned and flavorful. Improperly browned meat will not have the same richness of flavor.

Start with a pan with hot oil and add the lamb, making sure it’s spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to crowd the pan. If your pan isn’t large enough to hold all of your meat in one even layer, cook it in batches. Once the first batch is browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside while you brown the next batch. This may seem insignificant, but overcrowding your pan will cause it to lose its heat and you run the risk of steaming the meat instead of searing it.

Shepherd’s pie may be all about the lamb and mashed potatoes, but, although they don’t get top billing, there are also vegetables traditionally cooked into the filling. You may be tempted to skip the additional veggies since this dish is topped with a layer of potatoes, but don’t. Aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery add immense taste. They’re the building blocks of flavor in a number of recipes, including shepherd’s pie. Peas are another common ingredient in shepherd’s pie. Their sweetness offsets the savoriness of the lamb.

You can add other vegetables to suit your tastes or to make use of any leftover veggies you have in your fridge. Add them in order of how much time they need to cook. Dense veggies like carrots should hit the pan first and the peas should be added once the lamb is cooked, just before you’re ready to add the mashed potatoes. No time to chop? You can simplify things by using a bag of frozen vegetables for convenience. Add them to the pan, without thawing, once the meat is browned.

Mashed potatoes are the crowning glory of a perfect shepherd’s pie. They should be smooth and creamy, a delicious contrast to the lamb and vegetable filling. When the shepherd’s pie is baked, the potatoes should crisp and turn a gorgeous golden brown color. The goal is potatoes that are soft enough to spread evenly over the surface of the meaty filling, but sturdy enough to hold their shape when cooked. One misstep with the potatoes could cause problems for your final product. If your mashed potatoes are too wet or soggy, that excess liquid will ruin the texture of the meat underneath.

There are simple steps you can take to prevent watery mashed potatoes and ensure they are the perfect texture and consistency for shepherd’s pie. First, it’s imperative that you drain them thoroughly after they’re boiled. Even if you drain them well, the potatoes will still hold moisture they absorbed while boiling. To get rid of that excess moisture, return the drained potatoes to the pan they cooked in, turn the heat back on and mash them. Both the heat and mashing them will help any excess water evaporate. You should be able to see the steam emanating from the potatoes as you mash them. Using a stand mixer can also help eliminate steam in your potatoes. Mix the drained potatoes on medium speed for a minute or two. The motion will mash the potatoes and get rid of the steam simultaneously.

In addition to being an excellent dinner option, shepherd’s pie is also a delicious way to feed a crowd. It’s a hearty, complete meal that you can make ahead of time. It also freezes beautifully, so you can have a tasty meal on hand when you don’t feel like cooking. The fact that it’s contained in one pot makes it a great option to transport to a potluck.If it’s baked in a large skillet or baking dish, you’ll likely have leftovers to nosh on for days. 

But as much as we love a shepherd’s pie for a crowd, that’s is not the only way to enjoy it. For a departure from the norm, consider making shepherd’s pie in individual portions. Single serving dishes make dinner time a breeze, especially if you’re feeding picky eaters. Individual portions allow everyone to choose their own meal. 

You might be accustomed to enjoying shepherd’s pie from a large dish, but you can assemble and bake it in smaller dishes or ramekins to create the perfect individual servings. To make single servings, you’ll put it together in ramekins or in a muffin pan instead of layering your shepherd’s pie in one large dish. Shepherd’s pies in a muffin tin will cook much faster than a larger one. You can bake them for as little as 15 minutes, until the filling bubbles and the potatoes browned.

Shepherd’s pie is the gift that keeps on giving. In addition to a fantastic meal, you’ll be treated to the mouthwatering aroma filling your kitchen as it bakes. As much as you’ll want to tuck into it as soon as it comes out of the oven, you should let your shepherd’s pie rest before serving for the best results. 

You may have heard the term resting when it comes to cooking meat or poultry, but it’s an important step you don’t want to skip when you’re making shepherd’s pie. The reason why you let meat rest after cooking it is to make sure all of the juices that have bubbled up during cooking stay inside the food and don’t end up on your cutting board or plate. You’ll want to rest your shepherd’s pie once it’s cooked for similar reasons.

In most shepherd’s pie recipes, the lamb is simmered in chicken or beef broth with a splash of worcestershire sauce. This, combined with the juice the lamb produces as it cooks, creates a sauce that’s extremely flavorful, but thin. The sauce will thicken on its own as the shepherd’s pie cools. If you serve it immediately after removing it from the oven, not only will you risk burning your taste buds off from the heat, but you’ll have a watery pie that likely won’t hold its shape. Let your shepherd’s pie cool for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Food traditions are an excellent way to preserve family and cultural customs, but there’s something to be said about setting tradition aside to try something new. Tradition is a wonderful thing, but mixing it up when it comes to shepherd’s pie can yield delicious results. Creating a variation on shepherd’s pie can be as simple as replacing one or more of the traditional ingredients with a new option.

Mashed potatoes are great, but if you don’t have time to make a batch or don’t have leftovers tucked away in your fridge, there’s an easy way to add an amazing potato layer to your dish. Frozen shredded hash browns give shepherd’s pie a crispy upgrade. You can cook the hash browns before topping your pie or combine them with other ingredients like cheese or mayo before adding them. 

Adventurous cooks can also skip the potatoes altogether and upgrade their shepherd’s pie with instant ramen. The boiled ramen will crisp in the oven, giving your pie a wonderful crunch. Cauliflower is another potato alternative. Puree boiled or steamed cauliflower and spread it on top of the meat layer, just like you would with mashed potatoes.