Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients

For the Meat Filling

• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (~1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (~1 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (~1 cup)
• 5 cloves garlic, grated
• 3 tbsp AP flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 1/4 cups frozen peas
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Potato Topping

• 3 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup whole milk, warm
• 1 cup sharp white cheddar, grated
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Make the Potato Topping First

Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for ~15-20 minutes, until they are completely tender when pierced with a knife.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the hot, empty pot over low heat for a minute to steam off any excess moisture. This is a key step for preventing a watery mash.

Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the melted butter, warm milk, grated cheddar, egg yolks, and garlic powder. Stir quickly and vigorously until everything is combined and creamy. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Build the Filling

Preheat your oven to 400F.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking it up, until deeply browned and a good fond has formed on the bottom of the pot.

Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the meat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the grated garlic and cook for another minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetable mixture and stir constantly for one minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Stir in the tomato paste.

Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine bubble and reduce by about half.

Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary sprigs, thyme, and allspice. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Remove the rosemary sprigs. Stir in the frozen peas. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Assemble and Bake

Spread the meat filling evenly in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Spoon the mashed potato topping over the filling, spreading it gently to the edges to create a seal. Use the tines of a fork to create ridges across the top; these ridges will get extra crispy and brown.

Bake for ~25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the potato topping is golden brown. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.