Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (2024)

Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (1)

In my cooking classes, I’m often asked about the difference between Shepherd’s pie and Cottage Pie. Growing up, I remember my mother making cottage pie but Shepherd’s pie was a rarity. Traditionally, cottage pie is made with ground beef, whileShepherd’s pieuseslamb. In our home, lamb was a luxury and reserved for special occasions. Whenever I make roast lamb, either for Easter or Christmas, I put just enough lamb aside to make a Bibby’s Shepherd’s pie. The savoury flavour of the rich gravy is balanced by the sweet fattiness of the lamb and mashed potato topping.

Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (2)

Food in the 70’s was cheap and cheerful which meant that lamb rarely made it onto our dinner table, let alone into a pie! Forty years later, I’m married to a Liverpudlian and so, Shepherd’s pie was bound to make it onto the menu. I had no family recipe to reference, so this is my take on it. I make it with brown sauce and Worcestershire. It’s deeply savoury and completely delicious. We’ve called it the Bibby’s Shepherd’s pie.

For thepie, you’re going to need the leftovers from a Sunday lunch lamb roast. If you don’t have a go-to lamb recipe, thislamb shawarmais one the most popular meat recipes I posted when I first started this food blog. The choice of vegetables depends on what you have in the fridge. I use this as a general clear the fridge cook, with leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms and whatever else I find in the veggie draw. Frozen peas are a must, though. No decent Shepherd’s pie should be without these greens. Piped mash is a little fancy but fun. Piled on will do just as nicely.

Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (3)

Bibby’s Shepherd’s pie

Serves4-6

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 2 stems celery, diced
  • 3 carrots, cut into 1 cm dice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sauce (I use good old HP sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 cups weak beef stock
  • 2 cups (about 400g) left over cooked lamb, cut into chunks
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour dissolved in 30ml cold water
  • 3/4 cup peas (petit pois are lovely and sweet)
  • 2 cups prepared mashed potato
  • flat leaf parsley, to serve
  1. Preheat the oven to 200º C and grease a 2 litre baking dish.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the rosemary, tomato paste, Worcestershire, HP sauce, mustard and beef stock. Bring the sauce up the boil, then add the lamb. Cover and simmer for about 35 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
  4. Add the cornflour slurry and simmer to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas.
  5. Transfer the meat filling to a baking dish and top with mashed potato. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden. Scatter over a handful of freshly chopped parsley and serve with some extra brown sauce or tomato sauce on the side.

22 Comments. Leave new

  • Moyahabo Pitikoe

    5 April 2016 7:50 am

    Kids what age Di? You are so funny.
    This is a brilliant idea.
    Worth a try.

  • Cheryl

    5 April 2016 1:44 pm

    Any suggestions for cooking lamb and what type in no leftover lamb? Thanks

  • Dianne Bibby

    5 April 2016 3:22 pm

    Hi Cheryl. A leg of lamb roast or shanks are ideal. If you need a recipe, you could follow my lamb shawarma post which I did for Easter. It’s under the meat category. A long, slow oven roast is best for this dish. Hope that helps?

  • Dianne Bibby

    5 April 2016 3:25 pm

    According to my critics, there’s never enough potatoes! Miss cooking with you!

  • Bonnie

    18 July 2016 11:20 pm

    What is HP sauce ? In the US and I’m assuming it’s a gravy ??

  • Dianne Bibby

    19 July 2016 4:30 pm

    Hello Bonnie. HP sauce is a British staple. It’s a deeply savoury condiment that can be used to enrich stews and pies, almost like a cold gravy, as you say. Hope you find something similar there.

  • Hester Hill

    29 July 2016 12:49 pm

    The karoo butchers will be thrilled about this cottage pie and so are all the bibbyskitchen fans -such as this boeremeisie !
    Fan from the West Rand

  • Dianne Bibby

    7 August 2016 7:10 pm

    It’s quite a favourite here too with the meat-lovers!

  • Maryann Atlas

    4 January 2017 12:24 am

    Can I ask what is 30ml???

  • Dianne Bibby

    9 January 2017 7:09 am

    Hi Maryann. 30ml is equal to 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps.

  • Lynne

    15 May 2017 6:04 pm

    Tried this today, absolutely scummy. Put a tiny bit of grated cheese in potato.

  • Dianne Bibby

    15 May 2017 6:47 pm

    Great idea, Lynne. There are few things that don’t benefit from a little extra cheesiness. I’ll definitely throw in a handful too next time. Thanks for stopping in.

  • Wendy

    27 December 2017 8:55 pm

    This tastes delicious! I followed your recipe exactly (A-1 substitute works!!!j. Thank you. This is a keeper

  • Kathleen

    30 December 2017 6:05 am

    This was the best Shepherd’s Pie I’ve ever made! I’m so excited to find this recipe. We had left over lamb from a Christmas roast. Thanks

  • Genevieve

    1 January 2018 10:14 pm

    I think it’s similar to steak sauce on the us. I’ll be using A1 or pick-a-pepper, whichever is in my fridge yo make this tonight.

  • Dianne Bibby

    5 January 2018 3:48 pm

    I’m sure it’ll work just as well.

  • Dianne Bibby

    5 January 2018 3:57 pm

    Wow! That’s the best news Kathleen. I get really excited whenever there’s leftovers. Hope it becomes one of those back pocket recipes that you’ll use again and again.

  • Dianne Bibby

    5 January 2018 4:03 pm

    You’re most welcome. Thanks for letting us know Wendy. There’ve been a number of queries as to a suitable substitute for the HP sauce. A-1 it is then.

  • Billy

    2 August 2019 10:28 pm

    So delicious!!!! You can get HP Sauce in the British food isle at most supermarkets .

  • Dianne Bibby

    4 August 2019 4:43 pm

    Thanks Billy. My husband is from the UK so we always have a bottle or two on hand. He loves it!

  • Mone’

    4 October 2019 12:54 am

    I’m in the US and used Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce and it tasted great! Love this recipe!

  • Dianne Bibby

    4 October 2019 6:30 am

    Glad to hear you’ve found an alternative to HP sauce. I’m sure there are really great ones to choose from in the States. This recipe is a huge house favourite. If I’m doing a Sunday roast, chances are there’s going to be pie on Monday.

Leave a Reply

Buy Bibby’s More Good Food now

Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (5)

Hello, I’m Di

Welcome to my kitchen, a creative gathering place where meals are shared with family and friends, celebrating life and nurturing our connectivity.
Read more

Shop my cookbooks here

Purchase my eBook “Beautiful Home Food – Recipes From Bibby’s Kitchen” here.

Bibby's Shepherd's pie | Bibby's Kitchen | Lamb recipes | (2024)

FAQs

Does Ina Garten have a recipe for shepherd's pie? ›

I decided to try making Ina Garten's recipe for shepherd's pie, which calls for ingredients like carrots, celery, white button mushrooms, ground turkey, and homemade mashed potatoes. I started by peeling my Yukon gold potatoes.

Why does my mash sink in cottage pie? ›

To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato.

Why is cottage pie called cottage pie Is there a reason? ›

The name "cottage pie" was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain, people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. Originally, a pie made with any kind of meat and a potato topping was called a "cottage pie".

Where is the shepherd's pie famously from? ›

Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.

What is the best thickener for meat pies? ›

FINO PIE THICKENING is a balanced blend of cereals and starches especially designed for thickening and stabilising pie meat.

How do you keep mash from sinking in shepherds pie? ›

A layer of frozen peas! I let the mince mixture sit for a few minutes and cool, add in a layer of frozen peas and then put the mash on in scoops before spreading them out - never sinks!

How do you make shepherd's pie thicker? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? ›

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

Why is my cottage pie dry? ›

The right consistency for a meat sauce that mash can sit on can leave the finished pie on the dry side. So we've gone with a jug of extra gravy because, let's face it, who doesn't love extra gravy? See the full recipe for our next level cottage pie.

Why do Irish people eat shepherd's pie? ›

It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.

What is a shepherds pie called when it is made from beef? ›

The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.

What is the original shepherd's pie made of? ›

Traditionally, shepherd's pie was only made with lamb, however beef can be used as a substitute with great results, as well. A lot of versions use a stew filling as the base, while others use ground beef or lamb. For this particular recipe, I went the traditional route and used ground lamb.

What ethnicity is shepherd's pie? ›

The dish originates from the British Isles, but some might argue that it is an Irish dish by origin. The name "Shepherd's Pie" was first recorded in an 1877 cookbook. In this same cookbook, it was noted that the dish was of Scottish origin. During the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, money was very tight.

What pie is Virginia known for? ›

Well-known for their southern classics like the sweet potato pie, Virginia Peanut pie, and the strawberry rhubarb pie, Jamestown Pie Company has been wowing pie fans in the Williamsburg region since 2004.

What is another name for shepherd's pie? ›

The Spanish brought potatoes to Europe in 1520, but they didn't catch on until the 18th Century in Great Britain. Shepherd's Pie appeared shortly thereafter – although under its original name, Cottage Pie, and made mostly with beef.

What is traditional shepherd's pie made of? ›

Classic Shepherd's Pie is a comforting casserole that consists of ground lamb, carrots, and peas simmered with Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs and topped with a cheesy mashed potato layer that's baked until golden and crisp.

What are the ingredients in Centerville shepherd's pie? ›

Filling: Ground Beef, Cream Style Corn (Corn, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Salt), Whole Kernel Corn, Onion, Garlic, Soybean Oil, Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper, Nutmeg] Mashed Potatoes (Skim Milk, Butter, Whole Milk, Salt Disodium Pyrophosphate [Added to Maintain Color], Potassium Sorbate [Added to Maintain Freshness ...

What can I use to thicken my shepherd's pie? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5979

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-03-23

Address: 74183 Thomas Course, Port Micheal, OK 55446-1529

Phone: +13408645881558

Job: Global Representative

Hobby: Sailing, Vehicle restoration, Rowing, Ghost hunting, Scrapbooking, Rugby, Board sports

Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.