Delicious cast-iron shepherd's pie: a savory layer of ground meat and vegetables topped with cheesy mashed potatoes, then baked in the skillet. Classic comfort food at its best.
The cast-iron skillet shepherd's pie is a complete meal cooked in a skillet: meat, gravy, and mashed potatoes layered together to produce the most comforting and flavorful dish possible. This is an easy recipe that your whole family will love!
Try more of our comforting casseroles, for instance, Healthy Broccoli Potato Casserole, Mushroom Polenta Casserole (with Cheese), Meatball Potato Casserole, or Ground Beef Cauliflower Casserole.
Ingredients: 18 + salt, pepper & oil | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
- Ground lamb or ground beef, the choice is yours. The nutrition is calculated for the lamb version.
- Ground turkey, chicken, pork, or venison are also great if you prefer them. Not genuine, but tasty, and should you choose poultry, also lower in calories.
- Vegetables: One large or two medium onions, two medium carrots, three fresh garlic cloves, and frozen peas.
- Beef stock or broth: You can use chicken stock or vegetable broth instead; made from a cube is fine. The needed amount is small, so I am not particular about what I use.
- Potatoes: Starchy, semi-starchy, or all-purpose potatoes are also fine. Check out the Irish Fish Pie, too.
- Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Substitute it with freshly grated Cheddar cheese if you like. I've tried it, and it's delicious. Or replace the cheese with about two tablespoons of cream cheese or sour cream.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make shepherd's pie in the cast-iron skillet?
- Start with the potatoes. Cook the cubes in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender, drain potatoes well in a colander, and let them steam in the same hot pot for about one minute before mashing.
- In the meantime, make the sauce for the cast-iron skillet shepherd's pie.
- Sauté onions and carrots with a pinch of salt in a large hot skillet on medium heat (1). Add garlic, then meat. Brown the minced meat, and add herbs, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, broth, salt, and pepper, breaking the meat as it cooks.
- Simmer the browned ground beef or lamb for about 15 minutes (2).
- Add peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper (3). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
- Mashed potato topping: Mash potatoes with hot milk, butter, and spices using a potato masher. Add cheese, mix, and adjust the taste (4,5).
- Assemble: Evenly spread the potato mash on top of the lamb or beef mixture in the skillet (use the back of a spoon) (6,7). Carefully (the skillet is hot and heavy) transfer to the oven.
- Bake the skillet shepherd's pie for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden (8). Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
Skillet: Use a large cast-iron skillet (12-inch/30 cm diameter). If your skillet is slightly smaller and very full after assembling the pie, place it on a baking sheet in the oven to avoid the filling bubbling over into your oven.
- The skillet will be very hot and very heavy when you transfer it to the oven. Use kitchen mitts and handle it with care to avoid burns.
Time management: Start with the potatoes; the water will need a while to start boiling, and you can already start making the meat filling during this time.
No cast-iron skillet? Cook the meat filling in a regular pan, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake. Or use a shallow, large Dutch oven.
Store and reheat
Refrigerate the cast-iron skillet shepherd's pie in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Don't leave the pie in the skillet when refrigerating; transfer the leftovers to another container.
Reheat in the oven: Place the leftovers in a small oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and reheat in the preheated oven at 350°F/180°C until hot; it will take 10-20 minutes, depending on how large the portion is.
Reheat in the microwave: Place the leftovers in a microwave-safe container. Reheat at 30-second intervals until heated through.
What to serve with shepherd's pie?
You will not need starchy sides to serve with the cast-iron skillet shepherd's pie; the potato topping is enough.
Roasted or steamed vegetables: Try our Simple Whole Roasted Carrots, Roasted Frozen Cauliflower, The Best Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, or French-Style Green Beans.
Salad: Make a simple green salad with Yogurt Dressing or vinaigrette. Try it with Shopska Salad, Broccoli Pea Salad, or a Simple White Cabbage Salad.
Cast-Iron Skillet Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- Large cast-iron skillet 12-inch/ 30 cm diameter
- Medium or large pot
Ingredients
Ground meat:
- 1 lb ground lamb or ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup beef broth Note 2
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Potato topping:
- 2 lb russet potatoes
- ½ cup whole milk hot, Note 3
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature, Note 3
- a few gratings of nutmeg
- ½ cup Parmesan grated, Note 4
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes: Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes. Place them in a large pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, lower the heat, cover the pot, leaving a small crack open, and cook the potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.2 lb russet potatoes
Meat filling:
- While the potatoes are cooking, cook the ground meat.
- Cook meat: Heat the oil in the skillet. Add chopped onions and diced carrots, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, often stirring, until softer. Add the grated garlic cloves, stir for a few seconds, then add the beef. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the meat is brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go along.1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 2 onions + 2 medium carrots + 3 garlic cloves + 1 lb ground lamb
- Add parsley, thyme, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, broth, and some salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.1 teaspoon dried parsley + 1 teaspoon thyme + 3 tablespoons tomato paste + 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard + ½ cup beef broth + 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Simmer without a lid for about 15 minutes. Add the peas, stir to combine, and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.1 cup frozen peas + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
Mashed potato topping:
- Drain potatoes: Once the potatoes are tender, drain them well and return them to the hot pot. Let them steam for about 1 minute.
- Heat the milk in a small pan or microwave.½ cup whole milk
- Mash potatoes: Add milk, butter, a few gratings of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the grated Parmesan, and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.milk + 2 tablespoons butter + a few gratings of nutmeg + ½ cup Parmesan + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Assemble and bake:
- Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the meat in an even layer. Then, carefully (the skillet is hot and heavy), place the shepherd's pie onto the middle rack in the preheated oven (Note 4).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden.
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve.fresh parsley
Notes
- Ground meat: Ground lamb is traditional, but ground beef is also delicious (and more readily available).
- Stock: Sub with chicken or vegetable stock (from a cube is fine).
- Hot milk and butter at room temperature absorb more easily in the mashed potatoes, thus reducing the risk of you overmixing the mash.
- Cheese: Sub with grated Cheddar. Or with about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese or sour cream.
- If the pot seems too full, place it on a baking sheet to avoid the filling bubbling over into your oven. However, if you use a large skillet, that should not happen.
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