This dish just screams pure comfort food, full of perfectly seasoned lamb or beef has just the right amount of flavors that makes this casserole off-the-charts delicious.
I really love how it can be put together quickly if you cut some corners and purchase some store-bought mashed potatoes and jarred gravy then you can have it on the table in 25 minutes.
The gravy, of course, is a family favorite and is usually not served with shepherd's pie however we just love the beer brown gravy it just finishes off this dish nicely by pairing it with mashed potatoes.
Well on Italian meatloaf night, he took a slice of meatloaf and topped it with mashed potatoes and mashed corn on top of it.
We have changed out the vegetables from time to time also, if you're not a fan of corn substitute peas or mushrooms.
This is a basic recipe that can be adapted however you're used to having it in your favorite restaurants, we just love using ground lamb instead of beef.
Scroll down to see this delicious style of Shepherd's Pie and give it a try, it's an easy all-in-one pan meal!
Quick Meal Anytime
Originally from modern British English food didn't appear until around 1854, the English version of this dish is referred to as cottage pie and made with a meat layer (like this version) on the bottom.
Authentic style is made with lamb then it became shepherd's pie because hence the lamb used and looked like a sheep apparently!
The pork version of shepherd's pie is made with a ground pork layer used along with cooked rice, a layer of carrots, and chopped cabbage, then mashed potatoes, pork gravy, and cheddar cheese on top, all of these versions are delicious.
The recipes are all easily adaptable for you to build your pie to your family's tastes in meats and vegetables!
Leftovers
One of the best things about this pie is how fast and easy it is.
If you've ever had an abundance of leftover burgers, here's a great way to use them up.
Just take the meat add an egg, some spices, and ketchup for the bottom meat crust, and build everything else the same.
You really can use any leftover meats just pulse them through a food processor and spice it up!
The perfect solution to repurposing leftovers!
Ingredients You Will Need For Italian Shepherd's Pie
- ground lamb, or ground beef
- tomato sauce
- beef broth
- red wine
- flour
- Worcestershire sauce
- minced fresh garlic
- granulated garlic powder
- black pepper and salt to taste
- grated cheese
- Topping:
- Prepared Mashed Potatoes ( leftovers work great or store-bought)
- corn
- jarred bottle of brown jar gravy or homemade with beer or wine
- granulated garlic
- shredded Dubliner cheese
- Optional Additions:
- minced hot cherry peppers or bell pepper
- sliced mushrooms
- sliced onions
- chopped green bell peppers
- peas
- zucchini
- spinach leaves
- any vegetables you like can be used
Additional Vegetable and Meat Suggestions:
- Onions
- Shredded zucchini
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded cabbage
- Meats to use ground beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey
- Chicken gravy, beef gravy, pork gravy
- Chopped peppers hot or sweet any kinds
- Sliced mushrooms
- Peas
- Corn
More Recipes to Try:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Italian Sauteed Mushrooms
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One Pan Meals
This all-in-one pan meal is just great made the day before and tastes great and reheated the next day.
I usually add the cheese on top just before I pop it in the oven to melt and heat through, it always tastes just like I first made it.
This easy recipe for shepherd's AKA cottage pie is again as I mentioned before pure comfort food and so delicious so don't hesitate to try it.
I hope everyone reading enjoys my version it sure has satisfied my family through the years and is always one of the first meals they ask for when visiting now that the kids are grown.
Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie

Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This is a shepherds pie or cottage pie made with lamb, corn, mashed potatoes, and cheese on top then served with brown beer gravy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground hamburger, lamb or turkey or use leftover cooked chicken ground in the food processor
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon of blended Italian herb (thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil)
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- black pepper and salt to taste
- Topping:
- 2 cups Prepared Mashed Potatoes ( leftovers work great or store-bought) premade to save time
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- 1 can corn
- 1 cup of a bottle of brown jar gravy or homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Note: if using jarred gravy add 1/4 cup of beer or white wine
- 2 cups shredded Dubliner Cheese
- Optional Additions:
- 2 tablespoons minced hot cherry peppers or bell pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- peas instead of corn or a mix of both
Instructions
- Make your favorite mashed potato recipe you will need around
- In a large frying pan heat, the olive oil, then add the ground meat, salt, pepper, herbs, and spices.
- Saute for around 8 minutes stirring until the pink is gone.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic.
- Saute for 1 minute then add flour and tomato sauce.
- Add the broth, and wine and simmer breaking up the meat until it's reduced to half the liquid about 10 minutes on low heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees preheated oven. Drain the fat off ( I soak it up with paper towels.
- Add the meat to a deep casserole baking pan.
- Add the corn on top of the meat then cover with mashed potatoes
- Sprinkle with grated cheese of around 2 tablespoons.
- Add Dubliner shredded cheese on top and bake at 350 until the cheese melts and the heated for around 25 minutes.
- Serve with beer or wine brown gravy.
- Brown Gravy Recipe:
- 2 cups beef broth 1/4 cup of beer or white wine tap here 1 teaspoon of Kitchen bouquet or gravy master 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
- In a large skillet add around 2 tablespoons of butter and add the cornstarch or flour.
- Mix together until smooth.
- Stir in the flour then add the kitchen bouquet (or gravy master)add salt, pepper to taste, and granulated garlic powder ..
- Add the broth, and the beer or the wine and simmer until it thickens around 3 minutes.
Notes
Additional Vegetable and Meat Suggestions:
- Chopped onions
- Shredded zucchini
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded cabbage
- Meats to use ground beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey
- Chicken gravy, beef gravy, pork gravy
- Chopped peppers hot or sweet any kinds
- Sliced mushrooms
- Peas
- Corn
Nutrition Facts
Calories
370Fat (grams)
22Sat. Fat (grams)
12Carbs (grams)
11Net carbs
9Sugar (grams)
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Don't Forget to Try Some Other of Our Favorite Recipes:
Meatballs
Sauce Steak
Italian Stuffed Meatloaf
Provolone alfredo burger
This is an Affiliate link and I do make a small commission See Disclosure Policy
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2011. It was edited and re-published in 2019.
OUCH! So sorry to hear. Glad to know all will be OK again. Your meat pie does fit the need, comfort food is always a blessing. Good thoughts coming your way, take care.
ReplyDeleteThat is some pie! Never seen an Italiano one..but hey we have lots of shepherds in Italy..we deserve a pie!
ReplyDeletewow.. it's mouthwatering post Claudia.. Yummy picture too!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of your husband's job. I really hope he can get another job very soon. Yes, times is so uncertain and challenging with his bad economy. There are lots of job cuts here in UK, too. Please stay strong. You have a loving family and that's most important. Love your shepherd's pie. I need to cook it one of these days. Please take care. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your husband - I can't imagine having to live through that. I love shepherds pie and it's always on my radar when leftover mashed potatoes are around. You version looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your husband's job. Hopefully, he will find something soon. This pie is definitely a picker-upper. Every obstacle is an opportunity, right? Sending good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBummer about your husband's job! You're right about "when the going gets tough...." Cooking has always been my therapy. Just had shepherd's pie and you've given me food for thought (yes, I love puns)about a variation on your Italian-style pie.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not so very italian, but you sure deserve it! I like the way you react, and you got me laughing with the sentence "when times get tough, the tough get cooking". I hope everything fixes for the better in no time...
ReplyDeleteThe shepherd's pie looks totally comforting and delicious! And I love it with lots of garlic.
ReplyDeleteJust saw your lovely guest blog post about baked chicken, that and this recipe look so hearty and delicious, can't wait to try them out!
ReplyDeleteim so sorry to hear about your husband's situation. hope things would work out for you and your family. i know how hard things can get in times like this. i am sending you lots of love and good wishes.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have an incredible outlook after such news. Many good wishes to you and your husband during this time. I think we all could use a bit of brightness in this country.
ReplyDeleteYour Shepherds pie is a delicious adaptation of the original. In fact, I would take your version any day!
Oh wowwww...This is something different and just sounds and looks amazingly delicious!!! I love this!!!
ReplyDeleteMy boys lova lova shepherds pie, cant wait to spring this one on them. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that Claudia! You have such a positive attitude about it - that counts for a lot. Your shepherds pie looks incredibly good and super comforting - love your Italian twist.
ReplyDeleteClaudia,
ReplyDeleteThis is one kicked up Shepherds Pie! Love the mushrooms, corn, and zucchini in this one!
Hope your husband finds work soon. You know when one door closes, another one opens!
Thanks again for such a wonderful guest blog post, really done great!
Bon appetit!
CCR
=:~)
Your pie is fantastic! Sorry again about the work situation, but I think that sometimes endings just open new doors...enjoy a bit of time together as I know you will :)
ReplyDeleteHugs
Aw man, so sorry to hear about this bump in your road. Comfort food always helps. This looks fabulous, a great pick me up on a tough day. Best of luck, my thoughts are with you guys.
ReplyDeleteThe pie looks gorgeous and just the right meal for my weekend dinner.
ReplyDeleteLite Bite
I love how you Italianized this!! Great post, Claudia, and a wonderful recipe, as always!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that your hubby was laid off - times are tough for many. My husband was laid off last year just when I had our first baby ... it was so tough but we got through it. Life has a funny way of working itself out.
Italian Style Shepherds Pie is a wonderful idea. I made Tuna Shepherds Pie this week. Proof that there is no end to the possiblities for Shepherds Pie :)
ReplyDeleteStay hopeful. And keep on making amazing dishes. I love the idea of Italian shepherds pie. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteOh my....definitely a time for comfort food and this looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about Captain Nemo - I really do hope and believe something better will come along. In the meantime enjoy some quality time together ... so glad you still have an awesome spirit and cook comforting things for everyone. Hugs!
ReplyDeletethis looks better than my mom's, but don't tell her that ;)
ReplyDeleteClaudia, first and foremost I want you to know that your husband, you and your family are in my prayers during this time of un-due stress. This recession has hurt most of us. I hope relief comes soon!
ReplyDeleteNow about this incredible recipe. I had never thought of making a sheperd's pie with an Italian flair, but I know with you as the chef, it has to be awesome!
Blessings to all of you, Claudia,
Roz
This is a nerve-wracking economy. So will be keeping you close in my thoughts. Glad you will be okay, but still - so hard. Our family has many instances of these hard times. Comfort food is definitely welcome and one of its joys - is it's usually not expensive! I love how you "Italianied" Shepherd's Pie. I turn things Italian all the time and Shepherd's Pie is the perfect dish to play with - and you played with it beautifully. I shall follow suit.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your husband losing his job. Hope and pray that he'll be able to recover soon! Thank you for posting this delicious recipe! I'm dying to make it asap!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this italian style shepherds pie recipe! It taste amazing and really easy for me to make!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting spin to Shepherds pie and the Italian in me is intrigued to try it now!
ReplyDeleteMade this for my hubby because it looked so unusual and he absolutely loved it, thanks!
ReplyDeleteAdding corn is such a game changer! Love the added sweetness and mixing in my favourite veges means I get my daily fix :D
ReplyDeleteShepherds pie is one of our favorite dinner. Looking forward to trying the Italian version of it, looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteSuch a comforting meal for the family. I love shepherd's pie...perfect for the cooler days ahead! <3
ReplyDelete