Making Shepherd's Pie In Slow Cooker

Comfort food alert! My Traditional Shepherd's pie with creamy mashed potato and rich gravy just like mum's!
I'm sharing with you my top tips for the perfect crispy top, creamy mash and rich meat sauce, plus I'll show you how to get a jug of lovely rich gravy to go along with it.
You REALLY Don't want to miss this one!

Close of of Shepherd's pie with a portion taken out and a spoon with Shepherd's pie resting on top of the Shepherd's pie.

Jump to:

🐑 Shepherd's Pie vs🐄 Cottage Pie
📋 What do we need?
🔪 How to make it
📺 Watch How To Make It
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
🙋 FAQs
😋 More Comfort Food Classics
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
💬 Reviews

I never could resist mashed potato. My favourite bit of a roast dinner when I was younger, I always used to request lots of mash and gravy and a little bit of everything else!

So by default, Shepherd's pie and cottage pie are two of my favourite comfort foods.

Personally, I love my Shepherd's Pie with lots of green veg and plenty of gravy.
Chris likes it like that too, but his favourite way of eating it is to save some for breakfast the next day, then fry it up and serve it on bread with ketchup.
Minus the ketchup, I've got to agree, it is a mighty good breakfast.

Now I know some people might not consider this a pie but, come on, its got pie in the title and it's downright delicious and personally, I LOVE a mashed-potato-topped pie.

If you're not a big fan of mashed potato topped 'pies' then why not try one of my other pastry-based pies like my creamy chicken puff pie or my rich and tasty steak pie.

🐑 Shepherd's Pie vs🐄 Cottage Pie

So What exactly is the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie?

Traditionally shepherd pie is made with lamb mince, whereas cottage pie is made with beef mince. I tend to make and serve both with the same sides and I tend to make both in a similar way.

I have a great recipe for Cottage Pie too.

📋 What do we need?

Ingredients for Shepherd's pie on a wooden table

I'm making a BIG BATCH of shepherd's pie for this recipe - it will serve 8-10 people no problem.
I like to do this because we eat half and then I freeze the other half (check out freezing and reheating info in the notes section of the recipe card).

You can make a smaller batch to serve 4-5 people by halving all of the ingredients, or a mini shepherd's pie to serve 2 people by quartering all of the ingredients.
It will take the same time in the oven, it will just take a little less time to fry up the veg and lamb if you're making a smaller batch.

🔪 How to make it

We start by boiling up some potatoes for the mash.

Whilst that's cooking, we fry up onion, carrot and celery in a little oil until softened. Add the minced lamb and brown, then add in Worcestershire sauce and stock and let it simmer. Stir in a little cornstarch slurry to thicken.

👩‍🍳 PRO TIP - I add in a lot more stock then you think you might need – this is so you have enough liquid for gravy later)

Then we use a slotted spoon to spoon the minced lamb mixture into the baking dish.
This will ensure there's still some sauce with the minced lamb, but will also leave plenty of sauce behind in the pan - which we'll reheat for gravy afterwards.

6 image collage showing initial steps for making Shepherd's pie

When the potatoes are tender you want to mash them.

👩‍🍳 PRO TIP - for the perfect creamy mashed potato. Mash using a potato ricer (<–affiliate link) for extra smooth mash, and stir in plenty of cream, butter, salt and pepper (diet food this is not).

Top the minced lamb with scoops of mashed potato and then ruffle up the topping with a fork. The more ruffles = the more crispy bits.

Place in the preheated oven at 200C/400F for about 20 minutes until golden.

6 image collage showing the final steps for making shepherds pie.

Does anyone else purposely leave a heap of mashed potato in the pan after dishing the rest up, then hover over the bowl, 'testing' it by eating it straight off the oversized wooden spoon you mixed the mash with? Ahh I love the chef's treats.

When it comes out of the oven it should be lovely and crisp on top with sauce bubbling up at the edges (so be careful as it's extra hot!).

Shepherd's pie in a white dish. Bowl of red cabbage and cutlery in the background.

📺 Watch How To Make It

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

I always love to dish up the shepherd's pie and serve with green veg such as cabbage, garden peas or broccoli.

Reheat the gravy in the pan just before serving and pour all over the shepherd's pie. You might find that there are still a few bits of mince still in the pan with the gravy. Personally I'm fine with that, but if you prefer, you can sieve the gravy (using a fine mesh sieve) so that it's extra smooth.

You could also have some fresh homemade bread on the side for dipping in the gravy.

My recipe ensures you get plenty of extra gravy to pour over the top and I've even sneaked a couple of veggies in there too.

Shepherd's pie in a white dish with a portion removed. Spoon with shepherd's on is resting on top of the Shepherd's pie.

🙋 FAQs

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes! Use gluten-free stock. Also check your Worcestershire sauce brand is gluten-free - then you're good to go.

Can you make shepherd's pie ahead?

Yes, make the shepherd's pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate, along with the gravy. It should be fine in the fridge for a day or two.

Place in the oven straight from the fridge, for 25-30 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides.

Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot.

Will it freeze?

I find the mashed potato can be a little watery after freezing, but so long as the pie is fully defrosted before reheating, the pie should be fine after cooking and crisping up in the oven.

As above make the shepherd's pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and freeze, along with the gravy.

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ensure it's fully defrosted throughout before reheating), then place in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides.

Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot – it may need a splash of water and a whisk to remove any lumps (or you could sieve it).

Can I make a vegetarian or vegan version?

Yes. If I'm making a vegetarian version, I use quorn mince (or similar alternative) with lots of very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian stock – such as Knorr vegetable stock pots. You may need to adjust the seasoning, as some vegetable stocks can be quite salty.

My friend Katherine also does an awesome Vegan Shepherds Pie - topped with crushed potatoes 😍

Can I double/triple it to serve to a crowd?

Yes, this works great as a big batch recipe and doesn't need any adjustment to ratios of ingredients to make it work. You just need a bigger dish (or multiple dishes).

Other variation ideas:

Add a teaspoon of mint sauce to the gravy for a hint of mint that goes really well with the lamb.
Add a layer of sauteed sliced leeks in between the minced lamb and potato layer.
Use sweet potato instead of regular potato and add half a tablespoon of curry powder to the mashed potato for a slightly spicier version. You can also add ½ tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince if you want to spice it up.

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Shepherd's pie in a white dish with a portion taken out.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Comfort food alert! This is my Shepherd's pie with creamy mashed potato and rich gravy - just like your mum used to make!

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine British

Servings 8 -10 servings

Calories 553 kcal

▢ 1.8 kg (4 lb) floury potatoes - such as Maris Piper - ,peeled and chopped into large chunks
▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil
▢ 2 onions - ,peeled and finely chopped
▢ 2 sticks celery - ,finely chopped
▢ 2 carrots - ,peeled and finely chopped
▢ 900 g (2 lb) minced lamb
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 1 tsp black pepper
▢ 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
▢ 1 litre (4 ½ cups) beef or lamb stock - (boiling water plus 3-4 stock cubes is fine)
▢ 120 ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream
▢ 120 g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
▢ 2 heaped tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook on medium heat for five minutes until they start to soften.
Add the minced lamb and cook until browned – breaking up any pieces as you go.
Add in half the salt and pepper, the Worcestershire sauce and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
By this time, the potatoes should be cooked. Drain the potatoes and mash using a potato ricer.
Add the cream, butter and remaining salt and pepper and mix together.
Mix the cornflour with four tbsp of cold water and stir into the simmering lamb mixture to thicken the sauce (you may need to add a little more if you like it thicker).
Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the lamb mixture and place into a 13"x 10.6" (33cmx27cm) baking dish. This should leave most of the gravy behind in the pan.
Top the lamb with the mash potatoes, and flatten out with a spoon.
Rough up the top of the mash with a fork (so you get nice crispy bits).
Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the mashed potato is golden brown.
Heat up the gravy, then serve the shepherd's pie with the gravy and some green veg.

Scaling the recipe down

This is a big batch Shepherd's pie (I like to make a big batch and then freeze half of it), but you can half the recipe to serve 4-5 or even quarter the recipe to serve 2.
Stick to the same ratios.
Of course you'll need to use a smaller baking dish for fewer people, but the cottage pie should take the same amount of time to brown in the oven.

The frying of the vegetables and minced lamb will take slightly less time if cooking a smaller batch.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes! Use gluten-free stock. Also check your Worcestershire sauce brand is gluten-free - then you're good to go.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes, make the shepherd's pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate, along with the gravy. It should be fine in the fridge for up to a day.

Place in the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides.

Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot.

Will it freeze?

Mashed potato can be a little watery after freezing, but so long as the pie is fully defrosted before reheating, the pie should be fine after cooking and crisping up in the oven.

As above make the shepherd's pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and freeze, along with the gravy.

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ensure it's fully defrosted throughout before reheating), then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides.

Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot – it may need a splash of water and a whisk to remove any lumps (or you could sieve it).

Nutritional information is per serving (working this out at 10 servings), including gravy.

Calories: 553 kcal Carbohydrates: 34 g Protein: 19 g Fat: 38 g Saturated Fat: 20 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 108 mg Sodium: 757 mg Potassium: 1159 mg Fiber: 4 g Sugar: 5 g Vitamin A: 2567 IU Vitamin C: 19 mg Calcium: 61 mg Iron: 3 mg

Keywords Comfort Food, Traditional Shepherd's pie, winter food

This post was first published in March 2016. Updated in March 2021 with new step-by-step photos, recipe video and recipe tips.

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Hi I'm Nicky

I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.