Our lamb Shepherd’s Pie is a classic Irish dish, and it makes a hearty, filling dinner. Tender lamb chunks, carrots, and potatoes are cooked in a savory, brothy stew before being put into a casserole dish. The casserole is topped with rich, creamy mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown.
You can use leftover lamb roast or start with chunks of raw lamb. Either way, this recipe is comfort food at its best and is a great way to stretch a small amount of meat (and your budget).
Lamb shepherds pie is also called Irish shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie if you use beef instead of lamb). It is a popular dish in the UK and Ireland, and it is easy to see why. It is filling, flavorful, and easy to make.
Here is Why This Recipe Works
- You can start with raw lamb meat or use leftover lamb chops or leg of lamb.
- It stretches a small amount of meat into a large dinner that feeds several people.
- Egg yolks make the mashed potatoes rich and silky and helps the potato topping stay thick and firm.
- The recipe is easy to adapt for beef if you have leftover pot roast or baked tri tip.
- It’s versatile. We used potatoes and carrots but you can use any root vegetables you have on hand. You can even toss in some peas and corn.
The Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to make shepherds pie with lamb. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Lamb. Traditional shepherd’s pie uses lamb. This recipe will show you how to use leftovers or start from uncooked lamb.
- Herbs and spices. Salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Vegetables. Onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
- Flour. All-purpose flour is used to thicken the stew.
- Tomato paste. Adds a rich, deep flavor to the lamb
- Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire gives the Irish cottage pie an extra layer of umami flavor.
- Beef broth. If you use leftover lamb roast and you have extra drippings use that for even more flavor.
- Mashed potatoes. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, use them. Otherwise, we included a recipe.
How to Make Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Sear the lamb in a large pot (or cube the leftover lamb) and set it aside.
- Saute the veggies then add the flour, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the broth, potatoes, herbs, and lamb meat. Simmer the stew until the lamb is tender.
- Transfer the thickened stew to a large casserole dish.
- Make the mashed potatoes and spread them on top of the lamb mixture.
- Bake until golden brown.
Serve the shepherd’s pie with spelt Irish soda bread or sour cream biscuits and a strawberry spinach salad.
Tip: Use a large Dutch oven or stock pot to make the stew and ensure the casserole dish holds at least 3-1/2 quarts. Most 13 x 9 inch casserole dishes will be large enough.
Tips for Success
- If you plan to make the shepherd’s pie with a leftover lamb roast, you don’t need to cook the stew for quite as long.
- Make sure the mashed potatoes are hot when you spread them on the lamb mixture. If the potatoes cool down, they won’t spread.
- If you place the mashed potatoes in a piping bag, you can pipe them right onto the lamb mixture. If you don’t have a piping bag, place them in a resealable plastic bag and cut the tip off the corner.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have a piping bag. You can use a spoon to drop mashed potatoes on the casserole and then spread it out evenly.
- For a gluten-free option, replace the flour with half the amount of cornstarch.
Recipe Variations
- Use ground lamb instead of chunks of lamb.
- Substitute beef for the lamb (which will make this an Irish cottage pie).
- Add peas or corn to the stew.
- Top the mashed potatoes with grated cheese or add cheese directly in the potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The difference comes down to the type of meat used in the savory pie. Shepherd’s pie uses lamb, while cottage pie uses beef.
The dish is traditional to British and Irish cuisine but can also be found in other parts of the world
Whether you make this recipe as a leftover lamb shepherd’s pie or if you start with raw chunks of lamb meat, this recipe is a winner. Don’t worry if you don’t have as much lamb as the recipe calls for. This savory pie is a great way to stretch a small amount of meat.
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Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:
Our leftover roast beef pasta is a great way to use last night’s steak dinner. Serve it with some homemade Dutch oven bread and a side salad.
Our lamb pita tastes just like our favorite street food. We serve it with a creamy tzatziki sauce and a side of homemade French fries.
This lamb soup is loaded with chunks of tender lamb and plenty of vegetables. It is a cozy meal that tastes great any time of the year.
This recipe was adapted from my cookbook, My Irish Table, by Cathal Armstrong.
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Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
For the Stew
- 1-½ pounds lamb raw or cooked leftovers
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 cups)
- 2 large fresh bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds of russet potatoes peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the Stew
- Trim the fat from the lamb and cut it into half-inch chunks. If you are starting with leftover cooked lamb, skip to step 4.
- Sprinkle the chunks of raw lamb with salt and pepper. Add some cooking oil to the bottom of a large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, add the chunks of raw lamb and sear until golden brown on all sides. Try not to add too much to the pot at once or the meat will only steam instead of sear. Remove the lamb from the pot and place on a plate. Set aside for later.
- Add a splash of cooking oil to the Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 or 5 minutes until the onions get soft.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes to get the raw flavor out of the flour. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the beef broth and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
- Add the cubes of lamb meat (either the leftover lamb or the freshly seared lamb). Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes if using leftover lamb or 60 to 90 minutes if you started with raw lamb. (You want to give the lamb enough time to get tender and cooked leftover lamb has a head start on the process).
- Discard the bay leaves. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the stew to a 9×13-inch, oven-proof dish.
For the Mashed Potatoes
- Meanwhile, add the quartered potatoes and salt to a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and allow the potatoes to simmer uncovered until cooked through about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how large you slice the potatoes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and stir them over the heat for a couple of minutes to dry them out a little.
- In a small dish, whisk the egg yolks and cream together and add the mixture and the butter to the potatoes. Mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Taste, and add additional salt if needed.
- Use a spoon to place large dollops of mashed potatoes over the stew. (Alternatively, you can place the mashed potatoes in a pastry bag and squeeze it over the top of the stew). Fill in any holes with small dollops of mash potatoes so there isn't any place for the sauce to bubble up.
- Set the casserole dish on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely browned and the filling is bubbling.
- Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you use leftover lamb and have drippings from a roast, you can replace some of the beef broth with the drippings.
- Lamb loin or shoulder work well for this recipe but you can use any cut. If you don't have 1-1/2 pounds, just use what you have. The great thing about a Shepherd's pie is that you can stretch a small amount of meat to feed several people.
- When you make the mashed potatoes, a tablespoon of salt may sound like a lot, but you can actually add even more. Heavily salting the potatoes' boiling water is the best way to season mashed potatoes.
- If you want to add frozen peas or corn to the casserole, stir them into the stew just before you pour it into the casserole dish.
Sabrina
Tuesday 21st of April 2015
Looks good!
Pat
Tuesday 21st of April 2015
Thanks, Sabrina....It was really good! :)