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Home » gluten free » Classic Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Classic Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Published: Mar 28, 2019 · Modified: Mar 20, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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47 minutes 1 Comment

Lamb shepherd’s pie with peas and carrots and a chive mashed potato topping is the perfect recipe to make with spring lamb.

Lamb Shepherd's Pie in dish

I’ve really grown to love lamb over the last couple of years. I love how much flavour it has. It’s, well, lamby. Depending on the cut of lamb, it can be more or less intimidating. Lamb shoulder chops are one of my go-to cuts for an easy, braised lamb ragu but for shepherd’s pie, you can’t go wrong with ground lamb. 

Ground lamb is more mellow and mild than other cuts of lamb–it’s also a lot easier to find and available at most grocery stores. Don’t worry, if you’re just dipping your toes into the lamb side of the protein world, this is a great introduction. 

What’s the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie? 

Technically, it’s only a shepherd’s pie if it’s made with lamb–any other kind of meat (beef, chicken etc.) is considered to be “cottage pie”. 

Lamb Shepherd's Pie on plate

Shepherd’s pie is a quintessential simple, homely and comforting recipe. It’s not really trendy. But I love it. It’s the perfect kind of recipe for this in-between season. That season between winter and spring when you’re not sure what to cook. Just me? Didn’t think so. 

If you are roasting a leg of lamb for Easter, you could replace the ground lamb in this recipe with leftover shredded roasted lamb, which is actually how this dish was traditionally made in Ireland (and how it started in the first place). 

What is “spring lamb”?

You often hear about “spring lamb”, it essentially means that the lamb is younger and thus, more tender and has a little less of that famous lamby flavour. It’s available from February to June. The meat will be slightly pink (the meat becomes darker as it ages), but I wouldn’t be concerned about spring lamb when cooking with ground lamb. 

Piece of lamb shepherd's pie on plate

I top this shepherd’s pie with a chive mashed potatoes. You don’t really need the chives, but I like the fact that they add little flecks of colour in an otherwise kind of boring looking dish. They do add a hint of fresh and light onion flavour as well, which is welcome. 

If you wanted to, you could use your fork to make a nice design in the top. But honestly? That’s not really my style. That’s a little too retro for me. I wanted my recipe for lamb shepherd’s pie to be at least a little modern. 

Lamb Shepherd's Pie in dish

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Author: Louisa Clements
4.25 from 4 votes
Lamb shepherd's pie with peas and carrots and a chive mashed potato topping is the perfect recipe to make with spring lamb.
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Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 27 minutes
Total: 47 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For topping:

  • 3-4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp minced chives

For lamb filling:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ½ tsp salt and potatoes. Cook for 12-15 minutes until softened. Drain, and mash with milk, butter, remaining ½ tsp salt and chives. Set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, cook for 5-7 minutes. Until slightly softened. Add ground lamb and ½ tsp salt, cook and crumble for 5 minutes until lamb is browned and almost fully cooked. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook another minute, until fragrant. Add red wine, and cook another minute. Stir in thyme and frozen peas.
  • Spoon lamb mixture into a an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking dish. Top with potatoes.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until topping has started to brown around the edges.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, gluten free
Nutrition Facts
Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 532 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 91mg30%
Sodium 1072mg47%
Potassium 1125mg32%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 5630IU113%
Vitamin C 36mg44%
Calcium 105mg11%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Let me know if you give this lamb shepherd’s pie a try in the comments below. 

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Comments

  1. Fiori

    January 18, 2023 at 11:55 am

    I absolutely love this recipe - so tasty! Thanks Louisa. 💕
    ★★★★★
    Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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