
I love one-pot meals, and shepherd’s pie checks off that craving so well. Think about it, a baked and layered savory delicacy, with cooked ground meat and veggies and layered with a silky rich mashed potato and cheese.
Each bite feels like heaven as the steaming veggies and meat blend with the creamy, cheesy potato mash. All in all, a delicious scoop of love in every bite.
My lover’s mother bakes the best shepherd’s pie. And she inspired me to bake this by myself today. She is a fearless schoolteacher who bakes the best pies and fries the best beer-battered fish!
This recipe is inspired by her, with a few twists in ingredients. So without further ado, let us check out my shepherd’s pie recipe!
Can Shepherd’s Pie Be Frozen?

A Shepherd’s Pie is no finger food. It is a huge dish, fit for a group of friends or your family. So if you are prepping it one day before, you might wonder if it is possible to properly freeze it.
Luckily, you can! But keep in mind that frozen shepherd’s pie takes longer to bake than fresh.
Prepping and baking a shepherd’s pie is a three-way process.
- First, you cook the meats and veggies
- After that, you boil potatoes and make a silky and buttery mash
- Lastly, you layer these two foods and bake them in the oven.
Overall, it is a cumbersome process. Trust me, I started around the afternoon and completed baking the pie as the evening set.
So if you are running short of time to bake it on the same day, or want to pre-prep the portions to bake the next morning, here is how to freeze a shepherd’s pie:
- Double-wrap the shepherd’s pie. First with a cling plastic wrap and then with an aluminum foil layer.
- If you want to add shredded cheese over the potato layer, do it after thawing the frozen pie.
- Freeze the cooked meat and vegetables right after cooking them. Doing this ensures that the oil does not separate.
- Freeze shepherd’s pie only at 0° F (-17.78°C) or lower.
Best Sides for Shepherd’s Pie

While shepherd’s pie is a complete meal on its own, you might crave some side dishes to go with your humble bites.

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One of the best sides to eat shepherd’s pie with is bread. And different types of bread go with this one-pot meal:
- Yorkshire pudding
- Condensed milk bread
- Irish soda bread
Some other sides to help with this savory delight are:
- Roasted cauliflower
- Avocado salad
- Corn salad
- Stir-fried greens
And if you want a tall glass of drink to go alongside:
- Fizzy mocktails
- Red wine
- Pinot Noir
Each of these food and drink components works wonderfully with the creamy, cheesy, and piping hot shepherd’s pie for one of two reasons or both:
- They complement the richness of the shepherd’s pie
- They work as perfect palette cleansers
So it is nice to have some side dishes and drinks by your side to wash down this scrumptious meal.
My Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
There are multiple steps to baking a perfect shepherd’s pie. So I want to break down the recipe into three parts, so it is easy to follow.
The parts are:
- Cooked meat and veggies
- Mashed potatoes, and finally
- Instructions for the shepherd’s pie
For my recipe, I am using chicken as the meat base. But you can use any type of meat, especially lamb as it is why the meal is known as the shepherd’s pie! Here we go:
1. Cooked Meat and Veggies

Step 1: Fry the garlic and onions

Let the oil heat up, and add your chopped garlic and onions to the pan. Keep sauteeing them till a rich aroma fills the kitchen. Keep the heat low to medium, so that the garlic pieces do not fry too easily.
Step 2: Sprinkle the flavoring agents

As the onion and garlic cook, sprinkle in chili powder, pepper, and a dash of cinnamon powder. The chili powder adds a perfect zest, the pepper gives the mix a kick, and the sweetness from the cinnamon powder binds these strong taste enhancers together.
These also add bold flavors to the meat and veggies, enriching the taste of your cooked vegetables and meat.
Step 3: Add carrots, peas, and salt

As the flavors infuse, it is time to add the veggies to the mix! Throw in the chopped carrots and whole peas, and sautee them, till the juices from the onions and garlic, and the blended spices coat over.
Let this cook for around 3-5 minutes over medium heat,
Step 4: Throw in the chicken

When the veggies look tender and glistening, drop the minced chicken into the veggies. Spread the minced meat and mix the chunks evenly with the veggies and spices.
You can use your spatula to break the chunks into smaller shreds that cook perfectly on all sides. Keep cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.
Step 5: Add mixed herbs and chicken seasoning (Optional)

As the chicken and veggies cook in the aromatics and seasonings, sprinkle in mixed herbs and mix it in. I also use a chicken-flavored seasoning cube to enhance the juicy and meaty flavors in the meat.
Cook for a few minutes till the chicken is tender and juicy. Since it will bake inside the shepherd’s pie, you stop cooking after a bit.
Your cooked meat and veggies base for the shepherd’s pie is now ready!
2. Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Step 1: Boil your potatoes
Clean your spuds and put them in a pressure cooker for about 4-5 whistles. By then, your potatoes will boil perfectly for a soft, mashable texture.
Release extra pressure from your cooker and take out your potatoes.
Step 2: Peel and mash your potatoes
After peeling your boiled potatoes, use a masher to mix them into a soft, creamy mush.
Now, it is time to make silky smooth and cheesy mashed potatoes for your shepherd’s pie surface.
Step 3: Add butter, mashed potato, and milk to a pot

Put a pot over low heat and add butter to melt. Once the butter has melted, pour your mashed potatoes and a little room-temperature milk. Keep folding them over together till you achieve a cheesy and velvety soft texture.
Continue adding milk in small amounts and folding the potatoes till the mash soaks in the liquid.
Step 4: Mix in cheese and seasoning

While adding milk, mix some shredded cheese, salt, and pepper into the mashed potatoes. The milk helps blend the cheese into the potatoes to create a soft, fluffy, and creamy mashed texture. Now your silky, cheesy, and yummy mashed potatoes are ready to be baked into a pie.
3. Bake Your Shepherd’s Pie
Step 1: Grease your glass pan

Now that your meat, veggies, and potatoes are ready, it is time to bake a shepherd’s pie!
Grease your microwave-safe glass pan using a silicone brush and ready it. In the meantime, preheat the oven for five minutes at 374°F (190°C.)
Step 2: Add meat and veggies

Scoop the cooked meat and vegetables into the pan, and flatten the surface with your spatula.
While putting the minced chicken and veggies, make sure to keep some space above for the potatoes.
Step 3: Add the mashed potatoes

Whisk an egg and mix it with the potatoes. Doing so will help cook the pie with a surface that is crispy on the outside and cheesy and soft on the inside, A perfect blanket over the spicy meats and veggies beneath,
Step 4: Bake your shepherd’s pie

Put the glass pan inside the oven, and bake the pie at 374°F (190°C) for 36 minutes. After the oven dings, let the pan stay inside for another five minutes before taking it out.
Let it cool a tad slightly, and enjoy it with your loved ones! You can add some herbs on the surface for an aromatic fragrance to engulf this exquisite, rich, creamy, and delicious shepherd’s pie.
Shepherd’s pie is best enjoyed piping hot as the thick creamy potatoes blanket over the spicy and tangy chicken and veggies, all coated with a silky smooth cheese and egg concoction.
I hope you enjoy baking with my shepherd’s pie recipe. Do share your shepherd’s pie stories, as I love reading what you think!
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

A baked savory delicacy, consisting of cheesy mashed potatoes, nestling over tangy and spicy tender chicken chunks and veggies. A comfort food of millions worldwide!
- Cooking pot
- Silicone spatula
- Bowls
- Microwave-safe glass pan
- Potato masher
- Cheese grater
- Pressure cooker
- 14 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Shredded Medium Onion
- 3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Tsp Chinnamon Powder
- 1 Tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Medium Carrot (chopped)
- 30 Grams Peas
- 250 Grams Chicken
- 6 Medium Potatoes
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Pepper
- 45 Grams Butter
- 45 Grams Shredded Cheese
- 152 Mililitres Milk
- 1 Tsp Olive Oil (For greasing the pan)
- 1 Large Egg
Sauteeonions and garlic in hot oil
Sprinkle in cinnamon powder, chilli powder, and pepper
Now add your chopped carrots and peas
Sprinkle in salt and sautee to infuse the flavors to the veggies
Next, add minced chicken and fold it with the veggies and aromatics
Cook the chicken and veggies for another five minutes. Let it rest aside.
For potato mash, start boiling your potatoes
Peel the potatoes, and mash them with a masher
Put butter in a pan and let is melt over low heat
Add the mashed potato to the melted butter and infuse the flavors
Drop in shredded cheese to the silky smooth mashed potatoes
Put in milk in small amounts multiple times to fold the potatoes, butter, and athe shredded cheesed
Your potato cheesy and buttery potato mash is ready!
Pre-heat your microwave at 374°F (190°C) for five minutes, and grease a microwave-safe glass pan
First, pour your cooked meat and veggies
Whisk an egg and mix it with the potato mash
Now add that mash over the meat and veggies base, and smoothen the surface
Let this pie bake for 36 minutes at 374°F (190°C)
Enjoy your freshly baked, piping hot, and delicious shepherd's pie