Food and Recipes Dinner Shepherd's Pie Is the Next Comfort Food Classic You Need To Master By Southern Living Editors Updated on April 23, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Don't let it fool you, shepherd's pie is meant to be enjoyed year-round. It's comfort food at its finest. Classic shepherd's pie is made with a lamb shank (versions that call on beef are technically known as cottage pie), peas, carrots, onions, and gravy, all topped with a fluffy layer of mashed potatoes. Each one of our Shepherd's pie recipes features a slightly different process, ingredient list, and flavor profile so explore them all and plan to get creative depending on what kind of veggies you have on hand. The best shepherd's pie recipes all have one thing in common: No one can resist their homey goodness. This collection of recipes is no different. Once you learn how to make shepherd's pie, you can switch things up (sweet potato crust, anyone?), mixing and matching the elements of these recipes to concoct your very own recipe that might just be as good as Mama's. Don't worry, your secret will be safe with us. 01 of 05 Shepherd's Pie Joseph De Sciose Recipe: Shepherd's Pie We took classic mashed potatoes and brought them to new heights with the Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes that top this Shepherd's Pie recipe. Because we added quite a few flavor-boosting mix-ins, you'll be able to get away with frozen mashed potatoes as the base. 02 of 05 Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust Greg Dupree Recipe: Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust Whether you call this beefy casserole cottage pie or shepherd's pie will be inconsequential once you take the first bite. We call for a duo of sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes to make the company-worthy crust. 03 of 05 Slow-Cooker Shepherd's Pie Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Shepherd's Pie This recipe starts in the slow cooker before moving to the stovetop and finally finishing in the oven to create that perfect crust. It'll take about seven hours total with just under an hour of hands-on time, so give it a whirl when you're in the mood for a cooking project. The result will be quite worth the effort. 04 of 05 Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash Don't let this recipe pass you by. It's savory with a rich flavor profile that you'll never believe can result from just 20 minutes of hands-on time. And that sweet potato topping? It might just become your new go-to side. 05 of 05 Cottage Pie with Mashed Potato Crust Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr Recipe: Cottage Pie with Potato Crust To make this recipe ahead, prepare through step 3, wrap with foil, and freeze for up to a month. When you're ready for comfort food without the hassle, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before baking to perfection. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit