I don't know where you were brought up but it wasn't near a traditional Shepherds Pie recipe. When has ever cheese, let alone an Italian one ever come close to British shores?
Whenever has a stove top version ever come close to the way it should be done. As a Brit cook, let us get it right please. If you want to know ask me. Neil.

Hmm, that's funny. I don't think it says anywhere on this particular recipe that it is a "Traditional British" Shepherd's Pie. Variation is the bouquet of life. live a little for crying out loud. Maybe it would suit Ms. Ryall better if it was called "A damned good non-traditional Shepherd's pie"... and no, it's not my recipe.

My parents are from Ireland and this is pretty close to how my mom all ways made it. She only used Cheddar cheese however. The meat was all ways lamb.We leave out the tomato paste, we like it better that way. I think it was up to the individual cook on how it's made. Even in Britain there are regional differences.

Wow whats wrong with neil, people have different ways of preparing the same thing, so please let boatdeck enjoy the traditional shepherds pie recipe her own. Please be civil.

"Anyway you fix it Lord,It's alright with me." You all fix it to please yourself, and fill your mouth with SP, you won't have room to gripe on how someone else fix their food.. Wake up gripers!!

Wow, this recipe is really hard to follow. Tried to make this and totally failed because of it. But really, no hard feelings, just want you to know that its extremely difficult to someone new at cooking basically =P Thanks for the recipe though, my 2 1/2 yr old daughter still loved it even though I totally left out the gravy/stock/meat jelly part, HA!

Fellow cooks, please have some tolerance for one another. Shepherd's Pie can be whatever you want it to be. Mine is plain old American Shepherd's Pie. My recipe was made up out of necessity: tight for time and a tight budget. I just brown ground beef and drain it, saute some onion, mix in tomato soup, canned green beans or corn, (my family's preferences), put some mashed potatoes on the top, and occasionally add grated cheese, if I have any in the house. I don't care if it's authentic. All I care is if it's nutritious and fills up my family's tummies. I do cook mine in the oven, in the same csst iron frying pan I began browning the ground beef in, this way I only have one pan to clean up!

Your recipe sounds great because thats the way our family makes our shepherds pie. We also use green beans and cook in the oven. Thanks for reminding me of this recipe, I should make this soon.

I can't believe I'm joining the Shepherd's Pie debate, but, yo, Neil. Doesn't Cheddar cheese originate from Cheddar, England? So, I guess, while maybe Parmesan cheese has never "come close to British shores," I'm pretty sure the cheddar cheese has. While I tend to agree with your observation, posted elsewhere in the great pie debate, that Americans tend to "overcheese" their food, I think your insistence that there is only "one true Shepherd's pie" is ridiculous. Every mum in every cottage all through Britain surely made her pie a little different based on what she had on hand... every mum's pie became her child's "traditional" Shepherds Pie. Having gotten that off my chest, I will say that all the pie recipes look delish, and I think I'll make one tonite... but I'm not tellng which one.

This was delish. I used cheddar cheese though. Neil...chill out buddy. Cooking is an experiment, that's part of the fun. Post your own Shepherd's Pie then and stop with the whining. Just some friendly advice!

I certainly am a part of this majority - if it tastes good and fills the nutritional needs, I'll take any old great standby recipe and tweak it using my own preferences for ingredients.
I wouldn't attempt to slag any other Brits (got some of that blood in my own veins), but come on - no cheese nearing British shores? And Parmesan not for you, Neil? Kinda missing out on something there, sir. And I'm sure that a lot of your country (wo)men would agree.

Neil, You must be quite the "cook" lol

It is, after all, shepherd's pie, not cowboy's pie. Personally I like to serve lamb chops in my bisto but I use pork chops instead. Just kidding. Names and words do have meaning.

There is Shepherds Pie and then there is Sheepherders Pie
Out here in the west in California the cowboys called theirs "Sheepherders Pie". Brown meat, add a little flour make a rue, add some water add carrots, celery, onion, or whatever else you like for veggies put mashed tators on top bake in the oven in an old cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven on an open fire & you got yourself a "Sheepherders Pie"

I tried it and came out AWESOME, I use it with turkey burger and left out the tomato paste and when I had it I used ketchup, (just how I enjoy it,) but very juicy meat and mouth watering goodness! thank you!!!

Neil I can respect your way for cooking and the traditional way that you make it, however people have other tastes that will not suite what they want or meet there preferences. When I read a recipeI add or remove things all the time that I don't like and make it more personalize it to me as a cook. But thank you everyone for your good ideas!