I have found myself with extra time because my children are becoming adults so I have been visiting cooks.com. I found this whole situation funny. Yeah no one should be judgmental but we are all human. One day we all will be judged. Now bistro is a brown gravy mix. Is there any thing special about it or could a person make their own brown gravy?

Im sorry I put Beef in my SHEPPARDS PIE. Its against my religion to eat Lamb. And Cheese, Ketchup, And BBQ sauce Make a world of difference in everything. Obviously you have never had Down home cookin'. Us Texans could teach you brits a thing or two about taste buds.

I agree with you Country Kook, best I ever had was made by a true brit with beef, hp sauce, peas, and lots of cheese on top.

I did not find it snobbish, shepards pie and cottage pie are a poor mans meal, so you through in what ever you have on hand, and of course lamb is plentiful in Britain, as well as potatoes.

Goodness me... Yanks are soooo touchy and defensive. Do you HAVE to take everything so personally? Neil's recipe for Shepherds pie was spot on. His delivery was tongue in cheek I imagine. Be grateful that he bothered to post the CORRECT way to make Shepherds pie, you now have a great recipe to show off to your friends :-) Lighten up!! And just for the record... it's SHEPHERDS not sheppards, as in sheep herder... hence the Lamb :-)

Cook and they will come! Just don't forget to invite me to dinner when you make this recipe! We may have made history here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- but your pie NEEDS to come to Philly! Please come visit and cook for us!

This is the funniest recipe comment section I have ever seen! Crazy 5 months of this is too much! I am going to try this recipe only because I scrolled through the comments for so long that I am now hungry, thanks!

First carmelize onions till golden brown,then add&brown ground beef, add pint McEwans Strong Scotch Ale, reduce, 1 tablespoon Montreal steak spice, stir in mixed veggies, thicken with flour or starch. Into casserole bowl. Top off with mashed potatoes, into oven 15 min@ 375°F, broil for last five minutes (20 min. total). Enjoy!!!

Randy, I'm with ya on reducing ale in the browned ground beef for my next "cottage" pie. Sounds delicious!

Oh my! I was looking for a different way for making hot dogs and I saw this recipe title in the most active and wondered what was the difference between the way we Americans make Shephard's Pie and the way Brit's make it. Never did I expect to see all this.

To address the "get over yourselves" comments, I believe this site is for recipes...not personal opinions on how others make the same foods all over the world? I didn't think Neil's personal opinions were overly necessary...AND...as many have mentioned, it may have been done 'tongue in cheek', but seeing as we can't HEAR the way it's being said, I understand how many were offended. Personal opinions should just be left out of the recipes, no matter how "funny" they may have been intended to be.

Whether it's called Shephard's Pie or Cottage Pie, it's still a pie, and seeing as it's made it all over the world apparently, it stands to reason that it will be changed to each country's food availability. My mom had been making this yummy dish forever (w/beef) and I make it for my family w/beef, corn, and mashed potatoes. Every single time I make it, it's different. We have also added mushrooms, onions, Lipton Onion Soup Mix to the beef for added flavor...the variations are endless.

My one thing throughout reading this entire thing that stood out was a point brought up by someone: How is it 'traditional' with the use of powdered brown gravy mix (Bisto)? I seriously don't think the shephards had this stuff back in the day.

Thanx for that spam comment, I was hysterical with that! As an American, cheese is great, but have never tried it with this "poor man's dinner." If my husband wasn't lactose intolerant, I would try it now just to see how it tastes. Thanx for the entertaining half hour!!!!

This recipe is for the TRADITIONAL BRITISH recipe and was obviously posted by a Brit, with the British tongue in cheek dead pan humour often mistaken for snobbery. It is SHEPHERD'S pie...shepherds have access to sheep, hence the traditional use of lamb. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, and meat and potato pies may be made a zillion different ways and taste just great, but a traditional, British, shepherd's pie is made with lamb. However, my British family always made it with peas in place of celery...

Neil is hilarious, the recipe is lovely. Influenced by Mormon heritage, we make it with tomato soup (Campbells), green beans (Canned), mashed potatoes and cheese--of course ground beef. I'm not saying we like it -- that's just the way we make it. The last time I made the authentic lamb version I dreamed I was a cannibal. I have no idea what this means but with so many opinions out there maybe someone will have one about this!

Just happy to get more than I bargained for. Will be a sure-fire conversational hit.... Thanks, Neil! Never will mistake cheesy hamburger pie with the real thing. Some people have no sense of humor!

Accuracy is such a bear when people don't really want to have it. Good recipe, authentic background, and if the U.S. (only a fraction of the American population) participants want to gross themselves out with cheese... more tonnage to them.

It is kinda hard to find lamb here though... Cottage Pie is easier, but not nearly as well liked in my house.

It is not necessary to post opinions with recipes. I just want the recipe, not someone telling me I'm a bad cook for putting something else in the dish that my family loves. I have made this recipe without cheese and neither of my sons touched it. I made the so called "cottage pie" and they gobbled it right down. I understand this is a traditional dish for you, but please don't put down others for trying new things.