Oh the cheese comment is so funny Neil! Trust me cheese has never been a part of my sheppard's pie! Just know some of us are not obsessed with cheese!

Neil,
I have not prepared your version but must comment that not only does it sound perfect it made me laugh! Too true about we Americans using cheese in near everything! I hope to try yours soon! Thanks for the recipe and smile!
Jennifer

Sounds like a very good recipe Mr. Neil. Despite the fact that you have stated correctly that true Shepherd's Pie is ground lamb, ground beef in a pie made with beef is a Cottage Pie, and no cheese belongs in either, I think you could have made your point without coming across as demeaning to the people of the United States. Sounds like you're a small man who has big issues with us. That's ok, though. Thank you for submitting the recipe and I can't wait to try it!

Funny, a British woman taught me how to make this with ground beef and to put cheddar on top.

She also said that every family makes their own variations of this - and included an explanation that, yes, it was originally made with lamb. And that her father wouldn't let her mother make it because it was poor people's food.

To each their own.

What no rosemary!!! That's insane - lamb without rosemary. And no lamb and cheese don't go together.

Thank You Neil - I was looking for a "more authentic" recipe for English Pies (Pie In The Sky will do that to you)..I am American but am sick of recipes adding a can of this/ a package of that stir and you are done...ick...and although I do adore cheese...it has a place..of which is not in this pie :)

I think this area should be kept for making reviews on the recipe not lashing out at each other. We all have our own ways that we change recipes. If you think you have a good way of doing this recipe then submit it. down down this gentleman for his recipe which may be from his home country.

well i love me some cheese please

Well, here's heresy for you; we make 'shepherd's pie' w ground turkey or cubed chicken, because family can't eat beef...so Bisto is out and we like our tatos smoothly mashed (& not from a box!)

You can use a gravy powder mix instead of Bisto.
I have had guests from America who told me my stew was not traditional Irish stew because I made it with lamb,?? ( I am Irish,they were guests in my home,in Ireland LOL)
So can go both ways too. Sometimes you just have to ignore comments,life is to short.

Bisto comes in all flavours: Lamb,chicken,etc. even veggie but I don't know about availability in the US.

Mrs 57 May I ask "What is potato in a box" please?

I LOVE CHEESE!

I too, had learned over the years that shepherd's pie was made with lamb, but it was a way to use up leftovers. Obviously, in a country where lamb is more plentiful than beef, it would be made with it rather than beef. I'll bet that almost no-one makes it the same way each time they make it. My grandmother used to put a can of Campbell's vegetable soup in her mix and I never do. I use ground beef, 'cause most of the time I'm not using leftovers, but I will try it with leftover lamb or beef some day as I only like those meats the first time around. I didn't think that Neil was offensive, I thought he was funny. And, if I really wanted to know what those items were that he mentioned that are unfamiliar to me, I would have looked them up. Enjoy whatever recipe you use for shepherd's pie.

Comments comical; especially since I've just finished winnowing the hash brown casserole list for a recipe which *doesn't* include cheese. :D