This is my family's favourite Shepherd's Pie recipe. Easy to make and wonderful as comfort food. I am also English and did not know that people did add cheese to it. I say this, if you want cheese than add it, it is only a recipe after all.

When I found out that Shepherd's Pie was made with lamb instead of beef, it finally made sense the Shepherds tended the flocks of sheep and lambs not the cattle...we enjoy it with beef and now i have a name to put on it...Cottage Pie :)
Thank you Neil

Neil..don't be daft..it's just grub.
I'm an Irish girl. And! My mum and Gran would use Either and call Both Shepherd's pie. Additionally, I am fairly certain that we (the Irish) invented the recipe..so you are welcome to tweak it ..but not criticize it.
Yes we used Bisto (it's just a lovely gravy packet..look it up on Amazon). We started our minced meat in the pressure cooker.
Peas! Not celery and no ruddy cabbage!!:p
(The reason that there is traditionally no cheese is due to pouring the remainder of the gravy over the potatoes after it was served.) In fact, many times we just pour the meat & the (Not drained)gravy mixture over a nice mound of potatoes and call it "Mince and 'Tatties" and be done with it! Lovely.

Soooo. I do very much agree that recipes that may be a countries traditional favorite as shepherds pie or cottage pie. It can make a fellow Brit want to put the correct recipe out there. ( very much appreciated Neil); however.........
I also believe that when making a point or explaining yourself through writing one should not make others feel "stupid" eng accent!

Personally I know the correct way to make the dish it goes back centuries in my family but I cannot eat lamb. So don't get mad and no this is not the Indian side in me they are vegetarians. lol

I don't like the texture of ground beef so I use beef pot roast and shred I put everything else the dish requires but that is my change. Point is in the end it's personal preference. I love "CHEESE" like no tomorrow but not on this dish.

Love this Neil. Great recipe. For those of you that think Neil is being snobbish find a recipe that calls for a lemon and suck on it. Go Neil, Go USA

Oh lighten up, I didn't find comments rude or snobbish, more amusing. As an aside, if something is not quite right, cheese can cover it.

Even though the note above the recipe was rude towards the USA, it's an interesting recipe.

What a wonderful evening I have had reviewing all the comments. How in the word could you end up on a Shepherds Pie web site looking for popcorn balls? must have been a baaaad typist!!

Thank-you learned a lot of tips and love the basket design in the mashed potatoes idea.

Neil,

As a Yank who has a forum friend who happens to be a very funny Brit named Neil, thank you. Your comments cracked me up and I swear it sounds exactly like something he'd have written.

People, relax. We DO put cheese in places where it has no business (guilty as charged!) Neil is trying to help us avoid ruining this dish. The recipe sounds delicious exactly as written.

Here here for the OP! This planets awash with American twaddle in many forms. Stand your ground chef we're all with you!

Ok, Shepherd's Pie is made with mashed potatoes on top, lamb or minced beef, depends what you have. Cottage pie is made with slices of potatoes on top to resemble the tiles of the cottages. I am Puerto Rican and Mexican and I love cheese and custard.

Wasn't able to determine the dates of the newest comments, but this chain has be almost two years old. The recipe is good. It's Neil's version and if he is a bit condescending then we can put it up to his perhaps needed some more fiber in his diet. Still a good recipe!

Everyone please!!!! Whether it's shepherds pie (British), or poor mans pie...who cares??!! As long as u cook to share n love to share, just enjoy!! :-) I'm just thankful to try any great traditional recipe. Spice it up n tweak it will bring a whole new level of all Fields of Pies!! Yummmish!!

You people have too much time on your hands to be on here debating food. LOL, thanks for the good laugh!