After reading all the comments I just want to know if SP is as good the second day as it is on the first......

I would like to encourage folks not to use ground meat for their pie, shepherd or cottage. It's not the healthiest option, and you get alot of flavor for the gravy when you sear pieces of meat in a little oil to get them good and browned. After you set them aside and pour the oil out of the pan, you might deglaze with a nice broth or stock, or whatever wine you like to cook with. Do everything else as you normally would, and see how you like it!

Love this! My franco-brit (living in the states) version of SP includes celery in the stove browned lamb and plenty of single cream, nutmeg and black pepper in the mash. Browned with butter rather than cheese. Now going to the grocery store for lamb!

I always make my SP or CP in the morning and leave it marinating all day. Also add a spoon of English Mustard to the gravy.

Came here looking for a recipe and loved every comment! Recently returned from London where I had a wonderful sheperds pie at a pub (Chimes of Pimlico). It had a very high, light bread crust on top. Still looking for that recipe but will make good use of others found here. Delighted to 'meet' you all.

Actually... Cottage pie has no veg apart from onion and shepherds pie would have peas and chopped carrots in, cheese on top is preferable, but butter browned is traditional! However to add a little bite try half a teaspoon of curry powder to the meat mix, sounds mad but really adds something! And yes I am a brit!!!

Thanks for all the great ideas and comments! Our shepherds pie is always the same, green beans with condensed cream of mushroom soup, ground beef with some form of flavoring, mashed potatoes, then some cheese on top. I'm going to try some of your ideas though.

Everyone has some great ideas and I will be trying them soon. My son likes shepherds pie, but he uses a can of beef stock thickened up and then tops it with cheese before he puts his mashed taters on. it's ok like that, but I like mine where I just make it out of whatever leftovers I happen to have in the fridge at the time. I guess that just makes mine more of a casserole than anything. No matter,it is still a good comfort food no matter what you put in it.

I just wanted to say, that I just found this website, but the way people are arguing over recipes reminds me of a chat room for real. Shepherd's pie is good and all the ways that have been talked about make me want to go all over the USA and England to all your houses for lunch dinner, and the holidays. Can we all just get along! Thanks for the ideas!

How lovely to see these recipes, and quite coincidental, as I was planning on making shepherds pie this evening..so many ideas to choose from ...thank you :)

The tomatoes are a strange concept to me. I have lived in england all my life and eat shepherds pie regularly in the winter! It needs gravy in it, and lamb stockcube would be a better idea than a beef one! Just my suggestions anyway.

SP has been one of our favourites for years so I might as well add what we consider a tasty variation. I prepare it on top of the stove first by using one lb of extra lean ground beef, one cup diced onions, garlic, basil and pepper (spiced to your specific taste). After thoroughly browning the ground beef I remove as much of the fat as possible to make it a healthier meal. The meat is then returned to the pan, given a taste check for spices and a can of low sodium beef broth is added (and maybe some red wine for more flavour) along with a cup of diced carrots. Increase heat until bubbling, gradually adding 2-3 tbsp of flour to thicken and then simmer covered until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Place meat mixture in a casserole dish, spread mashed potatoes on top and lightly brush with an egg wash. Place in a preheated 400°F oven and heat through until bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

I am half irish and half english born in the u.s. i have always eaten shepards pie with what ever leftovers were in the fridge. My mum always said that shepards pie was for poor people in the beginning and grew from there. If thats the case don't you think they made how ever they could with what ever they could just as i do and my family does to this day.

I've been eating Shepard`s Pie all my life. Grandma & mom always made it with leftover roast beef,the left over veggies, added the left over gravy mix together, then top off with the left over mashed potatoes. Leftovers never tasted sooo good. I go a step further, I like to add a bit of Worcestershire & soy sauce to mine. It even tastes great the next day.

My mum is Irish, dad is Canadian, they met in London England during the war, she learned how to make do with what was available and brought the thriftyness overseas along with my oldest brother when she came to Canada by boat when the war was over. My dad didn't like sp with peas or carrots and she didn't like creamed corn so she used regular canned kernel corn layered between the meat and potatoes. She cooked it with hamburger and onions salted and peppered to taste then thickened it with a water flour mixture before putting dobbs of butter on the top of the potatoes and shoving it in the oven to brown. I still cook it here that way but we do like the carrots and peas so I use whatever I am in the mood for. She fed a family of 8 with her meals made up as she went along with whatever she had available but this was always a favorite of everyones.. as well as her potato soup... mmmm. She's 86 now, dads passed on from alzheimers as well as my Brit brother but her love has passed on to the grandkids with food from her cook book.