Elevate Shepherd's Pie With Our Aged Cheddar Mash Recipe

This lamb shepherd's pie with aged cheddar mashed potatoes is an upgraded, luxurious rendition of a comfort food classic that brings together seasoned lamb, vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes in one satisfying plate. It is inspired by traditional British flavors, but wholly updated for a cosmopolitan diner who wants to taste the world from their plate.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, this version builds on the traditional recipe by adding aged cheddar to the potato topping. This leaves you with a golden, crackling topping that has a rich, cheesy flavor, enhanced with touches of woodsy, fresh rosemary. The combination of the veggie-studded, flavorful and rich lamb filling with a crispy, golden potato crust makes for a hearty meal that works well for family dinners or entertaining guests. 

Though this recipe does involve some work — we make the mashed potatoes and the filling from scratch — it's a relatively easy dish that feels fancy without necessarily being so. Many lamb shepherd's pie recipes require you to start by cooking a whole lamb's shoulder, but we changed that up in favor of a more family- and weeknight-friendly ground lamb. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or meal prepping for the week, this shepherd's pie delivers homestyle comfort in every bite.

For the filling of this ultra-flavorful and layered shepherd's pie, you'll need olive oil, ground lamb, red onions, carrots, celery, fresh rosemary, flour, water, and frozen peas. For the aged cheddar mashed potatoes topping, you'll need Yukon Gold potatoes, butter, grated aged cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, more fresh rosemary, breadcrumbs, and more olive oil, for drizzling. Additionally, you can accompany the shepherd's pie with a few dollops of sour cream, for serving. 

Preheat a large pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat.

Add the ground lamb and cook it until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

To the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons oil.

Cook the onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the flour and stir. Add the lamb back in with 3 cups of water. Simmer, covered, 40 minutes until thick.

Stir in the peas during the last 5 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain.

Mash the potatoes with the butter and half of the cheese.

Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil.

Sprinkle half the rosemary and half the breadcrumbs on the bottom and sides of the dish.

Press half the mashed potatoes into the bottom and up the sides of the dish in a 1-inch layer.

Add the lamb filling.

Top with the remaining mashed potatoes. Rough up the surface with a fork.

Top with the remaining cheese, breadcrumbs, and rosemary. Drizzle with oil.

Bake on the lowest oven rack for 70 minutes until golden and crispy.

Serve immediately, with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

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The main difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie comes down to the meat used in the filling. Shepherd's pie traditionally uses ground lamb or mutton, while cottage pie uses ground beef. And in fact, when you think about it, the name hints at the distinction. The name "shepherd's pie" alludes to the herders of the to lamb, whereas "cottage pie" refers to the humble cottage kitchens where beef was more commonly used. Both versions of this dish originated as ways to use up affordable ingredients like potatoes and everyday vegetables to stretch the protein of choice, whether it was lamb, beef, or whatever needed to be eaten up.

Beyond the meat choice, the cooking methods and assembly are identical. Both dishes feature a savory meat filling topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden. Some recipes, like ours, add mashed potatoes all around the meat filling, encasing it like a traditional pie, while others just pile it on top. Either approach works. It really all just comes down to the savory filling, with lamb bringing a richer, more distinctive taste, whereas beef offers a milder, more neutral and affordable base.

Now that we know what makes this recipe a quintessential shepherd's pie, it's time to dream up ways to change it. You can vary the seasonings, veggies, and mashed potato topping, and the recipe will still keep its mutton-forward character.

Our first area of adaptation is the filling. We love to vary the vegetables, sometimes adding mushrooms, corn, or green beans alongside or instead of the peas, or include diced bell peppers for sweetness. It's a great approach for using up whatever is going soft in your drawer, and giving it a new life. The herbs are flexible too. In place of the rosemary, try thyme, oregano, or sage.

For the topping, we love adding roasted garlic, cream, sour cream, or even a spicy cream cheese spread to the mashed potatoes for extra richness. You can also use a combination of potatoes, keeping the Yukon Gold and mixing in sweet potatoes for a slightly sweet twist. If you prefer a lighter version, reduce the butter and cheese amounts. For extra texture, top the pie with grated Parmesan in addition to the cheddar. All of these changes let different flavors shine, while still keeping the recipe true to its essence.

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