This comforting gluten-free Shepherd’s Pie recipe is one of my family's favorites. Mashed potatoes, meaty gravy, and veggies all in one, what's not to love? Don't be surprised when you find yourself without leftovers!
How to make Sheperd's Pie gluten-free:
You can make Shepard's Pie gluten-free with just a few ingredient swaps. The potato layer is already gluten- free, so you're good to go there.
In the meat layer, you'll want to thicken the gravy with gluten-free flour. Our favorites are Pamela’s Gluten-Free Artisan Blend or King Arthur Measure for Measure blend. Then you'll want to make sure you're using gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, a broth or stock that doesn't have gluten, and GF hot sauce, if you're adding it. That's all it takes to make gluten-free Shepard's Pie. The rest of the ingredients are safely gluten-free already.
What's the difference between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie are names for the same dish, with a slight difference: Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, Cottage Pie with beef. “Cottage Pie” is named for the cottages that potato farmers in Ireland, Scotland and England lived in. The dish becomes known as “Shepherd’s Pie” when incorporating the lamb, since shepherds raise sheep.
I'm really glad I could provide these meat pie facts for you. Now you can check off the "random thing I learned today" on your Bingo card.
Do you need to lamb for Shepherd's Pie? Yes.
You may wonder about using lamb if you don't cook it often. (Or at all.) Trust me here - the 50/50 mix of lamb and beef makes an awesome flavor combination. It's a blend I often use for meatballs or meatloaf too. And with the gravy and veggies mixed in, there's a good chance you family will become fans of lamb without even realizing it. If you can't find ground lamb, you could use 50/50 beef and pork or beef and turkey too. (that would technically be gluten-free cottage pie, though.) It's your dinner, after all.
What to serve with Shepherd's Pie: gluten-free options:
Crazy Delicious Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
I serve this with a green salad or my Crazy Delicious Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, and that's pretty much it. Dinner is complete, and the crew is happy. Just the way I like it.
Meg's Life Changing Gluten-Free Biscuits
If you're really ready to carb-load, you can make my buddy Meg's Life Changing Gluten-Free Biscuits recipe to serve with your meal. I promise, your life will actually be change.
Assuming you like gluten-free biscuits, anyway.
Let's make some gluten-free Shepherd's Pie!
Shepherd's Pie - Gluten-Free
Ingredients
for the potato layer:
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 900 g
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup sour cream 57 g
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
for the meat layer:
- 2 shallots diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 lb lean ground beef 450 g
- 1 lb ground lamb 450 g
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock 240 mL
- ¼ cup frozen peas 45 g
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free hot sauce or more to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200C).
- Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter and stir it into the sour cream in a medium sized bowl. Add the milk, egg yolk and salt, and whisk to combine. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and put them back into the pan, then pour the butter mixture over them. Mash the potatoes until they are are smooth.
- Now make the meat filling. Sauté shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots are translucent, add carrot and celery, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef and lamb, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Use a small ladle to remove any excess fat that may be pooling on the edge of the pan. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire and paprika, continue cooking. When meat is about ½ way browned, add the flour or tapioca starch and tomato paste and continue cooking, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add stock and peas. Taste meat mixture for seasoning, then add hot sauce and more salt and pepper if needed.
- Pour meat filling into a 7x11 inch (28x18 cm) pan, top evenly with potatoes, being sure to cover the edges thoroughly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Photos by Katie Roletto, who also loves meat pie now.
Try this next: Colcannon - Irish Mashed Potatoes with Kale
Ready to take your mashed potatoes up a notch? Try Colcannon, or Irish Mashed Potatoes with Kale. - creamy potatoes with garlic, leeks, kale and butter. It's truly delicious.
Now that you've mastered our gluten-free Shepherd's Pie recipe, try this with your lamb + beef blend:
Meat Dolma: Armenian Stuffed Grape Leaves
This authentic Armenian Meat Dolma recipe is so good, that you'll be wondering why you haven't been stuffing grape leaves your whole life.
Lula Kebab: a Traditional Armenian Food
Lula Kebab is a key component of Armenian diets. It's a blend of ground beef and lamb (or all lamb in some cases), onion, seasonings and fresh herbs.
Cook it on skewers and serve alongside pilaf and salad, or use it to stuff peppers + vegetables and fill meat dolma.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd's Pie:
Traditional Shepard's Pie can be made with 100% ground lamb or a mixture or ground beef and lamb. When only beef is used, the dish is known as Cottage Pie.
Shepard's Pie is usually not gluten-free unless it is made that way, since flour is often used to thicken the gravy. Gluten-free Shepard's Pie is made with a gluten-free flour blend or other starch (like corn or tapioca) to thicken the gravy, along with gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or any other ingredients used to season the dish.
A gluten-free flour blend or other starch (like corn, arrowroot or tapioca) can be used to thicken the gravy in place of flour.
If you're making gluten-free Shepherd's Pie, make sure all the other ingredients are free of gluten too, like seasonings and stock or broth.
Yes, Marie Callender's reports that the company's frozen Shepard's pie is gluten free. The product does contain dairy and corn ingredients.
Bob says
You just made a Gardener's Pie, and called it a Shepherd's Pie...😅😅😅😅
Bob says
So, you explain that Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, and Cottage Pie is with beef, but then to proceed to call this Cottage Pie recipe... Shepherd's Pie?
Must be Murican...