This hearty and healthy Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie is the perfect comfort food. Loaded with meat, veggies, and a rich and flavorful sauce, and then topped with the perfect creamy mashed potato topping, this shepherd's pie will be your new go-to for cozy family meals.
Jump to:
- What I Love about this Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
- Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
- How to Make Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
- Storage
- Commonly Asked Questions
- What is Shepherd's Pie?
- What to Serve with Shepherd's Pie
- Dietitian Notes
- Recipe Tips
- Try These Other Great Gluten-Free Dinners
- Did you try these Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie?
- 📖 Recipe
Shepherd's pie is something I never had until adulthood. It is the perfect hearty and satisfying dish and is easy to healthify using lean beef, adding extra veggies, and reducing the cream, cheese, and butter that is typically in the mashed potato topping. By making these simple adjustments, the recipe maintains all the flavor but is more nutritionally sound.
If you need other cozy gluten-free dinner ideas, try this Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana, these Paleo Sloppy Joes, this Curry Apple Butternut Squash Soup, or this Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup.
What I Love about this Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
This dish is a favorite in my household. Here is why we love it:
- Hearty yet Healthy— This is a high-protein and nutrient-dense comfort food that is just as nutritious as is it satisfying.
- Leftovers!! — This recipe yields 8 large servings which, for my family of 3, always means leftovers and easy lunches. Plus, it reheats well!
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Yukon Gold Potatoes
I am in the camp that mashed potatoes should be made using buttery Yukon gold potatoes; however, this recipe can be made with red potatoes, white sweet potatoes, or russet potatoes if you prefer. If using white sweet potatoes or russet potatoes, I would peel them before chopping and boiling.
Butter
Use high-quality grass-fed butter for extra creaminess. For a dairy-free or paleo option, try Miyoko's Plant-Based Butter. It is made with great ingredients like coconut oil and cashews and tastes convincingly like butter.
Beef Broth
I love using a flavorful beef bone broth for this recipe. I use it in both the potato topping and the meat filling. Another type of broth will work (chicken or vegetable). Milk can be used instead of broth in the potato topping to add some additional creaminess. For the meat filling, the broth should be mixed with the starch to form a slurry before adding it to the skillet.
Olive Oil
Any neutral-flavored cooking oil can be used.
Carrots
I use fresh carrots. You could opt for thawed frozen diced carrots to save some chopping (add them when you add the peas to the recipe), but I prefer the taste and texture of fresh carrots.
Lean Beef or Lamb
I recommend using 90-95% lean meat in this recipe because the fat is not drained off. A little fat helps keep the dish rich, but you do not want it to be greasy. You could go leaner if you generally cook with lean meat. If using ground beef/lamb with more than 10% fat, I would cook it in a separate pan and drain the grease before combining.
Starch
I use tapioca starch, but potato starch, arrowroot starch, or cornstarch can be used - just verify that it is gluten-free.
Worcestershire Sauce
I use Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce because it is gluten-free and widely available.
Peas
Thaw the peas and drain any excess liquid before adding to the meat mixture. The peas do not need to be cooked in the skillet. They will cook once the pie is assembled and in the oven. This ingredient can be omitted to make this recipe paleo-friendly.
How to Make Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
Make the Potato Topping
- Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
- Halve the potatoes and cut the halves into quarters (about 1 to 2-inch pieces). Place them in the boiling water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, easily pierced with a fork, and the skin can be easily removed. While the potatoes are boiling, start making the meat filling.
- Once cooked, drain the potatoes using a colander and then place them back in the empty stockpot to dry out. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, begin peeling the skin from them, discarding the skin, and placing the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the beef broth, butter, sea salt, and garlic powder to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Use an electric mixer or potato masher to mash the potatoes until they have the desired texture. If using an electric mixture, take care not to over-mix as they can become whipped rather than mashed. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.
Cook the Onions, Carrots & Garlic
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and place it on the stove over medium heat. Add the finely diced onions and carrots to the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan with the onions and carrots, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Brown & Season the Beef
- Move the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and add the ground meat. Break it apart with a wooden spatula as it begins to brown. As it cooks, work the vegetables back in with the meat.
- Once the meat is fully browned and broken up, add the salt, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper to the skill and stir.
Make the Sauce
- Mix 1 cup of broth with the tapioca starch to create a slurry. Pour the broth into the skillet, along with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Add the Peas
- Add the thawed peas (drain any excess moisture) to the meat filling and stir.
Assemble the Pie
- Transfer the meat mixture into a casserole dish (9x9, 7x11, or similar volume dishes will work well). Spread evenly.
- Top with the mashed potato topping and spread using a rubber spatula until the top is fully covered and is even throughout.
- Place the shepherd's pie in an oven preheated to 400 F and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Top with additional butter or fresh herbs if desired.
Storage
Store leftover shepherd's pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! To make this recipe paleo, you can swap the butter for a paleo-friendly plant-based butter (like Miyoko's Plant-Based Butter), use coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce, and omit the peas.
What is Shepherd's Pie?
Shepherd's pie is a casserole-style dish made with ground meat (traditionally lamb), vegetables, and a mashed potato topping. It's a classic and hearty comfort food that originated in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This casserole can also be called cottage pie. Although, cottage pie usually refers to the same dish but using beef rather than lamb.
What to Serve with Shepherd's Pie
The beauty of shepherd's pie is that it is a complete meal in one dish. It contains protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates, so you do not need to serve it with anything. You could pair it with a green salad if you want to add more veggies to your plate.
Dietitian Notes
- Shepherd's pie is a satiating meal because of its balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) and the 4 grams of fiber per serving.
- Each serving contains only 245 calories and 16 grams of protein!
- This shepherd's pie is rich in micronutrients like potassium, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Recipe Tips
- You can opt to peel the potatoes with a veggie peeler before chopping and boiling. I find it easier to peel them after boiling because the skin comes off very easily, but this is a preference thing and either way will work.
- Using an electric mixer (stand or handheld) is a great way to achieve super smooth mashed potatoes. Be careful not to overmix or they can become a whipped texture rather than mashed.
- If the potatoes are a little too stiff, you can add more broth or butter. To avoid adding too much, add 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If you let your potatoes cool too long before peeling, heat your broth in the microwave before mixing it in to help melt the butter.
- Taste the meat mixture and the mashed potatoes before assembling the pie to ensure they are seasoned to your liking.
- If you're sensitive to salt, salt the meat mixture to taste. One teaspoon per pound of meat is pretty standard, but we add a little extra salt from ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.
Try These Other Great Gluten-Free Dinners
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
Did you try these Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie?
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📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Pot
- Colander
- Handheld electric mixer or potato masher
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Skillet
- Wooden spatula
- Casserole dish 9x9, 7x11, or an oval dish or deep pie dish of similar volume
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Topping
- 1 ½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes about 4-5 medium potatoes
- ¼ cup Beef broth or milk
- 2 tablespoon Butter or dairy-free butter (I like Miyoko's for a paleo option)
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
Meat Filling
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 cup Yellow onion finely diced (about ½ large onion)
- 1 cup Carrots finely diced (about 3 large carrots)
- 1 tablespoon Minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 1 lb Lean ground beef or lamb 90-95%
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Tapioca starch mixed with broth to create a slurry
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Gluten-free Worcestershire sauce use coconut aminos for paleo
- 1 cup Frozen peas thawed (omit for paleo version)
Instructions
Mashed Potato Topping
- Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
- Halve the potatoes and cut the halves into quarters (about 1 to 2-inch pieces). Place them in the boiling water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, easily pierced with a fork, and the skin can be easily removed. While the potatoes are boiling, start making the meat filling.
- Once cooked, drain the potatoes using a colander and then place them back in the empty stockpot to dry out. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, begin peeling the skin from them, discarding the skin, and placing the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the beef broth, butter, sea salt, and garlic powder to the bowl with the potatoes. If the potatoes have cooled too much, you can the broth in the microwave to ensure the butter melts and mixes in easily.
- Use an electric mixer or potato masher to mash the potatoes until they have the desired texture. If using an electric mixture, take care not to over-mix as they can become whipped rather than mashed. If there are still some lumps, use a rubber spatula to smash the lumps against the sides of the bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.
Meat Filling
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and place it on the stove over medium heat. Add the finely diced onions and carrots to the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan with the onions and carrots, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Move the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and add the ground meat. Break it apart with a wooden spatula as it begins to brown. As it cooks, work the vegetables back in with the meat.
- Once the meat is fully browned and broken up, add the salt, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper to the skill and stir.
- Mix 1 cup of broth with the tapioca starch to create a slurry. Pour the broth into the skillet, along with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Add the thawed peas (drain any excess moisture) to the meat filling and stir.
Assembling the Pie
- Transfer the meat mixture into a casserole dish (9x9, 7x11, or similar volume dishes will work well). Spread evenly.
- Top with the mashed potato topping and spread using a rubber spatula until the top is fully covered and is even throughout.
- Place the shepherd's pie in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Top with additional butter or fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- You can opt to peel the potatoes with a veggie peeler before chopping and boiling. I find it easier to peel them after boiling because the skin comes off very easily, but this is a preference thing and either way will work.
- Using an electric mixer (stand or handheld) is a great way to achieve super smooth mashed potatoes. Be careful not to overmix or they can become a whipped texture rather than mashed.
- If the potatoes are a little too stiff, you can add more broth or butter. To avoid adding too much, add 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If you let your potatoes cool too long before peeling, heat your broth in the microwave before mixing it in to help melt the butter.
- Taste the meat mixture and the mashed potatoes before assembling the pie to ensure they are seasoned to your liking.
- If you're sensitive to salt, salt the meat mixture to taste. One teaspoon per pound of meat is pretty standard, but we add a little extra salt from ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.
foodbornewellness.com says
Perfect, comforting winter meal!
Joseph says
Really easy and tasty recipe, it was pretty quick as well. Whole family really loved which says something.