Volpi Foods
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Craft
    • Volpi Team
    • Our Food Philosophy
    • Our Future
  • Products
  • Shop
    • Store Locator
    • Shop St. Louis
  • Recipes

The Shepherd’s Cottage Pie

Previous Recipe
Next Recipe
Home > Enjoy > Recipes > The Shepherd’s Cottage Pie
cottage hero A e1613337174611
cottage 1
cottage2
cottage 3
Quantity 4 servings
Difficulty Level Moderate
Active Prep 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

If a shepherd were to make a cottage pie, it might look something like this. Technically, in a proper shepherd’s pie, lamb is the star, for obvious reasons. If you use beef, it’s a cottage pie. But we like a mix of the two in our meaty confection. As the bluster blows out winter and rushes in the spring, this is the dish you want to have greet you when you come back inside. It’s warm. It’s comforting. It’s perfect.

 

0/5 (0 Reviews)

Directions

For the mash topping

Put the potatoes and parsnips into a medium saucepan. Cover by an inch with cold water, season the water with some salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer until everything is very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well, and return to pot over the heat and let the vegetables dry out a bit. Remove the pot from heat, add the butter, and mash until smooth. Beat in the milk with a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives.

For the filling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

While the potatoes and parsnips cook, sweat the Pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat until most of the fat renders and the meat starts to brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the onions and carrots, stirring occasionally until vegetables start getting some color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cook another minute. Crumble the lamb and beef into the skillet and stir to combine. Season with allspice, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps of meat, until the meat loses most of its pinkness, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ale and let simmer until beer has reduced and the mixture is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Then add 1½ cups water and let simmer, stirring often, until it thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Adjust seasonings.

For assembly

Spread the filling evenly in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then spread the mash topping over the filling. Place the dish on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until the topping is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes once removed from the oven, letting the sauce thicken. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes

This is a dish that lends itself to variations and substitutions for maximum personalization. You can use either only lamb, or only beef. You can change the meat to ground turkey or venison, or even buffalo. It’s a great way to re-purpose leftovers, with chopped-up roasts, extra stew, leftover mashed potatoes. (Leftover mashed potatoes? Sounds impossible, right? But theoretically, you could use those.) Throw more root vegetables into the stewy mixture. Substitute sweet potatoes for the potatoes, carrots for the parsnips. Use wine instead of beer, or lose the booze altogether.

Tag: Pancetta, Pies

Ingredients

For the mash topping

  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons chopped chives
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the filling

  • 6 ounces Chopped Pancetta
  • 1 large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 4 carrots, peeled and sliced (1/4-inch), wide pieces cut into half-moons
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup ale, nothing too hoppy
  • 2 cups frozen peas, preferably petite peas
  • 1 cup chopped parsley

Special Equipment

  • potato masher
  • 9-by-13-inch baking dish
  • foil-lined half sheet pan
Share:
Download Recipe

Related Recipes

Squid Hero Quick Spicy Squid Sauté
Roasted Chicken Triple Play: 3-in-1 Roast Chicken
meatloaf Mortadella Meatloaf
Clam Hero How to Pick & Cook Clams with Pancetta
Volpi Foods Corporate
5263 Northrup Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
Store Hours:
Tues-Friday 9am-5:30pm
Saturday 8am-4:30pm
(toll-free) 1-800-288-3439
(local) 314-772-8550
  • Contact Us
  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale Inquiries
  • Buy Online
  • FAQ
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Recognition
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers at Volpi
  • Brand Ambassadors
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Stay in touch:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2025 Volpi Foods, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy