This gluten-free shepherd's pie is a classically vintage recipe that is beyond delicious, ridiculously comforting, and so easy to throw together; you'll be making it all year long.
There is a debate on whether it's technically this should be called gluten-free shepherds pie or a gluten-free cottage pie, depending on who makes it and the ingredients. All I know is that this classic gluten-free comfort food is a staple around our house all year long. The warm, comforting filling, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, is the ultimate meat and potatoes recipe. No matter what you call it, it's still delicious.
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What is the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie?
Traditionally a Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, while cottage pie is made with beef. There are some talks that the cottage pie term also came from the Irish peasants of the time because they lived in cottages. You really can use either, or I mean, why couldn't you use ground turkey for the matter?
I tend to use beef in this gluten-free shepherds pie recipe since it's easier to get a hold of where we live, so maybe I should be calling this my gluten-free cottage pie.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make a delicious and easy ground beef dinner recipe, no matter what use or what you call it.
- Ground Meat of Choice
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Carrots
- Peas
- Mushrooms
- Arrowroot Starch
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Beef Broth
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Spices
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Ground meat. - Use whatever kind of ground meat you prefer or have on hand.
- Potatoes - I tend to use yellow potatoes to make this gluten-free shepherd's pie recipe, but you can use whatever you like to make the creamy mashed potatoes for the top.
- Arrowroot starch - If you don't have any arrowroot starch on hand, you can also use corn starch or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead to help thicken the sauce for this gluten-free casserole.
- Worcestershire sauce. - Make sure that the Worcestershire sauce you are using is gluten-free. I use the Lea and Perrins brand, which is gluten-free. You can also use a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos instead.
- Dairy-free shepherd's pie. - To make this a whole dairy-free casserole, make sure to mix your gluten-free mashed potatoes with dairy-free butter and milk as desired. Swap the butter in the roux to thicken the sauce with dairy-free butter, ghee, or even a bit of olive oil.
Steps
- Cook, mash, and season your gluten-free mashed potatoes and set them aside.
- Brown and drain the meat.
- Add and saute the onions, mushrooms, and carrots.
- Make the sauce and add the peas.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a baking dish.
- Cover the meat and vegetables with a layer of potatoes.
- Bake until it turns slightly golden and the filling is bubbling.
Making shepherd's pie your way
- Want a thicker crust on your mashed potato layer? - Add 1-2 egg yolks to your mashed potatoes if you want a thicker crust to develop on your mashed potato layer. The egg acts like a binder and helps the potatoes get more golden while baking.
- Add cheese - If you are wanting this to be a dairy-free casserole, skip this. If not, and you love cheese, feel free to top your mashed potatoes layer with some cheddar cheese for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
Tips and tricks
- Brown and drain the meat. - Making sure you are browning your ground meat for this gluten-free casserole is going to add the most flavor. Because we are using ground meat in this dish, you might need to drain any excess fat once the meat is browned. This will help prevent a layer or grease from separating in the sauce when it is baked.
- Place the baking dish on a baking sheet when you are baking it. - This cottage pie recipe tends to bubble up along the edges, which can end up in a big mess in your oven. Save yourself some cleaning, and just place the dish on a baking tray in the oven when you cook it.
Serving
I personally find this gluten-free cottage pie recipe to be an all-in-one dinner casserole recipe. If you want, you can serve this alongside an easy salad or with some gluten-free bread to dip into it.
Storage/ Make-ahead.
- Store any leftovers of this gluten-free casserole in a container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- This cottage pie dish makes a perfect gluten-free freezer meal. Put it all together, let it cool and then cover and store it in the freezer until you are ready to eat it. I like to let it defrost for a few hours in the fridge and then bake it off until it's warm and bubbly.
- Reheat any leftovers in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
More gluten-free beef recipes
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Shepherds Pie
This gluten-free Shepherds Pie is a classically vintage recipe that is beyond delicious, ridiculously comforting, and so easy to throw together.
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 Pound Potaotes
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ Cup Milk of Choice
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
For the Filling
- 1 Pound Ground Meat of Choice Beef, Turkey, Lamb ect.
- 1 Small Yellow Onion diced
- 2 Medium Carrots peeled and diced
- 1 Cup Mushrooms diced
- 1 Cup Peas I use frozen
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch You can also use potato startch or corn starch.
- 1 Cup Beef Broth You can sub chicken if you want.
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce You can also use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
Make the gluten-free mashed potato layer.
- Cut, Boil, Drain, and Mash the Potatoes and then set them aside.1 Pound Potaotes, 4 Tablespoons Butter, 1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper, ½ Cup Milk of Choice
Make the ground meat and vegetable layer.
- In a skillet, brown the meat and then drain away the excess fat.1 Pound Ground Meat of Choice
- To the meat, add the olive oil, diced onions and carrots, and mushrooms, and cook until the onions start to soften.1 Small Yellow Onion, 2 Medium Carrots, 1 Cup Mushrooms, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Next add the garlic and let it cook with the other vegetables 3-5 minutes.1 ½ Teaspoon Garlic
- Stir in the arrowroot starch and butter, and let it cook till the flour is no longer visible.2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch, 2 Tablespoons Butter
- Add the worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef stock, and spices to the meat and vegetables.1 Cup Beef Broth, 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper, 1 Teaspoon Thyme, 1 Bay Leaf
- Stir in the frozen peas and spices, and simmer until the sauce thickens.1 Cup Peas
Layer and bake.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Remove the bay leaf from the meat mixture.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a lightly greased baking dish.
- Spread the mashed potatoes in an even layer over the meat filling, making sure not to mix it into the meat layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes start to get golden and the filling starts to bubble.
- Allow it to cool 5-10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Making shepherd's pie your way.
- Want a thicker crust on your mashed potato layer? - Add 1-2 egg yolks to your mashed potatoes if you want a thicker crust to develop on your mashed potato layer. The egg acts like a binder and helps the potatoes get more golden while baking.
- Add cheese - If you are wanting this to be a dairy-free casserole, skip this. If not, and you love cheese, feel free to top your mashed potatoes layer with some cheddar cheese for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
- Brown and drain the meat. - Making sure you are browning your ground meat for this gluten-free casserole is going to add the most flavor. Because we are using ground meat in this dish, you might need to drain any excess fat once the meat is browned. This will help prevent a layer or grease from separating in the sauce when it is baked.
- Place the baking dish on a baking sheet when you are baking it. - This cottage pie recipe tends to bubble up along the edges, which can end up in a big mess in your oven. Save yourself some cleaning, and just place the dish on a baking tray in the oven when you cook it.
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Baron says
This recipe is amazing!