Featured Comment
From Paige: “This was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing. I will be making this again. ★★★★★”
From Lisa “This recipe is fantastic. Huge hit, a lot of flavor, satisfying texture, and I will definitely be making this again. ★★★★★”
From Sylvia: “DELICIOUS!!!!! Great flavour and fast and easy to make! Thank you for the recipe it’s a keeper! ★★★★★”
Why You’ll LOVE This Shepherd’s Pie
- A complete meal in one dish. Who doesn’t love a one-dish recipe? You get protein and plenty of vegetables all in one satisfying meal. As a busy mom, this is my kind of dinner!
- Big flavor, simple ingredients. Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and a combination of ground meat give the filling so much flavor without needing complicated ingredients. Yes, please!
- Easy to make gluten-free. This version uses gluten-free flour to thicken the filling without sacrificing the rich, hearty texture you expect from a classic shepherd’s pie. I’ve received just as much love for this recipe from people who can eat gluten as I have from those who need gluten-free!
Gluten-free shepherd’s pie is one of my go-to dishes for a cold day or when I need to take a meal to a loved one. Like this easy gluten-free lasagna, it’s a complete meal layered into one convenient comfort food!
I’ll occasionally add another side dish when I’m in the mood for salad or bread. I like to pair this shepherd’s pie with this green salad with my favorite maple vinaigrette or these easy gluten-free drop biscuits.
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free shepherd’s pie. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground meat: You can use any combination of ground beef, turkey, or sausage. I like the flavor combination of 1 lb. turkey and 1 lb. beef. Another option is to use 1 lb. of ground lamb to turn this recipe into a cottage pie!
- Worcestershire sauce: I love how just a dash of Worcestershire sauce adds a savory complexity that makes the whole dish extra flavorful! Make sure you use Worcestershire that’s labeled gluten-free!
- Vegetables: I use frozen corn and peas plus fresh chopped carrots, but frozen carrots work too for a quicker, more convenient option. I prefer fresh carrots for their firmer texture and slightly sweeter flavor.
- Russet potatoes: You can use any type of potato. I prefer to use Russet potatoes because their high starch content makes them light and fluffy when mashed.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: I like a bold cheese flavor in this dish. Sharp cheddar adds a more pronounced cheesy flavor to the creamy potato topping while still melting smoothly.
- Egg yolk: I use egg yolk in the topping to help the mashed potatoes hold together when baked, plus it adds a little extra richness to the layer!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie
Here’s an overview of how to make this shepherd’s pie. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Cook the potatoes. Cover the cut potatoes with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. I test the potatoes with a fork. If they pierce easily, they’re tender and fully cooked.
Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the remaining mashed potato ingredients (except the egg yolk) and mash until smooth. I stir the egg yolk in last, then set the potatoes aside.
Erin’s Tip
I like to cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. This helps them cook evenly so that all pieces are ready to mash at the same time for smooth, not chunky, mashed potatoes.
Make the meat filling. Start with the ground meat, diced onion, and carrots, breaking the meat up into small pieces until fully cooked. After draining the grease, cook in the gluten-free flour, followed by the liquids and spices, and finally the vegetables.
In the prepared pan. Once the vegetables are heated through, add the meat filling to the lightly greased 9×13 pan, smoothing the layer so there’s an equal amount of filling in every bite.
Erin’s Tip
Adding the gluten-free flour before the stock and sauces helps distribute the flour evenly. I prefer this approach to prevent clumping when I stir in the liquids. The little bit of flour is key to thickening the meat filling!
Add the layers. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the meat filling, covering everything all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Add the cheese. I love topping the shepherd’s pie with an additional cup of cheddar for an extra cheesy finish. Bake the dish for 10-15 minutes so that the cheese becomes golden and bubbly. Delicious!
Erin’s Tip
Let the mashed potatoes cool while you make the meat filling, then add the extra cheese at the end of baking. These steps help keep the layers separate so they don’t blend together while baking.
More Gluten-Free Comfort Food
Best Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Potato Layer:
- 2 pounds russet potatoes about 3 medium-size potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup (120ml) milk of choice plus more if needed
- ½ cup (20g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (113g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg yolk
Meat Filling:
- 2 pounds ground meat beef, turkey, or sausage (Or any combination! I usually do 1lb turkey and 1lb beef)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped small (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) chicken stock or low sodium beef stock
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ cup (113g) frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup (113g) frozen peas
- 1 cup (226g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Make the Mashed Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the potatoes until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter, milk, parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mash the potatoes and mix together until totally smooth. Stir in the egg yolk until evenly combined.
Make the Meat Filling:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat, onion, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces until the meat has fully cooked through. Drain off an excess grease from the meat mixture. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the meat back to the skillet and sprinkle the gluten-free flour over the meat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the corn and pea and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until heated through.
- Pour the meat filling into the prepared pan. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat filling all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Hi there! Love the ability to make a Shepherd’s Pie gluten free! I do have a question though. Am I missing something? I noticed that there was supposed to be kosher salt & pepper in the meat mixture in the ingredient list but I didn’t see it in the directions. I used it in the potatoes but was I supposed to add it to the meat? Help! Thank you so much!
Hi Kelly, good catch! Yes, the salt and pepper should be added in step 1 of the meat filling section, while you’re cooking the meat, onion and carrots. We’ll clarify that in the instructions. Thanks for your help!
Hello – can you omit the egg in the mashed potatoes? I have an egg allergy.
Hi Laura, the egg yolk acts as a binder, but you could try omitting it. The mashed potatoes may just be a little looser. We’d love to hear how it goes!
Best shepherds pie EVER!! My family couldn’t stop raving about this recipe. I used a ricer to mash the potatoes, warmed cream instead of milk (a decadent occasional treat), whisked in the cheeses for a fluffy texture and put it under the broiler for a minute at the end for a golden crispy topping. This will be a new family legacy recipe for sure! Thank you so much!! Love and appreciation from Canada. ❤️❤️❤️
We’re so pleased you enjoyed the recipe so much and that those adjustments worked well for you. Thank you for your kind feedback, Carolyn!
Couple of items: 1: When is the checkin stock added? It’s in the ingredients but not the instructions. 2) And what temperature do you bake for 30 minutes?
Hi Brendan, in step 1 you’ll see the instructions to preheat the oven to 375F. In step 2 of ” make the meat filling,” you’ll see instructions for when to add the stock: “Stir in the tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.”
Hope that helps clarify!
This was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing. I will be making this again.
Hi Paige, thanks so much for leaving a great review! Glad you loved it.
This was my first time ever trying Shepard’s pie and it was soooo good!! It did take me a lot longer than the 40 minutes though. Maybe closer to 2 hours or so. This was a huge hit at our house and I am planning to make a couple batches of it to freeze as we prepare for baby number two 🙂 I am looking forward to having some of this this winter as we are in the newborn era.
We’re so pleased to hear how much your family loved the recipe and that you enjoyed it enough to prep more for your newborn era! Thank you for such great feedback, Kayla!
Best shepard’s pie IN THE WORLD, hands down (ratings from my family of 7, 3 of whom are celiac). Thank you Erin for yet another awesome GF recipe. Your sandwich bread is life-changing for my celiac family members.
Loved this! Favourite shepherds pie recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Megan! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive review!
this was good. It took 2 1/2 hours though.
We’re so happy you enjoyed the shepherd’s pie, Angela! Thank you for your feedback.
Also took me 2 & 1/2 hours but the recipe is fantastic.
Hi Ryan, we’re glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us!
DELICIOUS!!!!! Great flavour and fast and easy to make! Thank you for the recipe it’s a keeper!
When is 2 cloves garlic minced in ingredients added to the meat filling area.
Good catch, Andy! We’ve updated the recipe so that it says when to add the garlic. Thanks for your help and we hope you enjoy the recipe!
Best Shepard’s Pie recipe ever – GF or otherwise
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This recipe is fantastic. Huge hit, a lot of flavor, satisfying texture, and I will definitely be making this again.
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Excellent! I made it on a cooler day in GA and it was a warm and cozy feeling while eating.
I took a short cut and used Bob Evans, Gluten Free, mashed potaotes. Since standing on feet for cooking can be painful this saved me time on my feet and tasted delicous. Although not as nutritious as this recipe it did not effect the favor at all.
Great combinations of favors!
That’s a great shortcut idea! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment!
Excellent comfort food meal! I did not add the egg yolk to the potato mixture, and it still turned out great. Also, it is a very economical meal to make with LOTS of leftovers.