Shepherd's Vs Cottage Pie: What's The Difference?

Putting it together

These days, people frequently confuse cottage pie with shepherd's pie, which is quite understandable since both dishes share similar core ingredients: ground meat, gravy, and vegetables. When preparing shepherd's pie at home, you typically begin by browning ground lamb or mutton with a variety of seasonings. In contrast, those making cottage pie usually opt for ground beef.

After the meat is ready, many cooks will put the potatoes on to boil, as they will be mashed later. In earlier versions of the dish, sliced potatoes were sometimes used instead. Regardless of the type of potato you choose, it's worth noting that creating a layer of potatoes at the bottom of the pan for the meat and vegetable filling is also a common practice. This approach leans more towards a pot pie than a traditional casserole, as the meat and vegetables are surrounded by pastry on nearly all sides.

Lastly, while you might have a fantastic homemade shepherd's pie recipe, you can also stick to tradition and use leftovers to make the casserole instead of starting with fresh ingredients. Just remember that you may need to tweak the seasoning, as most, if not all, of the components will have already been seasoned and cooked.

Other variations and components

In classic recipes, shepherd's or cottage pie typically featured vegetables such as carrots, onions, corn, and peas. However, nearly any vegetable could be included, as the original recipes were designed to utilize whatever cooked vegetable scraps were available. Regardless of the combination of vegetables and meat, all ingredients were blended with items like tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and broth—be it beef, chicken, or another type.

Interestingly, some variations of the dish omit potatoes entirely. Instead, bread enthusiasts throughout history have topped the pie with homemade dumplings or freshly made biscuits (or even canned versions in modern times). This is, of course, delicious, especially when enhanced by generous amounts of cheddar or American cheese that create a delightful seal over the potato or dumpling crust. That cheesy indulgence is sure to make you appreciate the ingenuity of those who, centuries ago, discovered a tastier way to repurpose leftovers rather than simply reheating or discarding them.