The best shepherd's pie recipes

A shepherd's pie is undoubtedly a firm family favourite and a recipe we really love here at Good Housekeeping.

It's the perfect meal for cold winter evenings, or light springtime lunches and is filled with hearty lamb mince and finished with a topping of creamy mashed potato.

When lamb mince is used, it's called a shepherd's pie but when you replace the lamb mince with beef mince, it's called a cottage pie.

How to get the crispiest topping?

Our cookery team recommend using floury potatoes such as the Maris Piper or King Edward varieties to ensure the mash is super fluffy and light. To get it really crispy you'll want to create lots of surface area so make sure there are lots of ridges (or you can even pipe it on if you're feeling fancy) to ensure you get a really crispy finish.

Serve with seasonal vegetables or a green salad and if you're not a huge fan of lamb you can always try a mince alternative like lean beef or pork mince.

Our classic, and best ever shepherd's pie recipe will be a hit with your family or friends. Serve with a pinot noir for a lovely wine pairing.

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

This slow cooker recipe becomes incredibly tender and full of flavour and will be ready to greet you when you get home from work at the end of a long day.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie

This is the perfect recipe to try after your Easter lunch if you're having a roast lamb and has a different texture when using a leg or shoulder of roast lamb.

Recipe: Leftover Lamb Shepherd's Pie

If you prefer a bit of chilli heat in your meal, this spiced version uses chilli powder and cumin for an addictive spiced taste.

Recipe: Spicy Shepherd's Pie

Love a lamb keema? This curry-spiced pie is full of ginger and garam masala for a flavour explosion.

Recipe: Lamb Keema Shepherd's Pie

If you're vegan (or just trying to reduce your meat intake) then our vegan shepherd's pie is the way to go. You won't even be able to tell there's no meat or dairy products in this one.

Recipe: Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Our vegetarian version of a shepherd's pie uses a can of lentils and a sweet potato mash topping.

Recipe: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This shepherd's pie version has a crunchy, cheesy topping which gives it an irresistible texture.

Recipe: Cheesy Shepherd's Pie