Crock-Pot Shepherds Pie Recipe (2024)

Written by: Crock-Pot Ladies 28 Comments

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Your family will love this easy recipe for Crock-Pot Shepherds Pie filled with ground lamb, carrots, peas and topped with lovely mashed potatoes.

Slow Cooker Shepherds Pie

This Shepherd Pie recipe comes directly from my Grandma Pat who is of Irish decent and was actually born on St. Patrick’s Day. I just adapted it to be cooked in the slow cooker.

Technically a Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground lamb meat while a Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. But to be honest with you I think it is pretty interchangeable.

Because my family buys a whole lamb that has been processed from a family friend who’s kids raise lambs for their 4H project we almost always have ground lamb in our freezer and this is one of our favorite recipes to use that lamb meat up.

But if lamb is not your thing or you cannot find it at your local grocery store feel free to use ground beef instead. The result will still be amazing!

And if you are a hunting family…ground venison works too!

Equipment Needed For Crock-Pot Shepherds Pie:

3.5 Quart Casserole Slow Cooker OR 4 Quart Or Larger Round Or Oval Slow Cooker
Skillet
Wooden Spoon
Knife
Cutting Board
Can Opener
Liquid Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Substitute Other Meats For The Ground Lamb?

Yes you can. Great substitutions for the ground lamb meat would be ground beef or ground venison or any other red meat.

What Other Vegetables Can I Use In This Shepherd Pie?

If there is a vegetable listed in the recipe that you either cannot find or don’t like you can either omit the vegetable or substitute it with another vegetable. The most common vegetables used in shepherd or cottage pie are:

Carrots
Peas
Celery
Onions
Corn
Green Beans
Mushrooms

Use any combination of the above.

Can I Add Cheese To This Slow Cooker Shepherd Pie?

Absolutely, Shepherd Pie is a great recipe for using up little bits of cheese that you might have in your refrigerator. You can either add shredded cheese (cheddar works great here) on top of the meat and veggie layer, stirred into the mashed potatoes or right on top of the mashed potatoes. A cup or two should do it.

Special Diets

Gluten Free | Low Sugar

More Great Irish Inspired Slow Cooker Recipes!

Crock-Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Slow Cooker Irish Cream Coffee
Crock-Pot Irish Soda Bread
Slow Cooker Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage
Crock-Pot Irish Lamb Stew

Crock-Pot Shepherds Pie Recipe

Heidi Kennedy

This traditional shepherd pie recipe comes from my grandma Pat but has been adapted to cook in the slow cooker. I prefer to use my 3.5 quart casserole slow cooker because the finished dish ends up looking more like a traditionally baked casserole. But a 4 quart or larger round or oval slow cooker works just as well.

3.80 from 87 votes

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Ingredients

3 Cups Leftover Prepared Mashed Potatoes (Or Use Prepared Instant Mashed Potatoes)
2 Pounds Ground Lamb Meat
1 Large Yellow Onion (Chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
¼ Cup Canned Tomato Paste
2 Medium Carrots (Peeled And Chopped)
½ Cup Frozen Peas
½ Cup Frozen Corn Kernels
2 Ribs Celery (Diced)
1 Cup Low-Sodium Beef Stock
¼ Cup Dry White Wine (Or Beef Stock If You Don’t Cook With Alcohol )
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
Salt And Pepper (To Taste)

Instructions

Warm leftover mashed potatoes in the microwave or on the stove top, adding a splash of milk if needed to make them spreadable. If using instant potatoes, prepare them according to the directions on the package and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat on the stove-top, cook the ground lamb along with the onion and garlic until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat.
Add the tomato paste to the lamb mixture in the pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the carrots, peas, celery, beef stock, wine (or additional beef stock if using), Worcestershire sauce, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer the mixture in the skillet, uncovered, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the lamb mixture to a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the lamb mixture.
Cover the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until you can see the lamb mixture bubbling around the edges of the mashed potato topping.
Serve immediately straight from the slow cooker.

Notes

If you would like the topping of the shepherd’s pie to be browned, place the stoneware crock in the 350° F (175° C) oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

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