The Best Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie
This gluten-free Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food. The meat filling is full of flavor and the mashed potatoes are hearty and creamy. Your whole family will love this hearty meal!
Once fall kicks our schedule gets busier so we start to rotate in one-pot meals to get dinner on the table faster. If you are into doing meal prep on weekends this will come together in a flash. What I appreciate the most about Shepherd’s Pie is that you have carbs, protein, and vegetables in one casserole dish. If you are busy like us and interested in a delicious and nutritious dinner then let’s dive into it.
Table of Contents
Cottage Pie vs Shepherd’s Pie
To be accurate we should differentiate Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie. According to Masterclass, the main difference between the two pies is the meat used. Traditional Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb mince hence the name and Cottage Pie uses ground beef. Now that we’ve established the difference you can certainly deviate from the original recipe. If you want to use ground turkey or have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving you can certainly make the substitution. Like with any deviation, check your ingredients to ensure you are making a gluten-free cottage pie and a gluten-free shepherd’s pie.
How We Made this Gluten-Free
Classic Shepherd’s Pie recipes use all-purpose flour to thicken the meat mixture but in this recipe, I used white rice flour. I prefer to use rice flour to thicken gravies over gluten-free flour because the consistency is very similar to regular flour. Here are some other recipes where I use white rice flour to thicken the sauce.
Potatoes
Let’s talk about the best potatoes. I prefer russet potatoes when making mashed potatoes because they have a lighter texture. Yukon gold potatoes are also popular but the end result is a dense texture. Sweet potatoes are also an option and would give a nice flavor. If you are looking to add more flavor to the mashed potatoes here are some options.
- Garlic powder – this is a nice subtle way to add garlic flavor to mashed potatoes. For 2 pounds of potatoes start with 1/2 teaspoon.
- Sour cream – if you want a little tang in your mashed potatoes then this is a good option. For 2 pounds of potatoes start with 2 tablespoons.
- Cheddar cheese – grate enough cheese to put an even layer on the top.
- Parmesan cheese – top the potatoes with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
- Chives – adding just 2 tablespoons of chives goes a long way in adding flavor.
- Egg yolk – the only purpose of adding an egg yolk is to promote browning. I put it last because it does not add flavor only visual aesthetics.
Worcestershire sauce
Traditionally shepherds pie has worchstershire sauce but I chose to add coconut aminos instead. In my opinion, they are interchangeable. Please check your worcestershire sauce to ensure it is gluten-free.
Broth
I would recommend a neutral broth like chicken or vegetable broth but beef stock is also an option. Beef stock is going to add a beefy flavor which you may like. For me, I prefer the broth to marry with the other flavors and not overpower them.
Conclusion
This is definitely not a traditional Shepherd’s Pie but it certainly is tasty. This will come together a lot faster if you do some food prep on the weekend. The potatoes and the meat mixture can be made a couple of days ahead.
To make this gluten-free we substituted white rice flour for all-purpose flour. It is a one-for-one substitute and you won’t be able to tell that it is gluten-free.
We recommend using russet potatoes because they are light and gave some tips to make them more flavorful.
Let me know in the comments if you try this gluten-free Shepherd’s Pie.
Gluten Free Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped fine
- 8 ounces mushrooms quartered with caps removed
- 1 clove garlic chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons white rice flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil and ground beef or ground lamb, and let sit until browned. Once the meat is browned stir to break up the meat and cook through.
- With a slotted spoon remove the meat and set it on a paper towel and leave 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium heat and add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook stirring occasionally until the mushrooms release their liquid and the onion is softened about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, and rice flour and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, coconut aminos, and dried thyme. Stir constantly and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the peas and ground meat and once it is simmering cook for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and add black pepper to taste.
- Set aside and preheat the oven to 400F.
- Place potatoes into a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender about 10 to 15 minutes. Use a paring knife to test for doneness.
- Pour the water and potatoes into a colander and drain. Shake the colander to remove any water. Pour the potatoes back into the pot and let sit for a couple of minutes to dry out potatoes.
- Using a potato masher or a potato ricer, mash the potatoes and stir in butter and milk. Taste for salt and black pepper.
- Pour the meat mixture into an 8 by 8 inch casserole dish and spread evenly. Carefully add the potatoes in dollops all over the ground meat. Once you’ve added all the potatoes, carefully spread into an even layer. Using the tines of a fork, run the fork over the top of the mashed potatoes and zigzag or go straight across all over the potatoes.
- Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.