Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie

If you are looking for an easy gluten-free dinner recipe which the whole family will love then a classic Shepherd's Pie will always be a total crowd pleaser. A delicious layer of juicy meat packed with fresh vegetables, smothered in a smooth rich gravy, blanketed with soft buttery mashed potato and oven baked with a golden brown crust, is a family favourite and classic comfort food at its best.

A Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie recipe only differentiates from its non-gluten version in the use of gluten-free flour used in the roux. I'll show you the best gluten-free flour to use to make the smoothest richest gravy so that there is no difference between the gluten-free versions and the ones from your childhood.

Plus, since this is a Shepherd's Pie (that means lamb mince) we include an extra special ingredient that will give this family favourite dinner the edge over other versions - mint sauce! There's a reason lamb and mint are such a classic combo - delicious!

What’s the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?

Both dishes refer to a red meat dish, often minced meat, cooked in a gravy with onions and often carrots and celery, topped with a mashed potato layer and baked in the oven. The term Cottage Pie was first mentioned in 1791 but Shepherd’s Pie did not really appear until 1854. Initially the two terms were interchangeable for the same dish but in the 20th century the two recipes were separated into their own identities. Cottage Pie became synonymous with versions made with minced beef whereas Shepherd’s Pie would more commonly be made with minced lamb.

Our family adores this easy Shepherd’s Pie. It's the perfect recipe for a cold night. This hearty meal meets with approval from all members including the baby and guarantees a clean plate from our picky pre-schooler. Luke and I love it too, especially served with hot buttered cabbage.

What vegetables go into a Shepherd's Pie?

Shepherd’s Pie is a simple and satisfying meal with lots of veggies in the main base of the pie along with the lamb mince. I love the taste and texture that the extra vegetables give to the base of the dish. Here we include:

• onions
• carrots
• celery
• courgette

Ingredients Needed

Potatoes. Use lovely floury potatoes. I recommend Maris Pipers, Russet Potatoes or even Yukon Golds.

Butter. Use good quality unsalted butter so you can control the salt amount.

Fresh stock. One of the other key ingredients in this Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is the use of fresh chicken stock to make the most umami empowered gravy. It makes all the difference, providing tremendous depth of flavour. I love to use homemade chicken broth which I make out of the bones of my roast chicken whenever we have it. (If I'm making a Cottage Pie with beef mince then I make the switch to beef stock). You can certainly use a stock cube but it just won't have the same depth of flavour. If you don’t have any homemade stock then check to see if your butcher supplies it, otherwise do use the best store bought fresh stock you can find.

Olive oil. You can use vegetable oil.

Vegetables. We use diced onion, carrots, celery and courgette for the base which all adds to the flavour and gives it a lovely texture.

Lamb mince. You can swap for another minced meat (although there's a debate that then it wouldn't technically be a Shepherd's Pie!)

Fresh herbs. Bay leaves and thyme - don't be tempted to swap out for dried versions, they just taste too dusty in my opinion.

Sweet rice flour. The traditional version of Shepherd’s Pie is made using plain wheat flour to thicken the rich gravy which encases the ground meat mixture and vegetables at the base of the pie. Here we are switching it out for sweet rice flour (this is not the same as regular rice flour). The sticky properties of this starchy flour absorb the cooking oil and the added stock for a beautifully smooth and silky sauce which is indistinguishable from wheat flour gravy. The only difference is the colour. The sweet rice flour gravy is much lighter than its wheat counterpart. You can swap for cassava flour.

Tamari. This is used to deepen the colour of the gravy naturally. The only drawback to using sweet rice flour (or cassava flour) is that it doesn't brown as much as wheat flour. So the roux doesn't get a good rich brown which creates an appetising gravy colour. By adding tamari (which is naturally gluten-free - but always check your labelling) into the gravy it is used to deepen the colour of the gravy naturally (without the use of Gravy Browning). It also provides the perfect amount of seasoning. You can use coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.It also provides the perfect amount of seasoning.

Mint sauce. This is the secret ingredient, a total game changer and perfect for the lamb mince. Once you try it you will never make your Shepherd’s Pie without it. Mint sauce is traditionally served as part of the Great British roast dinner alongside spring lamb. It’s an essential condiment of our larder and is an absolutely perfect addition to our Shepherd’s Pie.

The three main ingredients of mint sauce are mint, white wine vinegar and sugar so it’s pretty easy to make your own. However, I usually use shop bought. It’s worth checking the label of your mint sauce though as many contain xanthan gum which you might be trying to avoid. There are brands without though, so just double check.

Salt and black pepper. Season to taste.

How to Make Gluten-Free Shepherds' Pie

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post. 

1. Boil potatoes until they break apart when touched with a knife. Drain.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan with stock, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Mash cooked potatoes and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan assisted/gas mark 5.
5. Cook onions, carrots, celery, and courgette in olive oil until softened.
6. Add lamb mince, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook until lamb is browned.
7. Mix in sweet rice flour to absorb fat. Remove excess oil.
8. Pour in stock and stir until a thick gravy forms.
9. Add coconut aminos and mint sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
10. Spoon lamb mince into an ovenproof dish.
11. Spread mashed potatoes over the lamb mince.
12. Create furrows in the potato with a fork.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the potato is golden brown.

Recipe Variations

Sweet potatoes. You can use sweet potato mash instead of the white mashed potato layer. It creates a much richer dish but I love the sweet potato flavour with the lamb. If you make the switch then the sweet potatoes don't need to be cooked as long as the white potatoes and I reduce the amount of butter.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Really you can use any minced meat in order to make this classic recipe. If you make the switch to ground turkey then you can leave out the mint sauce.

Cottage Pie. And if you use a beef mixture then I would swap the mint sauce for gluten-free worcestershire sauce and the chicken broth for beef broth.

Cheddar Cheese. It is not uncommon for a sprinkling of cheese to be added to the mashed potato layer before baking. Again, this is something I will often do if I am making Cottage Pie as I think this addition is more suitable to beef than lamb meat filling.