Leftover Roast Lamb, Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect way to use up leftovers. It’s tasty, family-friendly, and super comforting.
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Roast lamb is one of my favourite meals. Even the smell of cooked lamb is absolutely delicious, and nothing beats roast lamb with mint sauce.
Except maybe the leftovers.
Cooking with leftover meat is a great way to reduce waste, save money, fill your meal plan, and create a gorgeous meal with tender, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of meat.
Leftover Roast Lamb Shepherd’s Pie is one of the best ways to use up your leftovers. It’s so easy, has a lovely rich flavour, and shepherd’s pie is always a fab family meal.
Why I Love Leftover Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
In my opinion, shepherd’s pie with leftover lamb is one of the best leftover lamb recipes because:
- Leftover lamb shepherd’s pie has lovely chunks of meat. I think the texture is much better than a mince-based pie.
- Shepherds pie with lamb is a classic family dinner. Proper classic and warming comfort food.
- Recipes for leftover roast lamb are a fantastic way to reduce waste and make the most of your money.
- With the floury potatoes on top, it’s always absolutely delicious. Mash-topped leftover roast lamb pie ticks all of my boxes.
- Cheese!
- You don’t need to serve roast lamb shepherd’s pie with anything. It’s already got meat, veg and potatoes.
Ingredients for a Shepherd’s Pie with Leftover Roast Lamb
When I make Shepherd’s Pie with Cooked Lamb, I like to keep things simple. I use:
Cooking Spray – or Olive oil
Cooked Lamb – I like to have around 500g, but use what you’ve got. I dice my lamb on Sunday when it’s cool and keep it in the fridge in a sealed tub until I’m ready to use it. You could use thin strips or even make a Pulled Lamb Shepherd’s Pie by pulling the meat apart or shredding it.
Red Onion – Finely chopped.
Red Wine – any is fine, or you can skip entirely and add extra stock.
Carrots and Peas
Lamb Stock – if you don’t have lamb stock, use beef instead.
Tomato Puree
Dried Rosemary and Thyme – You can also add a splash of Henderson’s Relish or Worcestershire sauce if you have it, but it’s not essential. You can also use fresh rosemary and thyme if you prefer.
Then I top it all with mashed potato (cooking the potatoes in boiling water over medium heat for about 20 minutes, and then mashing with milk, butter and a little salt and pepper) and cheese.
I use mature cheddar, but others work well too. Anything that melts.
You also need a flameproof, ovenproof dish, like a cast iron Dutch oven, if you want to make it in one pot.
Or a large frying pan and an ovenproof dish to transfer to before topping with mash and baking.
What Veg Can You Add to Shepherd’s Pie?
I just use basic sliced carrots and frozen peas. They add colour and texture, and the kids will eat them.
I find that vegetables that stay firm, like carrots and peas, are best in a shepherd’s pie, but if you’ve got other leftover vegetables, you could serve them on the side of your Roast Lamb Shepherd’s Pie.
Should You Make Leftover Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Lamb Shoulder or Leg?
Either is fine. Use whatever you’ve got left over.
You could also make a leftover lamb steak shepherd’s pie or a leftover lamb chop shepherd’s pie. Although lamb chops are tiny, so you’d need lots!
Making Leftover Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato
I love a sweet potato on top of a Rich Shepherd’s Pie. It’s a great flavour that mashes really well.
You could use sweet potato on its own or mix it with white potatoes for a milder flavour.
Another option is Swede mash, which tastes gorgeous and is also a great way to add some sneaky veg.
Try this swede mash recipe, or swap half the swede for potato or carrot.
How to Make a Shepherd’s Pie from Leftover Lamb
Making a Traditional Shepherd’s Pie recipe with leftover lamb is super simple. You basically follow a standard recipe but without worrying about browning any lamb mince.
See the full instructions in the recipe card below.
Do You Add Flour to a Shepherd’s Pie?
No, I never add flour when I make Leftover Lamb Cottage Pie.
Simmering the lamb and veg in stock for an hour gives it plenty of time to thicken without the need for flour.
If you want it to thicken more or faster, mix one tablespoon of cornflour with two tablespoons of warm water, or add some gravy granules and stir through the stock.
Can You Make Shepherd’s Pie with Leftover Mashed Potatoes?
Yes, this is a great recipe for using Leftover Mashed Potato.
Keep any cold leftover mash in a sealed tub in the fridge and spoon on to the top of your Leftover Lamb Pie before topping with cheese when you are ready to bake.
If your potato is stiff, give it a good stir first.
What Should You Serve with Shepherd’s Pie?
I serve this Leftover Lamb and Potato Pie on its own. It’s got veg and potato and is a filling meal as it is.
But you could serve with extra vegetables, garlic bread or bread and butter if you wanted to.
Can You Make Shepherd’s Pie with Diced Lamb Instead of Mince?
I always use diced lamb for shepherd’s pie and diced beef for cottage pie.
I know they are usually made with mince, but I prefer the texture of big chunks of tender meat.
What Can I Cook with Leftover Lamb?
A Shepherd’s Pie with Cheese certainly isn’t the only thing that you can make with leftover lamb! Some of my other leftover roast lamb recipes that you might want to try include:
Top Tips for Reheating Leftover Roast Lamb
Reheating meat can be a bit scary, and I’m certainly not an expert. I use this article for guidance, but my top tips are:
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
- Cool leftovers quickly by taking them out of the cooking dish and placing them in a cold tub or on a plate.
- Keep in a sealed tub in the fridge for no longer than two days.
- Make sure your fridge is no warmer than 8 degrees, but ideally between 1 and 4.
- Reheat the meat slowly until it’s piping hot all of the way through.
- If your leftover meat is slimy, off-colour, or smelly, or you have any doubts, don’t risk it. Trust your instincts.
Leftover Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray (Or 1 tablespoon cooking oil)
- 500 g Cooked Lamb (Diced into large chunks)
- 1 Red Onion (Finely Diced)
- 250 ml Red Wine
- 4 Medium Carrots (Peeled and Sliced)
- 150 g Frozen Peas
- 500 ml Lamb Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
For the Potato Topping:
- 750 g Potatoes (Peeled and chopped into large chunks – Floury potatoes like King Edwards or Maris Piper work best)
- 75 ml Milk
- 40 g Butter
- Pinch Salt and pepper
- 100 g Cheddar Cheese (Grated)
Instructions
- Heat cooking spray or oil in a large flameproof and heatproof dish on the hob.
- Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the diced lamb.
- Pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the peas and carrots and stir well.
- Pour in the stock and add the tomato puree, rosemary, and thyme.
- Stir together and bring to a simmer.
- Cook on a low simmer, stirring regularly until the stock has thickened and reduced, this can take around 1 hour.
- While your stock is simmering, prepare the mashed potato topping.
- First, add the potatoes to a large pan of water and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain and mash with a splash of milk, a large knob of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth.
- Set to one side and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Once the stock has reduced, remove the shepherd’s pie filling from the heat and stir.
- Spoon (or pipe) on the mashed potato, taking care to spread evenly and cover the filling.
- Top with grated cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese, is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up around the sides of the mash.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Swap the red wine for extra stock if you prefer.
- I use a large Dutch oven ovenproof dish (af link), if you don’t have a flameproof and ovenproof dish like this that can be used on the hob and in the oven, start by simmering the filling in a large frying pan before transferring it into a large ovenproof casserole dish to bake.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
