Shepherd's Pie Recipes

Star chef Grant Achatz swaps in mushrooms for the usual meat and adds woodsy chestnuts to the potato topping in his vegetarian take on shepherd's pie.

Rainwater Madeira, a fortified wine, gives Brian Hill's pub dish a caramelly sweetness.

This recipe, from Jimmy Bradley of the Red Cat in New York City, makes a large pie, but you can also prepare the dish in individual 1 1/2-cup ramekins. Check them for doneness after 20 minutes.

Both the filling and the potatoes can be made ahead and assembled before dinner.

F&W's Melissa Rubel plays with the meat-and-potatoes mix in a traditional shepherd's pie, using chicken in the filling and buttery mashed parsnips on top.

You have considerable leeway in assembling the ingredients for this English-inspired meal in a dish, but there should always be carrots, onions, and at least three other vegetables, one of them green. Leftover mashed potatoes work fine to top the vegetable stew, which can be browned under the broiler or in a hot oven.

This pairing of chopped lamb with a mashed-potato topping is one of the most beloved British classics. Chef Tom Aikens infuses milk and cream with fresh herbs before folding them into the potatoes to make the dish especially luxurious.