Leftover Lamb Shepherd's Pie is a delicious casserole recipe with a unique twist on the old classic - using stout beer and tater tots! Perfect comfort food that the whole family will love.

🎥 Recipe Video

❤️ Why You'll Love This

"The perfect leftover lamb recipe! It's an easy to make weeknight dinner with a unique spin on traditional shepherd's pie -using tater tots instead of mashed pototoes for ease, and for some extra oomph I threw in some Guinness stout beer. Why not?" 🙂 -Kori

Simple

Looking for leftover lamb recipes? Making this leftover lamb shepherd's pie is quite simple.

Saute the vegetables in a skillet, add the liquids, reduce the sauce and add the peas and cooked lamb. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with thawed potato tots, then bake.

Voila! Tasty casserole on the way!

Tasty

Total comfort food and a family favorite in our house! I love it because it's a great way to use leftover roast lamb, my husband loves it because of the rich beef sauce with stout beer, and my kids go nuts over the tots.

How To Serve

Shepherd's pie with leftover lamb is quite hearty and an all-in-one meal. If you are looking for a little more, here is what I suggest:

A side of crusty bread, rolls, or biscuits.
Steam or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower are nice.
Serve with a simple fresh side salad and a favorite dressing such as blue cheese or thousand island.
Garnish with fresh parsley or chives.

If you love shepherd's pie I also have this classic version using ground lamb (mince) and buttery garlic mashed potatoes.

Looking for more leftover lamb ideas? Be sure to try out this Leftover Lamb Stew!

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Leftover Lamb Shepherds Pie:

See the recipe card for quantities.

Cooked Lamb - I used the leftovers from my roasted leg of lamb recipe or pressure cooker leg of lamb. If you haven't tried either of the recipes, they are very tasty and also super easy! Another alternative, use cooked lamb mince (ground lamb).
Onion - I used a yellow onion, but you can use any favorite kind for this recipe.
Carrots - Carrots add amazing color and texture.
Garlic - use finely minced or chopped garlic.
Tomato Paste - Adds great flavor and is used as a thickener
Stout Beer - I used Guinness but you can use any favorite stout.
Lamb or Beef Stock - Either beef or lamb stock work great in this recipe.
Worcestershire
Dried Thyme
Dried Rosemary
Kosher Salt - or any coarse salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Sweet Peas - Peas add nice color, freshness, and taste to this dish.
Tater Tots - Purchased frozen and will need to be thawed before using. Frozen tots won't get quite hot enough to cook all the way through.

Equipment

Equipment and tools needed to make this lamb casserole recipe:

Cutting Board
Chef Knife
Vegetable Peeler
12" Skillet - if you use an ovenproof skillet, like a 12" cast iron skillet, you can make this in one pan start to finish!
Casserole Dish
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Mixing Spoon
Nonstick Spray

Variations

Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to your shepherd's pie:

Go traditional and use mashed potatoes instead of the potato tots. Make it even easier by using pre-made mashed potatoes.
Don't have leftover lamb? It's okay. Substitute cooked lamb mince.
Omit the beer and use more lamb or beef stock instead.
Want more gravy? Add 1 tablespoon of flour to the sauteed vegetables and tomato paste. Stir for 1 minute then add stock and beer. Continue stiring until the liquid starts to thicken. From there, add the seasonins then peas and lamb.

Instructions

Here's how to make this dish:

For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.

Saute Vegetables

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Add olive oil to your skillet and preheat over medium-high heat.

Add onions and carrots and saute until tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Stir in garlic and tomato paste and continue sauteing for another 3 minutes.

Adding tomato paste to the sauteed onion, carrots, and garlic

Add Liquids and Seasoning

Add broth, Worcestershire, beer, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Reduce Sauce

Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until the liquid reduces by about 20% and thickens approximately 7 to 10 minutes.

Add Remaining Ingredients

Stir in peas and lamb. Turn off the heat.

Adding the herbs, peas, and cooked lamb to the casserole

Assemble Casserole

Transfer the ingredients to a casserole dish that has been coated with nonstick spray.

Transfering the ingredients to a white casserole dish for baking

Place the thawed taters on top of the casserole in a single layer. (Note: mashed potatoes can be substituted for tater tots. See the FAQs section below for an easy recipe, or purchase pre-made.)

Bake

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the tots are golden brown and the casserole is bubbly.

(Note: for even more golden brown and crispy tots, place the casserole under a broiler for a few minutes until you get the desired color)

Serve

Serve and enjoy. Garnish with fresh parsley or chives if desired. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Top Tips

Make sure to use thawed taters tots. It's super important that they are thawed or they will not cook all the way through.
Substitute cooked ground mince instead of leftover lamb roast.
Use mashed potatoes instead of tots if desired. Make your own - or buy them pre-made.

FAQs

What's the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie?

Great question! A cottage pie is typically made with beef, while a shepherd's pie is made with lamb.

Can you make it ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely. You can prepare the casserole a couple of days ahead of time. Pull the pie out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.

Can you freeze shepherds pie?

Yes, shepherd's pie can be frozen. Follow all the steps for making this recipe, except, don't add the tater tots or bake.

Transfer the contents to a freezer-proof and oven-proof baking dish.

Let the casserole cool completely then top with frozen tater tots. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months.

Take out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator 2 days prior to baking. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of baking time since the casserole will be cold.

Can I use mashed potatoes instead of tater tots?

Yes! you can definitely use mashed potatoes instead of tater tots. If you're in a huge hurry - buy them pre-made. Here's a quick and simple recipe for mashed potatoes:

Peel and quarter 2 pounds of potatoes. Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes until very tender.
Drain and add 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream and mash (use a masher or handheld mixer) until smooth. Add more cream if desired.
Season with salt and pepper.

How long can you keep cooked lamb in the fridge?

Cooked lamb can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.

How long will this casserole keep?

Cooked lamb will keep up to 4 days. So, to be on the safe side I follow the 4-day rule, depending upon when the lamb was cooked. Make sure to store in an air-tight container.

✔️ More Lamb Recipes

Here are some more delicious lamb recipes I think you might enjoy!

Leg of Lamb Recipes - 3 ways!

Leg of lamb three ways - the traditional roasting method, low and slow in a crockpot, or in your pressure cooker!

Irish Stew (Slow Cooker)
Hearty Lamb Meatball Soup Recipe
Lamb Stew (Instant Pot Recipe)
The Best Greek Burger (Gyro Burger)
Best Greek Salad Recipe - add diced lamb to this salad, so delicious!

⭐ Let's Connect

If you tried this Leftover Lamb Shepherd's Pie, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me and others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Leftover Lamb Shepherd's Pie