Venison Shepherd's Pie redefines the perfect comfort food, featuring a decadent savory meat mixture with a pillowy mashed potato topping creating a harmonious blend of textures and flavors. To add a touch of sophistication, Jarlsberg cheese crowns this gourmet twist on the classic shepherd's pie, resulting in a dish that effortlessly combines rustic charm with elevated flavors. Give it a try today!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Oh my, this was the best shepherd's pie my wife and I have ever had! You can't go wrong with any of Annie's recipes but this one was a banger."
- Anthony
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Packed with Flavor: This venison shepherd's pie recipe is not your average shepherd's pie. The flavorful wild game filling gets its signature taste from the magic of slow cooking mixed with flavorful ingredients like bacon, red wine, and shallots. The fluffy mashed potatoes are rich and creamy with a hint of garlic, thyme, and nutmeg. The melted Jarlsberg cheese brings all the rich flavors together to make the perfect shepherd's pie.
Comfort Food: It's rich. It's indulgent. It's flavorful. And it's everything you want in comfort food. You'll never go back to your old shepherd's pie recipe after you try this one!
Elevated: This recipe takes the classic shepherd's pie ingredients (meat and potatoes) and takes them to a whole new level. With indulgent ingredients like cream, butter, bacon, and red wine, you can't go wrong!
Ingredient Notes:
- Ground Venison: This recipe calls for 1 lb of ground venison but you can use any ground wild game meat or ground beef.
- Bacon: Venison has little fat so the bacon adds some richness to the meat mixture. Prosciutto or pancetta can also be used.
- Stock: I like to use homemade venison stock but you can use beef stock or beef broth. You can also use chicken broth for a lighter flavor.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes have a richer flavor than the standard russet potatoes but you can use your preferred potato. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes if you have them on hand!
- Jarlsberg Cheese: If you haven't tried Jarlsberg, it's like a milder hybrid between classic Swiss cheese and gruyere cheese. You want to really cover the potatoes in the cheese so it melts into a nice crispy, cheesy blanket for your potatoes. Any melty "Swiss" variety of cheese can be used: gruyere, emmentaler, or appenzeller can be used. You can even use cheddar cheese if you'd like!
- Red Wine: Any type of dry red wine can be used for this recipe. I like to use cabernet sauvignon for a richer flavor. For a lighter flavor, pinot noir can be used.
Equipment Notes:
- Dutch Oven: I like to use a Dutch oven to slow cook the meat filling because it holds its heat well. But, you can use a large skillet instead.
- Potato Ricer: A potato ricer is your best friend for making smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. It mashes the potatoes into smaller pieces than a typical potato masher does. But, you can still make mashed potatoes without one.
- Casserole Dish: This shepherd's pie is baked in a casserole dish. But, you can use individual ramekins to make single-serve meals instead.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Make Venison Filling for Shepherd's Pie:
The secret of this venison hunter's pie filling lies in the combination of flavorful ingredients like red wine, bacon, and shallots married together by the magic of slow cooking. Read below for how to make it!
Step 1: Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or skillet until it is browned and the fat has rendered out, about 5-10 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate.
Step 2: Add in shallots, onion, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Add in meat and season with salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Brown meat for 5-7 minutes.
Step 5: Add bacon back in. Reduce heat to medium. Add in the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 6: Stir in parsley and tomato paste.
Step 7: Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 8: Then add in stock.
Step 9: Bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 10: Reduce heat to low. Partially cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Some of the stock will evaporate and will thicken into a nice gravy consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Pro Tip: If you're not able to keep an eye on a pot on the stove for a couple of hours, you can transfer the meat mixture to a crock pot for the slow-cooking portion.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes for Shepherd's Pie:
Imagine the fluffiest buttery, creamy mashed potatoes with notes of thyme, garlic, and nutmeg and rich Yukon gold potato flavor. Yeah, you're going to want to lick the spoon. Read below for how to make them!
Step 1: To a small saucepan, add half and half, thyme, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, peppercorns, and smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer on very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 3: Drain potatoes and run them through a potato ricer twice. Add riced potatoes to the mixing bowl.
Step 4: Strain solids out of the cream mixture.
Step 5: Add half of the cream mixture and half of the melted butter to the potatoes. Mix in a stand mixer with the whip attachment on high for 1-2 minutes, or until well combined.
Step 6: Add in the remaining cream mixture and melted butter. Mix on high for 3-5 minutes, or until potatoes are fluffy. Taste and add salt to your liking. Mix for 1 more minute to mix in the salt.
Pro Tip: If you don't want to make mashed potatoes from scratch, you can spruce up dried mashed potato mixes by using the same cream mixture and butter in the recipe instead of the water or milk the package calls for.
How To Assemble Venison Shepherd's Pie:
Once you have your meat mixture and mashed potatoes, it's time to assemble!
Step 1: Grease a 9x13 casserole dish (or 2 8x8 pans, or 2 pie pans) with butter.
Step 2: Spread a thin, even layer of potatoes on the bottom and sides of the baking dish.
Step 3: Spoon the venison mixture over the potatoes and spread it into an even layer.
Step 4: Spread the remaining potatoes over the top of the venison mixture. Sprinkle cheese over the entire casserole.
Step 5: Sprinkle cheese over the entire casserole.
Step 6: If your casserole dish is full to the brim, set it on a baking sheet to catch any drips in the oven. Bake uncovered at 450°F for 20-25 minutes if your shepherd's pie is already warm.
Step 7: If you've refrigerated or frozen your pie, bake at 375°F, covered with foil, for 40 minutes or until heated through.
Step 8: Increase heat to 450°F. Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and slightly crisp.
Pro Tip: For a fancier presentation, you can add your mashed potatoes to a piping bag and pipe swirls of mashed potatoes over the meat mixture instead of spreading them.
Freezing Instructions:
Shepherd's pie makes a great freezer meal to have on hand for easy weeknight dinners. Once you try it, you're going to wish you had another pan in the freezer!
Step 1: Assemble the shepherd's pie in a casserole dish as if you were baking it. You can use a disposable foil pan if you'd like.
Step 2: Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw under refrigeration before baking. Follow the baking instructions in the recipe.
What To Serve with Shepherd's Pie:
Shepherd's pie makes a great comfort food meal anytime during the colder months. But, it can also be a fun celebration meal for St. Patrick's Day!
While it is a complete meal on its own, I like to serve it alongside a fresh, bright dish to cut through the richness. A simple green salad with homemade dressing or fennel orange salad goes great with this dish. No matter how you choose to serve it, you're going to love this elevated take on a classic dish!
Recipe FAQ's:
Shepherd's pie can be called many different things: cottage pie, meat pie, or hunter's pie if you're using wild game meat. It is a casserole-type dish that consists of a meat filling topped with mashed potatoes. The meat filling may or may not have vegetables as well.
The meat filling in shepherd's pie should have a small amount of gravy in it to keep it from drying out. If it has too much gravy, it could become a soupy mess.
Traditional shepherd's pie has a meat mixture with gravy and the addition of vegetables like onions, peas, and carrots. The meat mixture is topped with mashed potatoes and baked in a casserole dish.
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Recipe:
Venison Shepherd's Pie (Hunter's Pie)
Equipment
- small mesh strainer
Ingredients
Meat Filling:
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 cup bacon, diced (about 6 slices)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
- 1 cup shallots, finely diced (about 4 medium)
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 medium)
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- ¾ cup red wine
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups stock (wild game or beef)
Potatoes:
- 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4-5 large potatoes)
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 6 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns (or ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- salt, to taste
- 8 oz jarlsberg cheese, shredded
Instructions
Meat Filling:
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or skillet until it is browned and the fat has rendered out, about 5-10 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate. Add in shallots, onion, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in meat and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add bacon back in. Reduce heat to medium. Add in wine and cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in parsley and tomato paste.
- Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in stock and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Partially cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Some of the stock will evaporate and will thicken into a gravy consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Potatoes:
- To a small saucepan, add half and half, thyme, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, peppercorns, and smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer on very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and run them through a potato ricer twice. Add riced potatoes to the mixing bowl.
- Strain solids out of the cream mixture. Add half of the cream mixture and half of the melted butter to the potatoes. Mix in a stand mixer with the whip attachment on high for 1-2 minutes, or until well combined.
- Add in the remaining cream mixture and melted butter. Mix on high for 3-5 minutes, or until potatoes are fluffy. Taste and add salt to your liking. Mix for 1 more minute to mix in the salt.
Assembly:
- Grease a 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8 pans, or 2 pie pans) with butter. Spread a thin layer of potatoes on the bottom and sides of the dish. Top with the meat mixture and spread it evenly over the potatoes.
- Spread remaining potatoes over meat mixture. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes.
- Bake uncovered at 450°F for 20-25 minutes if your shepherd's pie is already warm. If you've refrigerated or frozen your pie, bake at 375°F, covered with foil, for 40 minutes or until heated through. Increase heat to 450°F. Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and crisp.
To Freeze:
- Assemble shepherd's pie in pie pan as if you were baking it. You can use a disposable pan if you'd like. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw under refrigeration before baking.
Notes
- This recipe calls for ground venison but you can use any ground wild game meat or ground beef.
- Venison has little fat so the bacon adds some richness to the meat mixture. Prosciutto or pancetta can also be used.
- I like to use homemade venison stock but you can use beef stock or beef broth. You can also use chicken broth for a lighter flavor.
- Yukon gold potatoes have a richer flavor than the standard russet potatoes but you can use your preferred potato. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes if you have them on hand!
- If you haven't tried Jarlsberg, it's like a milder hybrid between classic Swiss cheese and gruyere cheese. You want to really cover the potatoes in the cheese so it melts into a nice crispy, cheesy blanket for your potatoes. Any melty "Swiss" variety of cheese can be used: gruyere, emmentaler, or appenzeller can be used. You can even use cheddar cheese if you'd like!
- Any type of dry red wine can be used for this recipe. I like to use cabernet sauvignon for a richer flavor. For a lighter flavor, pinot noir can be used.
- I like to use a Dutch oven to slow cook the meat filling because it holds its heat well. But, you can use a large skillet instead.
- A potato ricer is your best friend for making smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. It mashes the potatoes into smaller pieces than a typical potato masher does. But, you can still make mashed potatoes without one.
- This shepherd's pie is baked in a casserole dish. But, you can use individual ramekins to make single-serve meals instead.
- If you're not able to keep an eye on a pot on the stove for a couple of hours, you can transfer the meat mixture to a crock pot for the slow-cooking portion.
- If you don't want to make mashed potatoes from scratch, you can spruce up dried mashed potato mixes by using the same cream mixture and butter in the recipe instead of the water or milk the package calls for.
- For a fancier presentation, you can add your mashed potatoes to a piping bag and pipe swirls of mashed potatoes over the meat mixture instead of spreading them.
Marianne
Would you recommend adding mushrooms to the venison mixture? If so, how many ounces?
Annie Weisz
That would be delicious! I think you could easily add 8 oz to the mixture.
Anthony
Oh my, this was the best shepherds pie my wife and I have ever had! You can't go wrong with any of Annie's recipes but this one was a banger.
Annie Weisz
Thank you so much for your kind review, Anthony! I'm so happy you loved the shepherd's pie!
Teresa
Tried this tonight and it's delicious! We're always looking for new venison recipes and this one is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Annie Weisz
Thank you for your kind review, Teresa! I hope you enjoy the shepherd's pie recipe for many years!