This naturally Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie with ground lamb is comfort food at its finest—a yummy mashup of Greek moussaka and cottage pie. Roasted eggplant bites are topped with a quasi-bolognese tomato lamb mixture and a thick layer of buttery mashies, then baked till golden brown and burbling.
While making this delightfully non-traditional shepherd’s pie is a bit more time-intensive than a regular weeknight meal, I guarantee it is worth the effort—plus, you can break up the steps over the course of a week. It’s the perfect choice for family gatherings like Easter or Mother’s Day!
Finally, ground lamb makes this hearty meal feel extra fancy, but keeps the price affordably low. (If the weather is warmer where you are, try making my lamb-based Greek burgers or fancier smoked boneless lamb leg roast instead—that way you can avoid turning on the oven.)
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Gluten-Free Greek Shepherds Pie
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
- Serving Suggestions
- FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Recipes For Dinner
- Greek-Inspired Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie Recipe
- Budget-Friendly - As much as I love my smoked leg of lamb recipe, sometimes I don’t have a full roast in the grocery budget. Swapping in affordable ground lamb brings all that yummy flavor for a fraction of the cost—especially when you mix in a hefty amount of veggies and a fluffy mashed potato topping to stretch the meat further.
- Special, Not Stuffy - A shepherd’s pie fresh from the oven is a symphony of heavenly aromas and show-stopping beauty—who can resist golden brown peaks of mashies or burbling meaty filling spilling over the sides?!? But, once you dig in it becomes clear that this isn’t a pinkies-up kind of meal; it’s just pure comfort food the whole family will love.
- Naturally Gluten-Free - Unlike many cottage pie recipes that add flour to thicken the saucy meat filling, our chunky tomato-ground lamb mix doesn’t need it! That means you don't need to find any special ingredients like arrowroot starch or gluten-free worcestershire sauce to make the recipe work.
Ingredients & Substitutions
While my Greek-inspired gluten-free cottage pie recipe does admittedly have a slightly longer grocery list, most of what you'll need are staples.
- Eggplant - I generally use regular dark purple aubergines (globe eggplant), but you’re welcome to swap in any fancy varieties (e.g. Japanese eggplant or fairy tale eggplant) you have on hand.
- Ground Lamb - While I legitimately love the gamey taste of lamb, I totally get that it isn't for everyone. You could absolutely sub in another ground meat (like lean ground beef or ground turkey) in place of the lamb. I'd even venture to say that Impossible Meat or Beyond Meat could yield a tasty substitute, but I have yet to try them in a bolognese preparation.
- Yellow Onion, Carrots, & Celery - Also known as mirepoix, this trio is deeply aromatic, lending tons of rich flavor to the ground lamb filling. As a bonus, these veggies are cheap all year round and are a great way to stretch your meat to feed a bigger crowd!
- Garlic - Fresh is best, but you can swap in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Red or White Wine - Making the lamb sauce with wine adds a certain je ne sais quois. If you don't like keeping booze in the house, you're welcome to use beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth instead.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - Whenever possible, I reach for fire-roasted diced tomatoes, which seem to have a deeper, sweeter flavor than conventional. You can also use whole plum or roma tomatoes—just snip them well with scissors in the can before dumping them into the meat mixture.
- Dried Spices - Mint, oregano, and cinnamon sticks are traditional additions to Greek moussaka. You’ll also need bay leaves and, if you want a little kick, some red pepper flakes.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes, Heavy Cream & Butter - Because what’s a shepherd’s pie without mashies? Feel free to swap in my healthy greek yogurt mashed potatoes if you want your tater topper to be a bit more virtuous, or my roasted garlic cauliflower mash for a lower-carb option. You're also welcome to swap in starchy russet potatoes if you prefer, but you will need to peel them first (an optional step for thin-skinned Yukons.)
How To Make Gluten-Free Greek Shepherds Pie
There are quite a few steps to making this ground lamb cottage pie, but none of them are difficult. To make life easier, you're welcome to split up making the components over the course of a few days—e.g. tomato lamb sauce one day, eggplant the next, mashed potatoes the next—and then assemble right before baking.
Step 1: Sweat Eggplant. Eggplant often gets a bad wrap for being bitter. What many people fail to realize is that simply salting your eggplant and allowing it to sweat will remove that bitterness without much effort. Set up a colander over your sink and add your eggplant cubes. Next, sprinkle a couple of five finger pinches of kosher salt over them from a height of about 12 inches. Now toss the eggplant to get the salt all over it, then weight it down with some plates loaded with cans of food. (Is your colander too small to fit a plate into? Don't fret. Simply make a trip to the sink every 10ish minutes to press the eggplant down with your hand to encourage water to release from the eggplant.)
Step 2: Season Eggplant. After about 30 minutes of draining, your eggplant should be good to go. Give it a rinse with some cool water and press it out once more. Now toss it with olive oil, mint, oregano and a bit more salt and pepper, then spread it out in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet tray.
Step 3: Roast the eggplant for about 15 minutes at 425F, then pull it out of the oven and flip as many pieces as you can. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until some golden and charred pieces are evident. Turn the oven down to 350F and set the eggplant aside.
Step 4: Brown Meat. While the eggplant sweats and roasts, get started on your bolognese. Heat just the smallest smidge of olive oil in the bottom of your trusty dutch oven or a large skillet until shimmering - this will help you tell when the pan is hot enough to add the meat without having it stick. Tip your meat in with a five fingered pinch of salt and break it up with a sturdy spoon or spatula. Cook until it is no longer pink, then drain all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan.
Step 5: Sauté Aromatics. Next up, add your mirepoix and another pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Now add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 6: Reduce Wine. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. It took me about 8 minutes to get to that point.
Step 7: Simmer. Finally, add the diced tomatoes (and the juice they came in!), cream and the remaining herbs and spices. Give it all a good stir to coat everything, then allow the meat mixture to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
Step 8: Make Potato Layer. As your sauce is cooking and the eggplant is roasting, toss the cubed potatoes into a pot of salted water and set to boil over medium high heat until fork tender (about 20-30 minutes depending on the size—less time for smaller pieces). Drain them, add the butter and cream to the pot, and return the cooked potatoes. Mash well with a potato masher, and if necessary, add a bit more cream to achieve your ideal mashed potato consistency. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Step 9: Assemble. In an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish, place the roasted eggplant in an even layer. Top it with the tomato lamb bolognese. Finish it off with the potato mixture, swirling pretty patterns on them with the back of a spoon. (Note: If you are making this ahead, now is a good place to stop!)
Step 10: Bake. Cover the casserole dish with foil, then pop it in the 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling up at the edges of the potatoes. YUM!
Step 11: Broil. Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Switch the oven to broil on high (500F) then return the cottage pie to the oven on the top rack for 3-8 minutes, until the edges of the potatoes are beginning to catch a little and the top looks lightly golden. Let the gluten-free shepherds rest for about 5-7 minutes to set up a bit, then scoop hefty spoonfuls out onto plates and serve. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Vegetarian - use 2 pounds of a mix of oyster, cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms pulsed into small bits in the food processor. The mushrooms replicate some of the umami gaminess of the lamb really well. For added heft, cut back to 1 pound of mushrooms but add 4-6 cups of cooked green or black lentils (which hold their shape well).
- Dairy-Free - Swap in your favorite plant-based butter and plant-based heavy cream alternatives.
- Vegan - Follow both sets of instructions for “vegetarian” and “dairy-free.”
- Extras - Have some bits and bobs in the crisper drawer to get rid of? Add extra veggies like frozen peas, green beans, or mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. You can also try adding some sour cream or cream cheese to the mashies for a fun bit of tang, some mascarpone for extra richness, or grate some fresh parmesan atop the mashies before baking for savory yumminess.
Expert Tips
While it takes a bit of time to make, this easy shepherd's pie recipe doesn’t require any chef-y tricks or finicky steps. That said, here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind:
- If you prefer a fancier plating option, you can easily make individual shepherd’s pies in small (preferably cast iron) casserole dishes. This is great for parties (Thanksgiving, anyone?), weekly meal-prep, or when you want to save half the batch in the freezer.
- For a thicker sauce with a consistency closer to the classic British recipe, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste right after the garlic is finished cooking in step 5, then stir to coat the veggies before adding the wine. In a separate bowl, mix a bit of the wine or the juice from the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to make a slurry. Slowly add it to the pot when you add the canned tomatoes and their juice, stirring to combine. Cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce has the consistency of gravy.
- To cut back on prep time, use frozen veggies which are already washed, peeled, and cut. Oftentimes you can find “mirepoix” without having to buy 3 different bags. Note that I’ve never been able to find frozen eggplant cubes, so you may still end up needing to keep some of the fresh vegetables—but at least you’ll cut out the majority!
- Don't crowd the eggplant while it roasts, or you may end up with soggy eggplant. If there isn't enough room for airflow, it'll end up steaming instead. If your cubes don’t have a bit of space between them after spreading out on the pan, work in batches or use two separate sheet pans.
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
- Deconstructed Vs. Assembled - You can either assemble the whole thing and pop it in the fridge or freezer to bake later, ~or~ you can make the individual components one day at a time and save the assembly until you’re ready. I like the latter option for meal prep—that way I can assemble individual cast iron shepherd’s pies for Joe and I as needed, baking them in the toaster oven to save energy.
- How To Store - Transfer each element into its own airtight container, or wrap the assembled pie well with several layers of plastic wrap before freezing. Note that you want to make sure to let the assembled pie cool to room temperature before wrapping to prevent condensation from forming, which can cause freezer burn.
- Roasted eggplant chunks can be made and stored in the fridge for up to a week before assembly, or frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
- Mashed potatoes can be made up to 5 days before assembly, or frozen for up to 2 months. Note that the potatoes may separate a bit after defrosting; stir them vigorously to recombine if needed.
- Tomato lamb sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days before assembly, or can last for up to 6 months in the freezer. I recommend funneling the hot sauce into clean mason jars and sealing the lids to help create a vacuum seal for added freshness. If you are going the freezing route, make sure to leave at least ½ inch of headroom for expansion.
- Assembled Greek shepherd's pie should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator before baking, or up to two months in the freezer.
- To reheat, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge (as needed). Assemble the cottage pie and bake as instructed in the recipe card below (if needed), letting the assembled pie sit at room temperature as your oven preheats to ensure even cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This Greek gluten-free shepherd's pie is rich and hearty enough to act as a stand-alone dish—no need for any sides. That said, it pairs nicely a simple side salad tossed in vinaigrette and hearty sourdough ciabatta rolls or spicy black pepper focaccia for sopping up the last of the sauce.
It's the ultimate comfort food for the winter, but is light enough for springtime celebrations like St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, and Easter. If you'd like some fancier sides for your gathering, sumac roasted carrots with whipped feta, harissa maple sweet potato tian, and Disney Ratatouille-style ratatouille are great options.
FAQs
Traditional recipes for shepherd’s pie or cottage pie often have either flour, beer (e.g. Guiness), or both in the filling, meaning they usually contain some form of gluten. While you can typically figure out a way to make a gluten-free version of most fillings, my recipe for gluten-free Greek shepherd’s pie is made without any of those common additions or gluten-free substitutes—you don’t need them!
Some folks would argue that a true shepherd’s pie needs to be made with lamb or mutton, and any other variety of ground meat would render the otherwise same dish a cottage pie. I am not one of those people! They can be used interchangeably, unless you’re around a stickler of a food historian. 😂
Generally speaking, the stew-like filling of a shepherd’s pie is made with some kind of ground meat (typically lamb or beef), a mix of veggies like carrots, onions, celery, and peas, and a gravy-like sauce made from the meat drippings, tomato paste, flour, and broth and/or beer. That said, global culinary influences have created tons of variations on this theme—from vegetarian mushroom and lentil shepherd’s pie to this moussaka-inspired Greek shepherd’s pie and dozens between!
If you are trying to adapt another shepherds pie recipe that includes flour as a thickener for the filling, you can usually swap in a corn starch slurry instead by mixing ½ as much cornstarch as the flour that is called for in the recipe into a small amount of whatever liquid is used (e.g. broth), then adding that slurry with the remaining liquid.
You can also try using tapioca starch or arrowroot starch slurries but note that they may not be as stable under sustained high heat (e.g. simmering and then baking). Finally, while you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for regular AP flour, try to reach for one that doesn’t include xanthan gum or guar gum, which can create a sticky texture in sauces.
More Gluten-Free Recipes For Dinner
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Greek-Inspired Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Eggplant Bites
- 1 large Eggplant cubed
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Tomato Lamb Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 large Yellow Onion small dice
- 2-3 Carrots small dice
- 2 stalks Celery
- 5-6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 C White Wine or red
- 1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- ⅓ C Heavy Cream
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1-2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 ½ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 stick Butter
- 2-3 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Place cubed eggplant in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with several 5 finger pinches of salt and toss to mix. Weight down with plates and rest for at least 30 minutes. *If you can't fit plates in your colander, occasionally stop by and press the eggplant with the palm of your hand to press out excess water.1 large Eggplant
- Heat oil in dutch oven or large saucepan until shimmering. Add lamb and a generous pinch of salt. Cook lamb, breaking it up with a metal spoon or spatula, until cooked through. There will be a decent amount of fat at the bottom. Remove all but about a tablespoon using a spoon.2 teaspoon Olive Oil, 1 lb Ground Lamb
- Add mirepoix (carrots, celery and onion) and stir to coat. Add another pinch of salt to encourage sweating. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add garlic, stirring often. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.1 large Yellow Onion, 2-3 Carrots, 2 stalks Celery, 5-6 cloves Garlic
- Add wine and scrape up any fond left on the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer until wine is reduced by about half.Add tomatoes (with juice), cream, and spices. Stir to incorporate, then allow to simmer on low-medium until juices are mostly evaporated.1 C White Wine, 1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes, ⅓ C Heavy Cream, 2 Bay Leaves, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 1-2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint, 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano, Kosher Salt and Pepper
- Preheat oven to 425F.Do a final press on eggplant to remove any last liquid. Rinse thoroughly with cold water (this will remove any bitterness from the eggplant), then press one more time.Place eggplant on a parchment lined sheet pan, then toss with oil, mint, oregano, and salt & pepper. Spread into a single layer, leaving as much space as possible between pieces to allow for roasting rather than steaming. *If you do not have a full half sheet pan sized cookie sheet, you may need to use two sheet pans.Roast for about 15 minutes, then flip the pieces and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350F.1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint, 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano, Kosher Salt and Pepper
- While the eggplant is roasting, place diced and peeled potatoes in a stock pot with salted water. Put the potatoes to boil, cooking until fork tender. Drain.Add butter to pot and allow to melt. Mash potatoes with butter, then add cream if necessary. Season with salt & pepper to taste.2 ½ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, 1 stick Butter, 2-3 tablespoon Heavy Cream, Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste
- In an ungreased 9 x 13, layer roasted eggplant followed by tomato lamb sauce and finally mashed potatoes. Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling through the edges of the potatoes.Remove foil, turn oven to broil and return casserole dish to top shelf. Broil for 3-8 minutes, until tips of potatoes are beginning to catch color. Remove from the oven and rest for about 5 minutes.
- Serve generous scoops of Shepherd's Pie aside a simple green salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vegetarian - use 2 pounds of a mix of oyster, cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms pulsed into small bits in the food processor. The mushrooms replicate some of the umami gaminess of the lamb really well. For added heft, cut back to 1 pound of mushrooms but add 4-6 cups of cooked green or black lentils (which hold their shape well).
- Dairy-Free - Swap in your favorite plant-based butter and plant-based heavy cream alternatives.
- Vegan - Follow both sets of instructions for “vegetarian” and “dairy-free.”
- Extras - Have some bits and bobs in the crisper drawer to get rid of? Add extra veggies like frozen peas, green beans, or mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. You can also try adding some sour cream or cream cheese to the mashies for a fun bit of tang, some mascarpone for extra richness, or grate some fresh parmesan atop the mashies before baking for savory yumminess.
- If you prefer a fancier plating option, you can easily make individual shepherd’s pies in small (preferably cast iron) casserole dishes. This is great for parties (Thanksgiving, anyone?), weekly meal-prep, or when you want to save half the batch in the freezer.
- For a thicker sauce with a consistency closer to the classic British recipe, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste right after the garlic is finished cooking in step 5, then stir to coat the veggies before adding the wine. In a separate bowl, mix a bit of the wine or the juice from the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to make a slurry. Slowly add it to the pot when you add the canned tomatoes and their juice, stirring to combine. Cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce has the consistency of gravy.
- To cut back on prep time, use frozen veggies which are already washed, peeled, and cut. Oftentimes you can find “mirepoix” without having to buy 3 different bags. Note that I’ve never been able to find frozen eggplant cubes, so you may still end up needing to keep some of the fresh vegetables—but at least you’ll cut out the majority!
- Don't crowd the eggplant while it roasts, or you may end up with soggy eggplant. If there isn't enough room for airflow, it'll end up steaming instead. If your cubes don’t have a bit of space between them after spreading out on the pan, work in batches or use two separate sheet pans.
- Deconstructed Vs. Assembled - You can either assemble the whole thing and pop it in the fridge or freezer to bake later, ~or~ you can make the individual components one day at a time and save the assembly until you’re ready. I like the latter option for meal prep—that way I can assemble individual cast iron shepherd’s pies for Joe and I as needed, baking them in the toaster oven to save energy.
- How To Store - Transfer each element into its own airtight container, or wrap the assembled pie well with several layers of plastic wrap before freezing. Note that you want to make sure to let the assembled pie cool to room temperature before wrapping to prevent condensation from forming, which can cause freezer burn.
- Roasted eggplant chunks can be made and stored in the fridge for up to a week before assembly, or frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
- Mashed potatoes can be made up to 5 days before assembly, or frozen for up to 2 months. Note that the potatoes may separate a bit after defrosting; stir them vigorously to recombine if needed.
- Tomato lamb sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days before assembly, or can last for up to 6 months in the freezer. I recommend funneling the hot sauce into clean mason jars and sealing the lids to help create a vacuum seal for added freshness. If you are going the freezing route, make sure to leave at least ½ inch of headroom for expansion.
- Assembled Greek shepherd's pie should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator before baking, or up to two months in the freezer.
- To reheat, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge (as needed). Assemble the cottage pie and bake as instructed in the recipe card below (if needed), letting the assembled pie sit at room temperature as your oven preheats to ensure even cooking.
Nutrition
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