Baby Friendly Shepherd’s Pie

This flavorsome and satisfying Baby Friendly Shepherd’s Pie is an easy recipe to cook for the entire family! It is suitable for babies 6+ months without salt added.

Reasons to Love this Recipe

• Great for Babies 6+ months: You can adjust the recipe and assemble a smaller dish for the little ones without salt added and season a larger dish for the rest of the family. As this dish contains allergens (milk and cheese), I do recommend offering it after these have been tested individually. For more information on this topic check out my article: “Introducing Allergens to Babies”.
• You can make this dish ahead, freeze and bake for convenience.
• It is iron rich.

Ingredients to make The Best Baby Friendly Sheperd’s Pie

Mashed Potato Topping

• Potatoes
• Milk
• Mozzarella
• Butter
• Salt (skip for babies < 12m old)

Meat Filling

• Ground lamb or ground beef – I used 90% lean ground beef.
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Unsalted vegetable stock
• Frozen peas and carrots
• Tomato paste
• Salt – (skip for babies < 12m old)
• Sweet Paprika
• Dried parsley – You can use fresh, just double to amount in the recipe (see recipe card)
• Dried rosemary (if using ground lamb) – You can use fresh, just double to amount in the recipe (see recipe card)
• Dried thyme (if using ground beef) – You can use fresh, just double to amount in the recipe (see recipe card)
• Green onions
• Corn starch – used to thicken the meat mixture, but totally optional.

Step By Step Instructions

If your baby is <12 months old, you will separate a small amount of each layer to assemble a small baby shepherd’s pie before adding salt to the rest of the family.

Mashed Potato Topping:

• Fill a large pan with water and boil the potatoes until completely tender. It will take about 15 minutes after the water starts boiling.
• Drain the potatoes, add to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Add the milk, butter, cheese and mix well.
• Set aside a small quantity of mashed potatoes for the baby if < 12 months old.
• Add salt.

Meat Filling:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and cook until translucent.
• Add the meat and cook until browned.
• Add the carrots, peas, herbs, tomato paste, unsalted vegetable stock, corn starch and mix well.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the carrots are soft.
• Set aside a small quantity of the mixture for the baby if < 12 months old.
• Add salt.

Assembly:

• Transfer the mixture into a 9-inch baking dish, spread the mashed potatoes over the top and add some extra cheese if desired.
• Bake at 356F (180C) for about 25 minutes.

For babies 9-12 months old, you can assemble a mini pie using small ramekins and bake. This way they will get used to eating the same food as the family early on. If needed, you can use a fork to mash the carrots, peas, and ground meat before serving.

Storage Instructions

• You can keep this pie assembled in the fridge before baking for up to 2 days.
• You can assemble, freeze for up to 3 months. Bake at 350F (180C) for about 1h until the center is boiling.

Serving Suggestions and Substitutions

Here are some serving suggestions for this dish:

• With steamed veggies such as broccoli, asparagus, peas or a fresh green salad.
• With a vit C rich fruit to enhance iron absorption, such as kiwi and strawberries.

As far as substitutions go, there are a few that can be made in this dish:

• Substitute ground beef for ground lamb.
• Replace peas for corn or add corn to the mixture.
• Instead of store-bought unsalted vegetable stock, you can use a homemade stock or beef broth.
• If you would like to make this dish even more nutritious, you can replace part of the potatoes for carrots or cauliflower, cook and make a veggie loaded mashed potato.

🥣Recipe

Other Recipes You May Like:

• Easy Mini Meatloaves for Babies (with Oat Flour)
• Nutritious Baby Hamburgers
• Easy Ground Beef Muffins (Best Recipe with Leftovers)