‘Easy to make’ Aussie twist on shepherd’s pie

Australia loves a cob loaf dip, it’s just in our blood.

It’s the sign of a classic Aussie party when there’s a cob loaf dip centre stage on the snacks table, just waiting for people to dive in and demolish the crusty outside and creamy filling.

Plus, here at Best Recipes we’ve got more variations on this classic dish than there are fish in the ocean.

From savoury (like this creamed corn cob loaf) to sweet (try a camping-inspired dessert cob loaf), there’s really a cob loaf for every occasion.

So when it came to reinventing a classic Aussie dinner, shepherd’s pie, you can see why Best Recipes contributor Greer Worsley did the logical thing and put it in a cob loaf.

It’s no gimmick though. The loaf is the perfect vessel for the rich sauciness of the lamb mince (and its hidden veggies) and the crusty bread holds the cheesy potato mash topping in place so the meal looks cosy and inviting.

The history of shepherd’s pie

Like many delicious dishes, shepherd’s pie has very humble origins, and a long history.

The first recorded mentions in cookbooks are from the 18th century in Ireland and England.

It was originally a way to avoid food waste, by cutting up leftover roast meat from the weekly Sunday roast, combining the meat with vegetables and a thick and luscious gravy.

The homey mixture was then topped with economical mashed potatoes before baking to help everything cook together.

While shepherd’s pie and cottage pie are often used interchangeably, purists argue that a shepherd’s pie can only use lamb (because shepherds herd sheep!) while a cottage pie is beef.

What Best Recipes users say

The multiple five star reviews show that our Shepherd’s pie cob loaf recipe has won over Australians, plus give some handy tips for making this recipe your own.

“Great recipe. I prefer to use ‘jumbo’ bread rolls to make individual, mini cobs. That way the filling doesn’t ooze everywhere when you cut slices and you can make as many or as few as you want.” -Twizlenut

“Very easy to make and delicious! I didn’t have any fresh rosemary so I used one teaspoon of dried rosemary instead.” – jld

“I made this and it was very tasty and presented well!” – llbrewe

How to make a Shepherd’s pie cob loaf

First make the meat mixture by browning lamb mince, then cooking a bounty of vegetables: onion, garlic, carrot, celery and zucchini.

Return the lamb mince to the pan and add tomato paste plus chicken stock and rosemary. Let this aromatic mixture simmer for an hour.

Meanwhile, boil and mash the potatoes with a generous amount of butter.

Prepare the cob loaf by carefully slicing off the top and scooping out the innards in big chunks.

Add the secret flavour hacks to the lamb mixture (spoiler, it’s tomato sauce plus worcestershire sauce!).

Fill the cob loaf with the lamb mince mixture then top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and cheese is melted.

In the last ten minutes, place the reserved bread chunks on a tray and bake until crisp.

Serve the cob loaf with the toasted bread pieces.