I’ve personally tried and tested out four different reheating methods for shepherds pie to find the best one.
I also looked at how best to store leftover shepherd’s pie to keep it fresh for as long as possible.
Note: These methods also work for cottage pie.
Want the short answer?
The best way to reheat shepherds pie is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F and cover the shepherd’s pie with foil. One portion will heat up in 10-15 minutes. An entire pie will need 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil at the end to crisp the top. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the microwave.
A note on my experiment
I prepared a giant shepherd’s pie last night, which of course I couldn’t finish.
After storing it in the fridge overnight, I decided to experiment with four different reheating methods.
I was looking for a method that would keep the potatoes soft and fluffy, and the meat saucy.
The methods I tried included:
- In the oven: best method overall
- In the microwave: fast but watery
- In a skillet: produced a different kind of dish
- In the air fryer: similar to oven method
The oven method produced the best result. My shepherd’s pie was as good as new.
The microwave if fine if you’re in a rush, and the skillet is good if you want something a little different.
Reheating shepherd’s pie in the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Cover your portion of shepherd’s pie with foil and heat for 10 minutes. For an entire pie, heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil for the last third of your heating time to allow the top to crisp up. Sprinkle some fresh cheese on top for extra oomph.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in the oven:
- Take the shepherd’s pie out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Cover your shepherd’s pie (in an oven-safe dish) with foil.
- Heat single portions for 10 minutes or a whole pie for 30 to 40 minutes. Shepherd’s pie straight from the fridge will take a bit longer, and frozen pies will need between 60-90 minutes.
- Remove the foil two-thirds of the way through the heating process.
- Optional: Add some extra cheese on top to refresh the dish.
- Once hot all the way through, serve immediately.
Top tip: if you’re in a rush, pop the shepherd’s pie in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before putting it in the oven. This will reduce the heating time needed.
A quick trick to test if your shepherd’s pie is hot in the middle is to stick a knife into it.
Feel the metal as you pull the knife out; if it’s hot, the dish is ready.
Covering your shepherd’s pie with foil while you heat it stops it from losing too much moisture, but you need to remove it to crisp the top.
For a toaster oven: If you’re using a toaster oven, you can follow the above instructions, just reduce the timings slightly.
My verdict
Pros: the shepherds pie tasted fresh and you couldn’t really tell it was a day old. This method also works for any portion size.
Cons: it’s very slow!
Reheating shepherd’s pie in the microwave
Place your leftover shepherd’s piece on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave the shepherd’s pie in 30-second intervals until piping hot all the way through. Allow it to rest for 1 minute before serving. Optionally, pop your shepherd’s pie under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up the top.
Be careful not to burn your mouth biting into a steaming shepherd’s pie, it can get very hot in the microwave.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in the microwave:
- Place your portion of leftover shepherd’s pie on a microwave-safe plate.
- Optional: If your pie has gone a bit dry, cover it with a piece of damp paper towel to help restore some lost moisture.
- Warm it in 30-second intervals until piping hot.
- Allow the shepherd’s pie to rest for 1 minute before serving.
- Optional: Crisp the topping under your broiler for a minute or two.
It’s best to only warm up smaller portions in the microwave to ensure even heating. Larger portions can end up with cold spots.
If there’s cheese on top, it can get a bit soggy in the microwave, which is where the broiler comes in.
The broiler will help bring the crunch back to the topping (if you have the time).
My verdict
Pros: this method is super quick and convenient and the flavor was good.
Cons: the filling became watery as moisture from the mince and veg pooled around the plate. Also, the top layer was no longer crispy (but I expected that).
Reheating shepherd’s pie in a skillet
Warm a lightly oiled pan on medium heat. Add a portion of shepherd’s pie and mix the mince and mash together by stirring it around the pan. Add a splash of water or stock to dryer shepherd’s pie mixtures. Keep stirring until the dish is warmed to your satisfaction. Serve immediately.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in a skillet:
- Lightly coat a skillet with oil or butter and set it on medium heat on your stove.
- Add a portion of shepherd’s pie to the pan and stir the mince and mash together.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water or stock to the pan to replace lost moisture.
- Keep stirring until your shepherd’s pie has heated up to your satisfaction.
- Once warm, serve immediately.
Make sure not to add too much stock or water, or you’ll end up with mashed potato soup (yuk!).
If you want some crispier bits of mince in your dish, turn the heat up to high and don’t add any extra liquid.
You can also add extra cheese or seasoning for a flavor boost. Sometimes I’ll even fry bacon in the pan before adding the leftover shepherds pie.
Pro tip: an alternative is to place an intact portion of shepherd’s pie in the skillet, sprinkle some water around the edge and then cover the pan with a lid to ‘steam it’ for 3-4 minutes.
You’ll need to take the pie straight from the fridge so it’s firm enough to hold its shape. And be sure not to over-steam your leftover pie because this will dull its flavors.
My verdict
Pros: the end results was really tasty because I was able to play around with extra flavors.
Cons: the texture was completely different from how it originally was in pie form (my partner compared it to baby food!).
Reheating shepherd’s pie in the air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Line your fryer basket with parchment paper (you can also use its loaf pan if you have one). Place shepherd’s pie straight from the fridge into the basket. Warm it for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in the air fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
- Line your fryer basket with parchment paper (fold up the sides too for easy lifting).
- Place shepherd’s pie in the basket straight from the fridge.
- Heat it for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Lining your basket with parchment paper reduces messiness, especially if you’re dealing with a saucy pie. You can fold the paper up the sides of the basket to make it easy to lift the pie out once it’s warm.
If you don’t have any parchment paper, you can use foil as an alternative.
Taking the pie straight from the fridge helps it keep its shape too.
Pro tip: check the heating progress at the halfway mark to ensure the topping isn’t burning.
My verdict
Pros: this is a quick and convenient method with similar results to the oven. The top layer of my mash was deliciously crispy.
Cons: getting shepherd’s pie in and out of the fryer basket can be awkward. You’re also limited in terms of the portion size you can reheat at a time.
Creative ways to repurpose leftover shepherds pie
Don’t fancy eating the same meal as last night but don’t want yout leftovers to go to waste?
Here are some tasty ways to jazz up your leftover shepherds pie:
- Shepherd’s pie empanadas: roll out some pastry dough and fill it with your leftover shepherd’s pie mixture. Fold the dough over and seal the edges with a fork. Brush the tops with an egg wash and bake until golden brown.
- Shepherd’s pie quesadillas: spread your leftover shepherd’s pie mixture on a tortilla, add some cheese, and top with another tortilla. Cook in a pan until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy (p.s shepherds pie sandwiches are a thing too)
- Shepherd’s pie soup: heat up your leftover shepherd’s pie mixture in a pot with some chicken or beef broth. Add some chopped vegetables and simmer until everything is tender.
- Shepherd’s pie stuffed mushrooms: remove the stems from portobello mushrooms and fill them with your leftover shepherd’s pie mixture. Top with some grated cheese and bake until the mushrooms are tender.
- Shepherd’s pie frittata: mix your leftover shepherd’s pie mixture with some beaten eggs and pour it into a baking dish. Top with some grated cheese and bake until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.
How to store shepherd’s pie
You can store leftover shepherd’s pie in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cool your leftovers to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can keep the shepherd’s pie in the dish it was baked in. Wrap the tray tightly with foil or plastic wrap before refrigerating.
Save the mash and mince components separately if you’re preparing shepherd’s pie in advance.
This way, you can soften your mashed potatoes with a bit of milk before compiling and baking your shepherd’s pie.
In either case, always make sure your food is at room temperature before refrigerating it.
This prevents a build-up of condensation in your storage container that can turn the mash soggy.
Can you freeze shepherd’s pie?
Shepherd’s pie freezes well, making it a great choice of meal to prep ahead of time. Bake it in advance and keep it for up to 6 months in the freezer. Just wrap the baking dish tightly in foil before freezing. You can also store leftover portions in airtight containers or zip-lock bags.
How to freeze shepherd’s pie
- Cool your shepherd’s pie to room temperature.
- Transfer leftovers* into an airtight container or wrap in foil/plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
- Reheat within 6 months to retain the best quality.
*Note: You can wrap whole, pre-prepped pies in foil in their original baking dishes.
Preparing a whole pie in a foil container rather than a casserole dish is a convenient hack for freezing.
No one wants all their best baking dishes stuck in the freezer!
How to reheat frozen shepherd’s pie
To reheat frozen shepherd’s pie, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the oven. Alternatively, you can reheat it straight from frozen in the oven. Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) and cover the shepherd’s pie in foil. Heat a thawed one for 30-40 minutes and a frozen pie for 60-90 minutes.
Timings will vary massively depending on the size and depth of your shepherds pie, so make sure to check on it often.
Remove the foil towards the end to crisp the top.
You can also use the microwave to thaw and reheat shepherd’s pie. The downside of this is that the filling can become very watery.
How long does shepherd’s pie last?
Use the following guidelines to get the most out of your leftover shepherd’s pie:
- Room temperature: never leave cooked meat out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Once cooled, store your shepherd’s pie in the fridge or freezer immediately.
- Refrigerated: you can keep shepherd’s pie in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, provided it is properly covered and sealed.
- Freezer: Shepherd’s pie fares exceptionally well in the freezer and will last for up to 6 months. It will still be fine to eat after this, but you might notice a drop in quality.
The BEST Way To Reheat Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 portion shepherd's pie
Instructions
- Take the shepherd's pie out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Cover your shepherd’s pie (in an oven-safe dish) with foil.
- Heat single portions for 10 minutes or a whole pie for 30 to 40 minutes. Shepherd's pie straight from the fridge will take a bit longer, and frozen pies will need between 60-90 minutes.
- Remove the foil two-thirds of the way through the heating process.
- Optional: Add some extra cheese on top to refresh the dish.
- Once hot all the way through, serve immediately.
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