Velvet likes a nice shepherds pie, seems easy enough right...? Seems not. This is getting controversial....people asking what fruit goes in it and not knowing the difference between a shepherds pie and a cottage pie....I mean.....astonishing! Discussion required with suggested punishments for those not in the know.....in the interests of protecting a GM! Thank you> 

Rocka that is a seriously impressive reply!!! Yes my UK understanding is that shepherd's pie is lamb / mutton and cottage pie is any meats mix of usually - whatever was around in the cottage literally. However you have now opened another can of worms regarding pastry or mashed potato! A pie sort of dictates pastry but I have always had both with only mash....controversial I know! Even been known to have some grated cheese on top which is absolutely wrong on all levels and very tasty....agreed on the veg stats though....also is it a pie if pastry only on the top and not the bottom....??? Stick to mash me thinks....

Shepherd's pie is just a big waste of time. Make yourself a meatloaf with a side of mashed potatoes and you have the same damn thing with a fraction of the effort put into meal preparation.

I read as far as fruits.... No fruits go inside a Shepherd's Pie. That is blasphemy. 

It's ground beef fried with onion.

Then some creamed corn. The pashed potatoes. Then you make it funky funky wif a fork, and then you Paprika that hoe.

THAT IS IT!

If I'm ever eating a shepherd's pie then he better be compensating me well for the satisfaction. In all seriousness though, never had it, but does a pot pie count? I love a good pot pie.

Yeah, even as non-brit I've always understood shepherds pie to be a lamb or mutton type deal whereas cottage pie is a little more loose in its definition but is usually ground beef. 

So I've had pies with both mashed potato crowns and pastry crust and I might be a slight preference for pastry **when it's done right** as there's something magical that happens with a buttery pastry top, but I'm not gonna turn away a mashed potato shepherds pie under any circumstance - and way more often than not, the mashed potatoes are going to be better than a pastry top. 

Not sure about the fruit though!

Firstly - yepp, I pretty much agree all round. Traditional Shepherds Pie as I've always known it is lamb, mash and veg (never heard of the pastry top, sounds munch though!). Cottage Pie being beef instead of lamb. However, in my family, we've most often used beef and just called it Shepherds Pie - dunno why as we're all aware of what a real Shepherds Pie is, lol.

So here's the kicker. I know it's supposed to be carrots, peas, onions or whatever. But I ain't about all that. Fill that fucker up with baked beans and smother the top in cheese! That's the way.

Right well this just serious now......firstly NO FRUIT!!!! lol 

Baked beans??? From the tine baked beasns inside the actual pie...??? 

I am mash top all the way don't mess with something lovely and mess it up with pastry....pastry is for sausage rolls....simples...

Has anyone ever tried substituting the lamb in shepherds pie, or the beef in cottage pie with a can of worms?

I mean if you're going to deviate that far from tradition with baked beans etc why not?

Apart from the fact that you can't buy canned worms anywhere other than certain States in the US of course (I may have made that bit up, but I bet you can)

By the way, Shepherd's pie fresh out of the oven is just divine, however, if like me you make one large enough to feed a small family for a fortnight, when it's been reheated in a microwave a good dollop of HP Sauce on it does absolute wonders.

Well now you've gone and done.....HP sauce with iy - yummy although us Brits actually add gravy to it....I know I know it has it in it but we do. But as mentioned if baked beans is ok I might start substituting gravy for.....erm....custard...?

Fruit is definitely not an ingredient for either a shepherd’s pie or a cottage pie, and both are just a tarted up version of an old Scottish favourite - mince and tatties 😂

I should also point out that HP sauce is made using some fruit, so there's your fruit, everyone's happy.

As for gravy, that sounds like a northerner thing, gravy on everything ;)

Ingredients for Heinz HP Sauce:  tomatoes, malt vinegar (from barley), molasses, glucose-fructose syrup, spirit vinegar, sugar, dates, modified corn flour, rye flour, salt, spices, flavorings, tamarind.

Tomatoes are a fruit....blimey....this is upsetting my world....NO fruits in savoury foods!!! I plan to get my 5 a day now from HP sauce with shepherds pie and wine....sorted....I don't even like dates.......!!! That's about the fruit not a general life statement.....although.....maybe another day for that convo! 

Oh

My

God.

Goats cheese in mash? Absolute game changer!