What's the secret ingredient that makes your shepherd's pie great?

[franch]

I'm trying to 'perfect' a few basic dishes - it's always the personal touches that make these things great so please share yours

Feel free to post entire recipes if that makes more sense

Baked beans and worcester sauce.

Real shepherds

Worcester sauce
red wine

lamb mince and tinned toms and no carrots wtf

did you ewver sell/buy that desk antique

Leave the mince to cool before putting on the potato top

whizzz I asked for that ....

Was just thinking about adding beans liath ...

I have 2 ( well actually not my secret but delias)

1. Cinnamon (1/2-1teaspoon in meat mixture)
2. Leeks (fried in butter) added to mash.

My word, its the best! I cant have it any other way now. Ive seen the light

vodka

(only joking) gin

my segret ingredient - have hubby cook it - never fails to impress - no idea what goes in, but it comes out fab - there is one in the oven right now

southeast - the vodka was the joke, or the gin ...... ?

cinnamon, leeks, yum

zippi - bloody good memory - yes I think we sold it on ebay in the end ...

worcester sauce in with the gravy and i make the topping from half potatoes, half parsnips mashed together

[preen]

a generous sploosh of worcester sauce in the mince mix, and add some oxo powder or yeast extract to enrich it. Add parsley to the mash and grate parmesan cheese over to give it a lovely tasty crust.

lentils

and make the topping from sweet potatoes, omg it is good

Soz I cou'dn't resist
Put it down to the 2 glasses of wine

Oh, and it is worth bothering with potatoes that describe themselves as 'floury' - turns out they really do make better mash than the normal spuds-in-a-bag.

The mince must be from leftover roast lamb, not fresh!

Oh yes, the mash, you must use floury potatoes, and mash them with a potato ricer.

A squirt of tomato ketchup and a squirt of brown sauce.

Grated carrot in with the mince - seems to keep it moist and lovely.

another cinnamon fan here - my children love it.

I use sweet potato and parsnip for the mash and give it a cheese topping. and always put veg in with the mince.

A cheese a plain crisps topping