Well I'll definitely never use ketchup again; if I need tomato I'll go with tomato paste. The ketchup added too much sweetness and I ended up with a meat/veg layer that tasted more like sloppy joe mix (which is fine, but not what I wanted). Some recipes call for beef broth. Almost all recipes call for worcestershire. I still think there's a secret ingredient I'm missing, because I've had shepherd's pie in two completely different places (the Eveready Diner in Brewster, NY; and a nondescript hotel restaurant in Raleigh, NC) and they had almost the exact same flavor. There's an ingredient they're both using and I can't quite figure it out. It's slightly tangy, ever-so-slightly spicy, and somewhat savory.

https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/ this looks pretty legit, might be the wine giving it the tang. this one is closer to what I throw together and call sheperds pie http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/english-cottage-pie, and some of the others out there seem way weird.

"Tangy, spicy, and savory" sounds like Worcestershire sauce.
Tangy: vinegar
Savory: anchovies
Spicy: ?

There are different ways to add heat. Cayenne and/or sweet paprika and/or chili powder and/or madras-style curry powder might be a good fit for this dish.

2018-04-09 17:48 from pandora @uncnsrd
https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/ this looks pretty legit,

That does sound good.