David Bowie's Favorite Food Was A Cheese-Topped British Comfort Dish

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Rock n' roll icon, David Bowie, left behind a legacy of world-changing music, breathtaking fashion moments, and a voracious appetite for life's pleasures. Bowie was a true innovator in every sense of the word, bringing a certain otherworldliness to everything he did as a creative. Despite Bowie's seemingly extraterrestrial presence, his favorite food was actually a rather earthly and earthy dish. He had a particular affinity for the classic British staple, a simple shepherd's pie, and apparently both he and his wife Iman would make it.

It's interesting to note that, like Bowie, a traditional shepherd's pie is itself something of a contradiction. Despite its name, shepherd's pie is not so much a pie as it is a baked casserole. Further, its variety of comforting ingredients are as versatile as your own culinary creativity. You can reinvent a shepherd's pie just like the proclaimed "Starman" reinvented his own image over the decades of his illustrious music career.

Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, vegetables, and a topping of mashed potatoes topped with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. A 2013 pop-up cafe in Ginza, Tokyo, created by Bowie's Japanese record label, served a unique version of this Bowie favorite that included chili beans and a lot of cheese. Whenever you want to remember the late, great rock star, prepare his favorite food to your liking, keeping in mind that, if Bowie marched to the beat of his own drum, so can you with your tribute dish.

Even a decade after Bowie's passing in 2016, fans still mourn and memorialize their favorite singer. Creating a beautiful, Bowie-inspired shepherd's pie — or its ground beef-based cousin, cottage pie — is simple and effective to yield a fulfilling dish that doesn't skimp on comfort. Take a cue from some of his greatest hits and let your imagination flow through your cooking.

Be a "Rebel, Rebel" by twisting the traditional recipe into a fully vegan version. You can do this using lentils and mushrooms for the filling and a potato mash on top mixed with plant-based cheese (we like the Treeline Cheese brand, which you can buy online.) Make even more "Changes" to this recipe by swapping in mashed cauliflower in lieu of potatoes. With the right seasonings, it's sure to taste "Hunky Dory."

For those who enjoy animal-proteins, try a two-meat combination of both beef and lamb to make your cottage and shepherd's pie combo unforgettable. Swap in ground turkey or chicken for a leaner poultry alternative. Streamline your preparations using canned mushroom soup, frozen mixed vegetables, and instant potatoes for a meal that comes together quickly and can feed a large group of people. Any way you choose to recreate David Bowie's favorite food, it will be an out-of-this-world treat.