Irish Shepherd’s Pie

Irish Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious comforting dish perfect for celebrating the upcoming St Patrick’s Day. Ground meat is cooked with lots of vegetables and Guinness, topped with delicious mashed potatoes and cheese and then baked to create a perfect golden crust. It’s simply delicious and flavorful and a great choice for lunch or dinner.

Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional dish, known since the 18th century, a dish that used to be made with leftovers to avoid waste. The recipe is very similar to Cottage Pie, the main difference is the meat used in preparing the dish. While Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb, Cottage Pie uses beef. So depending on which meat you prefer to use, name your dish accordingly.

I loved the idea of piping the mashed potato on top as it gave a more sophisticated look, but if you are in a hurry, simply spread mashed potatoes on top and bake until golden. We have loved this Irish Shepherd’s Pie dish and hope you will too.

How to make Irish Shepherd’s Pie

Start by preparing the meat filling. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent. Then, add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Next, add the diced carrots and celery to the pan and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften slightly. Once softened, add the ground meat and cook for 10-12 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns.

Once the meat is browned, pour in the Guinness and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then, sprinkle in the flour and stir until the meat is coated. Cook for another minute.

Add the tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir everything together and simmer for a few more minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly and the vegetables are tender. Finally, stir in the peas and then remove the pan from the heat.

How to prepare the mashed potato topping

While the meat filling is simmering, prepare the mashed potatoes. Start by boiling the potatoes in a large pot of generously salted water until they are tender. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot over low heat to remove any excess moisture.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes together with butter until smooth. Then, add the milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese, and mix until well combined.

How to assemble the pie

Transfer the mashed potatoes into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M tip.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Transfer the meat filling into a 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon or spatula. Then, pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the meat filling in an even layer.

Bake the shepherd’s pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown on top.

Once baked, let the shepherd’s pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Hope you will try this comforting and hearty meal. If you do, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram. I would love to see how it turns out for you. Enjoy!

For more comforting lunch and dinner ideas check our full collection of Main Dish Recipes.

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Irish Shepherd’s Pie

5 from 6 votes

Irish Shepherd’s pie is a delicious comforting dish perfect for celebrating the upcoming St Patrick’s Day. Ground meat is cooked with lots of vegetables and Guinness, topped with delicious mashed potatoes and cheese and then baked to create a perfect golden crust. It’s simply delicious and flavorful and a great choice for lunch or dinner.

Servings 6 servings

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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Meat Filling

• 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large onion (about 7oz- 200g) , diced
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 large carrots (about 12 oz - 350g) , peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks (about 3.5 oz - 100g) , diced
• 1 ½ pounds (680g) ground lamb (or ground beef for Cottage Pie)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) Guinness
• 2 tbsp (20g) flour
• 2 tbsp (30g) tomato paste
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1g) pepper
• 1 cup (240ml) beef broth
• 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary , finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme , finely chopped
• 1 cup (150g) frozen peas

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 pounds (900g) potatoes , peeled and cut in similar size pieces
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• 1/4 cup (56g) butter
• 3/4 cup (75g) cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
• 1/2 tsp (2g) garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp (1g) pepper , to taste

Instructions

 

Prepare the meat filing.

• In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
• Add the diced carrots and diced celery and cook for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add ground meat and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the meat is browned. Break up the meat while cooking.
• Stir in Guiness and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
• Add flour and stir to coat, cooking for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for few more minutes, until liquid is reduced and vegetables are tender.
• Stir in peas and then remove from heat.

Prepare the mashed potatoes.

• Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot with water that has been generously salted. Cook until the potatoes are perfectly tender. Drain the potatoes and return them in the hot pot on low heat and shake them around for a couple of minutes to remove the excess moisture.
• Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes with butter. Add milk and mix to combine. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add cheddar cheese and mix to combine.
• Transfer mashed potatoes into a large piping bag fitted with 1M tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Transfer the meat filling  into a 2 quart (2 liters) baking dish. Flatten the mixture using the back of a spoon or spatula.
• Pipe mashed potatoes on top of the meat filling.
• Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
• Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving out of 6Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 43.4gProtein: 41.8gFat: 25.5gSaturated Fat: 11.6gCholesterol: 136mgSugar: 9.3g

Calories: 577kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: Cottage Pie, Irish Shepherd’s Pie, mashed potatoes, st patrick's day recipes