Adapted from Joy of Cooking, I'm excited to share a truly Irish recipe that is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. This Shepherd's Pie is filled with ground lamb, but you can sub for ground beef to make it Cottage Pie. This was a hit with the whole family!
Not only is this dish a festive one, but it’s a really easy and tasty dinner that’s sure to please all those “meat and potato” lovers out there.
I’d recommend serving a big green salad on the side in addition to the veggies that are already included in the recipe. This one was a HUGE hit with my kids (and my husband, too). Enjoy!
Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Adapted from Joy of Cooking, I'm excited to share a truly Irish recipe that is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. This Shepherd's Pie is filled with ground lamb, but you can sub for ground beef to make it Cottage Pie. This was a hit with the whole family!
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
For the filling:
- 1/2 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot (peeled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground lamb ((or ground beef which according to Joy of Cooking, makes this “Cottage Pie”))
- 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup beef broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper (to taste (just a little))
Instructions
- Set a pot of water over high heat and cut the potatoes into 1 to 2″ sized pieces (keep the peel on). Boil until tender when pierced with a fork, about 16 to 18 minutes. Once done, drain the potatoes and blend (with an electric mixer or potato masher) along with the butter, milk and salt. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and start chopping the veggies. Dice the onion, celery and carrot and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat and add the veggies and garlic to the pan. Cook until softened but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the ground meat to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook until the meat is brown all the way through (about 5 minutes). Drain off the excess fat and discard. I find that making a tiny crack with the lid of the pan is the easiest way to pour off fat.
- Keeping the heat on medium, sprinkle the meat and veggie mixture with the flour. Once it’s absorbed add the broth, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook while stirring occasionally for a few more minutes until the broth thickens.
- Pour the meat mixture into the bottom of an 8″ or 9″ square, round or oval casserole dish. Carefully add the mashed potatoes on top. I find it easiest to add dollops all around the pan before attempting to spread it out. Then the key is to make “peaks” in the potatoes with a rubber spatula so it will brown nicely in the oven (I did this by making indentions with the spatula so the peaks would naturally form around it). Bake until the peaks are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Irish Shepherd's Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 530
Calories from Fat 315
% Daily Value*
Fat 35g54%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 96mg32%
Sodium 1243mg54%
Potassium 1102mg31%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 2770IU55%
Vitamin C 22.4mg27%
Calcium 114mg11%
Iron 8.1mg45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Yummy! This recipe calls for a sprig of rosemary and thyme. I usually do not have fresh herbs, and I do not live near a store that has those. What can I use instead? Can I use the dry herbs, and if so, what is a proper quantity? Thank you for all you do!
Yes, you can use dry. The conversion is usually one tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 tsp of dry. A 4-inch sprig of thyme will yield between 1/4 and 3/4 teaspoon of leaves. 1 sprig of rosemary, substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried needles. – Nicole
This was a huge hit.
Do you take the skins out of the mashes potatoes?
You don’t have to for this recipe unless you prefer no skins. – Nicole