Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish (2024)

Irish Recipes | Main Dish | RECIPES | St. Patrick's Day

ByStephanie Wilson

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An easy comfort food, this Shepherd’s Pie recipe is a delicious potato-topped ground lamb or beef casserole. Which is steeped in a flavorful sauce with vegetables that will bring to mind the beauty of Ireland.

As the days of winter linger yet signs of a promising spring abound, a Potato-Topped Shepherd’s Pie is easy, flavorful comfort food. Perfect to whip up any night of the week.

Even better, use leftovers from a Sunday roast, and you’ll make a meal that won’t easily be forgotten.

Shepherd’s Pie

Potato Topped Shepherd’s Pie, quintessentialIrish fare, has been favored by not only the Irish but British as well. So similar are the two, shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, that the only difference is in the meat.

With O’Hara blood running in my veins, our family tends to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for several days before and after March 17. Shepherd’s pie has a firm hold on our menu that week. Add a wedge of Irish soda bread and a green salad… perhaps an apple cake on the side, and people tend to linger at the dinner table.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish (2)

How to Cook Shepherd’s Pie

While the recipe is written to be cooked in a baking dish or pie plate, it is especially popular to portion the meat and potato topping into individual serving dishes.

Irish Inspiration

Darina Allen, author of “Irish Traditional Cooking” says of shepherd’s pie, “I adore shepherd’s pie — so much so that I would almost cook a roast specifically to make it! Cooking raw minced beef simply doesn’t give the same flavor. Despite its name, in Ireland, shepherd’s pie is almost always made from beef, but you can, of course, use lamb.”

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Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish (3)

Potato Topped Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

An easy comfort food, this Shepherd's Pie recipe is a delicious potato-topped ground lamb or beef casserole. Which is steeped in a flavorful sauce with vegetables that will bring to mind the beauty of Ireland.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 lb minced meat (ground lamb or ground beef)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, divided

Mashed Potato Topping

  • 1 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • salt and freshly cracker pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. For Mashed Potatoes: Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan. While the potatoes are cooking begin with the filling.
  3. For Shepherd's Pie Filling: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add onion and chopped carrots. Continue to cook until the onion becomes translucent and the carrots soften. Add garlic and cook another minute. Then add the frozen peas and corn, stirring to incorporate.
  4. To the vegetables add the ground lamb or beef and cook until no longer pink. Then add the tomato paste, broth, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley. Bring the filling to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add additional broth if necessary.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the mashed potato topping. When the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes, drain. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash until smooth. Add milk, Parmesan cheese and salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Stir and mash until smooth.
  6. When the meat filling has thickened, transfer to a lightly greased 3-quart baking dish or deep-dish pie plate. Spoon mashed potato topping evenly over the meat mixture, smoothing with the back of a spoon. To give the topping a pretty tough — score the mashed potato in a diamond pattern with the top of a fork.
  7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes have begun to brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 453Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 608mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 28g

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Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Irish and British shepherd's pie? ›

It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.

What ingredients does shepherd's pie a traditional Irish dish contain? ›

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.

Does Ina Garten have a recipe for shepherd's pie? ›

I decided to try making Ina Garten's recipe for shepherd's pie, which calls for ingredients like carrots, celery, white button mushrooms, ground turkey, and homemade mashed potatoes. I started by peeling my Yukon gold potatoes.

What is traditional shepherd's pie made of? ›

Classic Shepherd's Pie is a comforting casserole that consists of ground lamb, carrots, and peas simmered with Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs and topped with a cheesy mashed potato layer that's baked until golden and crisp.

Is shepherds pie german or irish? ›

Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.

What country invented shepherds pie? ›

The dish originates from the British Isles, but some might argue that it is an Irish dish by origin. The name "Shepherd's Pie" was first recorded in an 1877 cookbook. In this same cookbook, it was noted that the dish was of Scottish origin. During the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, money was very tight.

What is funeral pie made of? ›

Vintage Funeral Pie Recipe is an old-fashioned dessert that is made from raisins, spices, and walnuts. It was traditionally made by the Amish, but this sugary pie fits right into a Southern cook's recipe box.

Does shepherd's pie have gravy in it? ›

This Easy Shepherd's Pie recipe is made with ground beef, brown gravy, and frozen vegetables in less than 30 minutes on the stove top. Broil in the oven for just 5 minutes and dinner is served!

What are 5 common ingredients in Irish cuisine? ›

Dining at the Irish table: your guide to Irish flavours
  • Pork, beef and lamb. Pork-based products have long had a special place in the Irish diet, from the classic bacon and cabbage to the great breakfast fry. ...
  • Cheese and dairy. ...
  • Irish bread and baked treats. ...
  • Seaweed.

Is shepherds pie Irish or British food? ›

It appears that Shepherds pie is a dish from the UK, at around 1800. Some website quotes: 1. The first thing you should know is that even though shepherd's pie is from Ireland, it is loved by people from all over the world.

What can I use to thicken my shepherd's pie? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? ›

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

Why do Irish people eat shepherd's pie? ›

Sometime in the 18th century, a dish called “cottage pie” came about somewhere in the vast expanse of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It seems to have originated as a way for folks to make use of leftovers, in order to avoid waste, both of the food and money varieties.

What are the ingredients in Centerville shepherd's pie? ›

Filling: Ground Beef, Cream Style Corn (Corn, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Salt), Whole Kernel Corn, Onion, Garlic, Soybean Oil, Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper, Nutmeg] Mashed Potatoes (Skim Milk, Butter, Whole Milk, Salt Disodium Pyrophosphate [Added to Maintain Color], Potassium Sorbate [Added to Maintain Freshness ...

What is Costco shepherd's pie made of? ›

Ingredients: Beef and/or veal, vegetable sauce (water, onion, green peas, corn, seasoning [sugars [glucose solids, dextrose, maltodextrin], flour, modified cornstarch, canola oil, hydrolyzed soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, [ tomato, onion, beet, garlic], modified cellulose, beef extract, disodium guanylate, ...

What is the difference between British and American pie? ›

British pies are very varied, from savory meat or fish pies to fruit dessert pies. American pies have emphasis on sweet, very sweet.

What is the difference between American pie and British pie? ›

The difference comes down to the seasoning — and the apples

While Brits sometimes put cinnamon in apple pie, Hollywood told us it's not a mandatory ingredient over there like it is in the U.S.: "I don't think my mum put it in; my mum just used a little bit of sugar and apple.

What is shepherd's pie made of in England? ›

More recently "shepherd's pie" has generally been used for a potato-topped dish of minced lamb. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, "In keeping with the name, the meat should be mutton or lamb; and it is usually cooked meat left over from a roast".

What is a British meat pie called? ›

Steak and ale pie is a traditional British dish where a perfectly cooked pastry shell is filled to the rafters with tender slow-cooked steak, gravy and various vegetables. The early versions of this British staple were first recorded in the 18th century, where a beefsteak pudding was combined with suet.

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