Irish Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

Right now is the perfect time of the year to make this Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe! Not only is St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner it is also an easy to make comfort food recipe that will warm you up on a cold and blustery day.

Ground meat, carrots, onions and peas cooked in a thick brown sauce that is flavored with both red wine and beer. Then the meat mixture is poured in a baking dish and topped with mashed potatoes and Parmesan cheese and cooked until golden brown.

There is nothing like eating a hearty meal in the middle of winter. Not only will it keep you feeling full and satisfied, it will also warm you up from the inside out.

However, before we get to the actual recipe, it is important to explain what the key ingredients are in Irish Shepherd’s Pie.

Ingredients In Irish Shepherd’s Pie

Minced or Ground Lamb/Mutton: The traditional meat used in Shepherd’s Pie is lamb, distinguishing it from its counterpart, Cottage Pie, which is made with ground beef.

Vegetables: Common vegetables used in the dish include onions, carrots, and peas. These are usually sautéed with the meat to create the flavorful filling.

Herbs and Seasonings: Thyme is the primary used to season the meat mixture. Although you can also add rosemary to the mixture for additional flavor.

Gravy: Some recipes include a rich gravy made from beef broth. However, you will gain even more flavor if you use red wine and Guinness stout beer in the gravy.

Mashed Potatoes: The dish is topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes, which are then baked until golden brown. The crispy topping provides a great contrast to the meat and vegetable mixture.

Although Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort food that is recognized as a favorite in Ireland, variations of the dish have become popular in all different parts of the world.

Meat Alternatives

Although this traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie recipe calls for ground lamb, there are some options for those that don’t prefer or can’t find ground lamb at your local grocery store.

The most often substitute for the lamb is ground beef. However, you can also use ground chicken, turkey, venison or even plant based ‘meat’ crumbles. However be aware that if you continue to call it Shepherd’s Pie, you are likely to be corrected by family and friends.

When you use ground beef in this recipe, the name changes to Cottage Pie. Although I am not aware of any other assigned names for the other possible meat substitutions.

Beer and Wine Alternatives

No true Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe would be complete without a little Guinness. The famous Irish stout and a little dry red wine provides the perfect flavor to the meat and vegetables mixture.

Although the alcohol burns off during the cooking process, I do understand that some people prefer not to cook with any alcohol at all.

So instead of using Guinness and wine in this recipe, simply substitute a good quality beef stock in place of the beer and wine with a 1:1 ratio.

Fresh or Leftover Mashed Potatoes

You can use either fresh or leftover mashed potatoes as the topping in this Irish Shepherd’s Pie recipe.

However, I don’t know about you, but I rarely have a large portion of mashed potatoes leftover unless it is after a huge holiday meal. Instead, I will make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes as the meat mixture is cooking.

Making mashed potatoes in an electric pressure cooker requires very little effort and takes only a few minutes to cook. The most time consuming part is the peeling of the potatoes, and that is purely a personal choice whether you want to peel them or not.

However, you can also make the potatoes a couple days ahead of time and refrigerate them until you are ready to make this dish.

Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 large carrots finely diced
• 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 11/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 lb. ground lamb or beef
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beef stock low sodium, or Guinness beer
• 5-6 cups mashed potatoes, leftovers or fresh
• 1 egg beaten
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

First pre-heat your oven and spray a 9 inch deep dish pie plate or an 11 x 8 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside. You can also make Instant Pot Irish Shepherd’s Pie, however the recipe steps will be a little different.

Next, gather your ingredients and dice the onion and carrots into small pieces. Then heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.

Once the oil is nice and hot add the carrots to the pan and sauté until slightly tender. Then add the diced onions and sauté for one additional minute.

Next add the ground meat, pepper and thyme. Cook until the meat is browned. Then drain the mixture in a fine mesh colander and return to the skillet.

Now stir in the butter, peas and flour. Then add the tomato paste, wine, Worcestershire sauce, beer/wine or broth and stir until the tomato paste has been incorporated into the mixture.

Simmer The Meat & Vegetables Until Thickened

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture reduces until you have a thick meaty mixture without any additional liquid in the bottom of the pan.

Give the mixture a taste, being careful not to burn your lips or tongue. Add additional seasonings as desired.

If everything tastes good, turn off the burner and add meat and vegetable mixture to the prepared baking pan. Spread the cooked mashed potatoes evenly over the top to finish off this Irish Shepherd’s Pie!

*If using leftover mashed potatoes, reheat slightly to increase the ease of spreading. Once the potatoes have been added brush to tops with the beaten egg.

Baking Time

Finally sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes have turned light golden brown on top. Then remove the pan from the oven and let the mixture sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy! Mary

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