Irish Shepherd's Pie

This is as Irish as it got around here on this fine Saint Patrick's day.

Living here in Saint Paul, a very Irish city, we are just inundated with Irish antics on this day. But as far as I know there is not an ounce of Irish in our family, my husbands or my own, so we really don't get into it that much. My husband did ask me if I was making corned beef and cabbage for dinner, a presumably Irish meal, but that just does not sound very appealing to me (not a fan of corned beef!). I decided to make this Shepard's pie instead which was a good choice. The kids loved it! Traditionally this dish is made with lamb meat, but beef works great!

Ingredients:
11/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
1 large onion, diced
3-4 large carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
(or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons potato flour (or regular)
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 large quantity mashed potatoes (see here for recipe), or use store bought or instant.
1 egg beaten,
Grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)


Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If you are making fresh mashed potatoes get your potatoes boiling.

In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef in 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the carrots in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, until they start to get tender, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and continue sauteing for a few minutes until onions are tender. Add the browned ground beef to the vegetables and season with black pepper and thyme. Stir in the butter and the peas. Sprinkle with flour and stir through. Add the wine, the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Let this reduce slightly and then add the stock. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer sauce until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season with salt and more pepper if needed. Remove from the heat.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and add the sauce. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over the top. brush with the egg and sprinkle with the Parmesan, if using. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the potato is nice and browned on the top. Cool 5 minutes and serve with a salad and bread. Enjoy!

Serves 4-5 


(Recipe adapted from Food.com)