St. Patrick's Day Irish Shepherd's Pie
This tasty Irish Shepherd’s Pie exudes comfort with its savory, hearty meat filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes. It's gluten free with options for dairy and egg free.
Ingredients
For the Meat Filling
- 1 lb Ground Lamb or Beef
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium White Onion
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled and shredded
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Sage Leaves, stems removed and finely chopped May substitute 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, stems removed May substitute 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- ¾ Cup Beef Stock Gluten free
- 1.5 Tbsp Worcestershire Lea & Perrins brand is gluten free in US
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ Cup Frozen Peas
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped For a garnish
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lb Gold Potatoes About 3 large potatoes
- ½ Cup Sour Cream Can use dairy-free sour cream or leave out and use extra non-dairy buttery spread
- ½ Cup Dubliner Irish or Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded Leave our for dairy-free
- 2 Tbsp Butter or non-dairy buttery spread, melted
- ¼ Cup Milk Leave out for dairy-free
- 1 Egg yolk Leave out for egg-free and use extra butter or non-dairy buttery spread
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
Make the Meat Filling
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Heat olive oil ina large skillet on medium heat.
- Add lamb or beef and brown the meat, stirring and breaking it apart as it cooks until there is no longer any pink.
- Add onion, garlic and shredded carrots and continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion browns and carrots soften.
- Stir in the fresh sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the beef stock, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard and cornstarch together well with a whisk.
- Stir the beef stock mixture in with the filling and bring to a gentle simmer on med-low.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas to the meat mixture and stir until mixed in well.
Make the Potatoes
- Peel Potatoes and cut into 4-6 even pieces.
- Prepare a large pot of water with salt and add potatoes.
- Bring potatoes to a boil and reduce heat to medium-high.
- Continue cooking potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork, but still have structure.
- Remove from heat and drain potatoes, retuning them to the pot.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk, milk, melted butter and sour cream together.
- Add the mixture to the potatoes and mix until well combined. I prefer a hand mixer, but a potato masher works fine too.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Add salt and pepper.
Make the Pie
- Add the meat mixture to the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, spreading it out evenly and to the edges.
- Spoon the potatoes somewhat evenly over the meat mixture so it will be easier to spread.
- Spread the potatoes over the meat mixture and out to the edges of the dish, covering the meat entirely.
- If you’re feeling creative, use a fork, knife, or spoon to create a nice pattern or texture to the top of the potatoes. ***This is optional, of course.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until potatoes begin to brown. You may see the meat mixture bubbling around the edges.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.