Description
This classic Irish Shepherd’s Pie features a rich ground beef filling simmered with vegetables, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, topped with a creamy colcannon potato crust made with leeks and cabbage.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 6 ounces Irish butter
- ¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ head Savoy cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds 90 to 95% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup dry sherry or red wine
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Start by making the colcannon potatoes. Boil the Yukon gold potatoes until tender, then mash them with Irish butter, whole milk or cream, sliced leeks, minced garlic, shredded Savoy cabbage, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get ready for baking the assembled shepherd’s pie.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove the beef from the pan and drain any excess grease.
- In the same skillet, melt the unsalted butter. Add diced onions and cook until they begin to brown. Add chopped celery and diced carrots, then season with salt, dried thyme, and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes to toast it. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat the vegetables, cooking for another 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the dry sherry or red wine and bring to a simmer while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Return the browned ground beef to the skillet, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Mix in fresh or frozen peas and then transfer the beef and vegetable mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish evenly.
- Spoon dollops of the prepared colcannon mashed potatoes on top of the beef mixture. Spread evenly to cover, touching the edges of the dish. Create swirls or score the surface diagonally with a knife for texture, then lightly sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake the assembled shepherd’s pie in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the potato topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
- Allow the shepherd’s pie to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld and the filling set.
Notes
- Use fresh ingredients for best results.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers.
- This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 685
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg