Traditional Irish Shepherd's Pie
This traditional Irish shepherd’s pie layers a savory lamb and vegetable filling under a thick topping of mashed potatoes baked until golden. Carrots, parsnips, and leek cook down with the lamb into a rich gravy that holds everything together. It is a classic comfort dinner that home cooks have relied on for generations.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 413kcal
Equipment
- French Corning 2.5 quart casserole
Ingredients
Traditional Lamb Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large leek sliced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 large parsnip diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground lamb
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup broth any lamb, vegetable, or even beef both
Mashed Potato Topping
- 1½ lbs potatoes cubed
- water to boil potatoes in
- 1 tablespoon salt for the boiling water
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk or cream
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Mashed Potato Topping
- Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes).1½ lbs potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, water
- Drain and mash the potatoes with butter and milk until smooth but still firm enough to spread. Season with salt and set aside.3 tablespoons butter, ½ cup milk , salt, black pepper
Prepare the Lamb Filling
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, leek, carrot, and parsnip. Cook 6–8 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.1 tablespoon butter , 1 medium onion, 1 large leek, 1 large carrot, 1 large parsnip, 2 cloves garlic
- Add ground lamb and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove excess fat if needed.1 lb ground lamb
- Sprinkle flour over the mixture and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme.1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon thyme
- Gradually add the broth while stirring. Simmer 5–7 minutes until thickened into a gravy. Season with salt and pepper.½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup broth, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Spread lamb filling in a baking dish. Cover the top of the lamb filling with the previously prepared mashed potatoes.
- Run a the tines of a fork over the surface of the mashed potatoes to create the traditional ridges in on the surface of the mashed potatoes.
- Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes until bubbling and the top turns golden. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Dice vegetables evenly: Small, even pieces cook at the same rate and blend smoothly into the lamb filling.
- Cook vegetables first: Let the onion, leek, carrot, and parsnip soften before adding lamb so they develop flavor.
- Thicken the gravy properly: Cooking the flour for about one minute removes the raw taste and helps the filling thicken smoothly.
- Use firm mashed potatoes: Potatoes should be smooth but not overly loose so they hold their shape when spread on top.
- Rake the potato surface: Dragging a fork across the top creates ridges that brown nicely in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1719mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2664IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg
