Irish Cheddar Shepherd’s Pie
Irish Cheddar Shepherd’s Pie
Ground lamb and aromatic vegetables, slow-simmered in a rich brown gravy, topped with silky smooth mashed potatoes flavored with aged Irish cheddar and chives.
Ingredients
Lamb Filling
- 1 Pound Ground lamb
- ½ Cup Alsum yellow onion chopped ¼ inch
- ¼ Cup Carrots chopped ¼ inch
- ¼ Cup Celery chopped ¼ inch
- ½ Cup Yellow corn kernels frozen
- ½ Cup Green peas
- ½ Tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black pepper
Brown Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons All purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- ½ Cup Dry red wine
- 2 Cups Beef stock or beef broth
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried thyme
- ½ Teaspoon Dried marjoram optional
- 1 Bay leaf
Irish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- 3 Cups Potato flakes
- 2 ½ Cups Water
- ¼ Cup Unsalted butter
- 1 ½ Cups Whole milk
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ Cup Shredded Irish cheddar aged white cheddar can be substituted
Garnish
- ¼ Cup Fresh chives finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet over high heat, brown the ground lamb. Once the lamb is nicely browned, remove the lamb and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pan. Set the lamb aside while the vegetables are sauteing.
- Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the tablespoon of reserved lamb fat. The onions should be translucent after about 2-3 minutes of cooking. Turn off the heat and add the corn and peas along with the cooked ground lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Set this mixture to the side while the gravy is being made.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until the butter and the flour mixture have turned a nutty brown color. Add the tomato paste and sit until combined. Whisk in the red wine and then the beef stock. Reduce the heat to low and add the thyme, bay leaf, and marjoram if using. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to eliminate any lumps. Set aside until ready to assemble the pie.
- To make the mashed potatoes, place the potato flakes into a large bowl. Heat the water to a boil, remove from the heat and stir in the butter, milk, and salt. Pour the hot liquid over the potato flakes and stir to combine. Allow to rest for 1 minute before stirring again gently. Gently stir in the cheese. The dish is now ready to be assembled.
- Place the ground lamb/ vegetable mixture into an oven-safe dish. Stir in the gravy and top with the mashed potatoes. The potatoes can just be simply spooned on top, but for a beautiful presentation consider a pastry bag with a star pastry tip to pipe a decorative pattern around the dish.
- Place the pie under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the top of the potatoes are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pie to rest for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the mashed potatoes with the chopped chives and serve immediately.
Notes
Pre-made brown gravy can be substituted
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 17gFat: 25gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 790mgPotassium: 381mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin C: 22mg