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Quick & Easy Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

By Deborah L Melian

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This quick and easy Irish Shepherd’s Pie recipe is based off the traditional, classic one that uses real lamb meat, potatoes, vegetables, along with a mashed potato top crust.

Shepherds Pie - 1 - Wisconsin Homemaker

How to Make Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

When I think of Irish cuisine, Shepherds Pie comes to mind. It is a mix of the best that Ireland has to offer, from range fed sheep or mutton, to it’s iconic potatoes and vegetables.

Using a mix of the old and new, I remade this recipe to bring it into the 21 century and for families on the go. The truth is, this recipe is so easy to make that you don’t have to make it only on St. Patrick’s Day but all year long.

What I love about this recipe is that it’s a hearty meal in a bowl. It’s a balanced meal and easy to heat and serve the next day–if there are any leftovers. You could even think of it like a casserole but with a twist.

If you’re worried about adding a bit of Guinness Stout to the mix, you can always substitute with an equal amount of beef stock. But for me, I’ve always used the Guinness with great success.

You have some choices with regard to vegetables, too. I’ve made this recipe many times using root vegetables like turnips, fresh chopped carrots, parsnips, and even rutabagas.

I’ve also use chopped potatoes and a fresh mashed potato top. The difference between this recipe and the one I’m sharing with you today is that it’s quicker for weeknight dinners.

To Make:

It’s best if you assemble all of your ingredients together. This makes for easy preparation and cooking. You’ll start cooking your lamb meat first in a bit of olive oil.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - main ingredients

While your lamb is cooking, peel and cube your potatoes.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - chopped potatoes

Then, chop up your onion.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - chopped onions

The rest of the recipe goes pretty quickly. You’ll add your onions first, then potatoes and vegetables to the lamb meat. Next, it’s time to add a bit of chicken stock and Guinness Stout to the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - cook vegetables

…Meanwhile, make up your instant potatoes and set it aside.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - making mashed potatoes

By now your meat and veggie mixture has cooked through and you’re ready to assemble your Shepherds pie.

It’s best if you use a non-stick spray first to your cooking dish or pan. That way, nothing sticks.

Quick and Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe - meat and vegetable mixture

Top with your mashed potatoes. I like to just spoon it on, although you could be more fancy and pipe it on in little spritzes–your choice. The idea, however, is to get a good covering over the meat and veggies.

You’ll notice I sprinkled the top with a bit of paprika and then “pouffed” the mashed potatoes for more drama. This is totally optional. Then, it’s time to pop this beauty into the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Cooked Shepherds Pie -3 - Wisconsin Homemaker

Once baked through, remove it from the oven. Don’t forget to allow your Shepherds pie to cool a bit before serving.

Irish Shepherds Pie - 2 - Wisconsin Homemaker

Scoop it out, serve hot. Enjoy!

If you like Irish Stew, be sure to check out these other family favorite soup/stew recipes:

  • Traditional Osso Bucco
  • Lovage Fish Soup
  • Summer Harvest Beef Stew
  • Potato Kale and Sausage Soup (Zuppa Toscana)
  • Mom’s Hearty Chili Recipe
  • White Bean and Chicken Chili
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Shepherds Pie on WisconsinHomemaker.com
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5 from 5 votes

Irish Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

This quick and easy Shepherds Pie recipe is based off the traditional, classic one that uses real lamb meat, potatoes, vegetables, along with a mashed potato top crust.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: 60-minutes-or-less, casserole, meat pie, potato dish, savory pie
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 670kcal
Author: Deborah L Melian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds lamb ground
  • 1 1/2 cups onion finely diced
  • 16 ounces bag mixed vegetables frozen
  • 4 cups potatoes cubed

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp thyme dried finely chopped
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup ‎Guinness® Original/Extra Stout
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick or 1/4 cup)
  • 2 2/3 cups water
  • 2 cups Instant Potatoes (I like gluten free Betty Crocker Potato Buds Mashed Potatoes)
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup Artisan Blends® Shredded Authentic Mexican Cheese | Sargento® or 1/3 cup of each: shredded Parmesan, Mozzarella, Romano cheese
  • Non-stick spray

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large stockpot, add the olive oil and brown the ground lamb meat.
  • Once the lamb meat has been cooked, add the onions and sauté it with the cooked lamb for about 3 minutes.
  • Next add frozen vegetables and potatoes, along with the chopped Thyme, garlic and onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, Guinness and chicken stock.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • In the meantime, make the instant potatoes according to package instructions. For this recipe, I used 2 cups instant potatoes, 2 1/2 cup water, 2/3 cup milk and 4 tablespoons (or 1/2 sticof butter. You’ll want to melt the butter first, then add water. Allow this to boil, then add potato buds, stir well with a fork, then the milk, and again, stir well with a fork. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and allow it to melt. Set aside.
  • Prepare a large oven proof baking dish or cake pan (9×13 inch) by spraying it well with a non-stick spray.
  • To this, spoon in your meat and vegetable mixture.
  • Sprinkle evenly on top with flour.
  • Top with mashed potatoes (spoon or pipe in on) and use a spoon or cake spatula to spread the mashed potatoes out evenly.
  • Place into the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let cook 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with homemade Irish soda bread. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 628mg | Potassium: 1126mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3230IU | Vitamin C: 32.8mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 6.4mg

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DISCLAIMER: Deborah L Melian is a participant in the Amazon Service LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. She also is a participant in Google AdSense Affiliate program. 


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About Deborah L Melian

I am a midwestern wife and mother who loves to share family friendly recipes, along with my two cent's worth on everything home and garden. I live in Wisconsin. You can follow me on FACEBOOK • TWITTER • PINTEREST • INSTAGRAM

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