Foods Delicious and comforting, this grain-free Rustic Irish Shepherd’s Pie will have you wishing you made a double batch!
An Irish Conundrum
I have quite a bit of Irish blood in me. That being said, the most Irish my cooking usually gets is a pot of colcannon. And my favorite “St. Patty’s Day” foods are sadly lacking in the cultural area (i.e. they pretty much just include anything with mint in it—like this Mocha Mint Shake, or my Homemade Mint Ice Cream).
My grandpa would probably be disappointed.
So this year I thought I’d branch out and try something a little more traditional. How ’bout corned beef and cabbage? But as I perused the vast reaches of Irish cooking on the Internet I noticed two things: 1) corned beef isn’t really all that Irish, and 2) an excessive amount of Irish recipes contain alcohol.
Enter Shepherd’s Pie.
I don’t know about you, but I really don’t keep Guinnesses (Guinnies? I don’t even know how to say that!) or whisky hanging around, so all of those recipes immediately went out the window. Then I noticed shepherd’s pie in the list.
I’ve made shepherd’s pie quite a few times, but I never knew it was Irish. Granted, the Irish version called for a few tweaks on my regular recipe, but they were ones that I’m glad to make.
I’ve always made shepherd’s pie with ground beef or venison, but lamb is the traditional meat used (’cause shepherds don’t tend cattle, ya know…). I also don’t usually add thyme to things, but I found it adds a nice earthy flavor to the dish.
Comfort Food At Its Best
I knew this version was a keeper based on my family’s reaction to seeing it on the table. I take that back, I knew it was a keeper based on my family’s reaction to the wonderful aromas permeating the house as I prepared it! My son couldn’t wait to dig in! It was a little difficult to get these pictures with him hanging around… 🙂
A few notes, before you get started:
- If you’re not a fan of lamb you can use ground beef or venison, if that floats your boat.
- You don’t have to brush the top with egg if you’re egg-free—it just makes a nice crust.
- A cast iron skillet is not necessary for this recipe. I like things as one-pot as possible, but you can totally make up the filling and then transfer it to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Remember that when it comes to food it’s always better to have more than not enough (because leftovers are amazing) so don’t skimp on the potatoes! Make a big ol’ pot!
Also please note that the recipe might sound a little complicated, but it’s really not. It’s basically a pot of mashed potatoes baked over a stew. You can handle it, I know it!
Rustic Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized Russet or Yukon potatoes chopped (peeling them is not necessary)
- 1/2 cup milk or stock for dairy-free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 clove garlic minced (more or less to taste)
- 1 onion diced
- 4 large carrots diced
- 1 pound ground lamb or beef or venison
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2 cups stock lamb, beef, chicken, or veggie
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- In large pot, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until fork-tender. Mash with the milk or stock and salt, and set aside.
- While the potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 400°.
- In 12-inch cast iron skillet, sauté carrots in coconut oil until tender. Add in onions and garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add in meat and season with pepper and thyme. Cook until the meat is browned, then add in the peas.
- Sprinkle the stew mixture with arrowroot powder and stir to combine. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until liquid is reduced to a thick meaty gravy, stirring regularly. Season with salt.
- Remove skillet from heat and spoon mashed potatoes over the stew mixture, spreading as you go. When completely covered, smooth out and brush with beaten egg.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until potato topping is golden-browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
FYI: It’s a good idea to place a cookie sheet on the rack under your pie, just in case the stew bubbles over the edges! Not that I speak from experience or anything… 😉
My family loves Shepherd’s Pie! We will have to give your recipe a try! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Suzette! I hope your family enjoys it! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by.
This sounds so perfect for Saint Patrick’s day! 🙂
Definitely! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I just love Shepard’s pie but had no idea how to make it. Thanks for the cooking lesson. Pinned!
Haha! Glad to help. 😉 Thanks for pinning, Elle!
As a fellow Irish girl, I am with you on the lack of knowledge when it comes to traditional Irish cooking. I’ve tried to make a few Gaelic dishes but they seemed a little off. This shepherds pie recipe sounds great thought and I’d love to give a try. Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
Glad to share, Lela! I hope you get to give the shepherd’s pie a go. 🙂 I feel like it’s a safe recipe to make without worrying about having it turn out funny. 🙂
We’re fans of shepherd’s pie around here, and I’m really liking how you did an egg wash. Makes it look so much nicer than mine. 🙂 I’m also featuring you today on Inspire Me Monday! Congrats 🙂
Thanks so much, CJ! 🙂
Looks delicious, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.
Glad to share, Swathi! Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
We will really enjoy your Irish Shepherds Pie! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic day!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
So glad to share, Helen! I hope you do get a chance to enjoy the shepherd’s pie! 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂
I love shepherd’s pie – and this looks nice and easy!! Would love to have you come share at the “What’s for Dinner” linky party!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-32/
Thanks so much for the invite, Helen! I’ll be sure to stop by with the pie. 😉
Thanks for joining us!
Glad to! 🙂
Hi Raia,
This looks and sounds so tasty, hearty and healthy. Would make a great cold Winter’s day meal to fill up your belly with loads of nutritious food in one dish. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Glad to share it, Marla! Thank you so much for stopping by and pinning and tweeting! 🙂
yum! I love anything potato. LOL! thanks for linking up to Simply Natural Saturdays.
Haha! Me too. 😉 Glad to share, Jessica. 🙂
I love Shepherd’s pie (just made it last week, as a matter of fact! It’s fun to see your twists on it! Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Glad to share, Mollie! Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
I love Shepard’s Pie! I do usually make it with ground beef, but I will have to try lamb next time. Great recipe!
Thank you, Marjorie! 🙂
First time stopping by your blog – wanted to thank you for linking up at #FoodieFriDIY! Also, LOVE the name of your blog!!! Too fun! 😀 See you this week!
Thanks, Debra! 🙂 Always glad to share. 😉
This is making my mouth water!! How am I hungry when I JUST had breakfast lol!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Haha! Thanks, Sam. 😉 I have that same issue, though!
Love Shepherds Pie…in fact I just made it last week! I used ground beef but I think he lamb sounds so much better and so much more traditional!
It is a wonderful comfort food, isn’t it? And ground beef is a tasty sub, too. 😉
I love a shepherds pie and this is perfect for St. Patrick’s day. I live in “Dublin” Ohio so there is lots of reason to eat like the Irish do! Looks wonderful.
Thanks, Ali!
I love a shepherds pie. your son’s reaction is awesome.
😉 He’s a great taste-tester, but not a very patient one! Thanks for stopping by, Peter.
So nice to see real Irish food starting to turn up in the flood of green food color at this time of year! And your Shepherd’s Pie recipe sounds delicious.
(And real Irish cooking doesn’t have at all as much alcohol in it as American “Irish” recipes do… There is some, but it’s really not that major a factor.)
I agree, Anne. I’m always in favor of real food over fancily colored ones! I’d love to get over to Ireland some day and have some authentic Irish cooking!
Comfort food here, looks delish!
Thank you, Debra!
Oh I do love Shepherd’s Pie and so does my family! This Irish recipe with lamb is something I will definitely try next. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy it, Judy!
anyone tried this with Cauliflower puree instead of potato? Trying to skip the carbs!
Doe it taste as good?
Nope! Never tried it. But feel free to experiment! Hope you enjoy it!
I liked the recipe. It’s pretty yum, but there are some issues with the mechanics to the recipe itself. For one, the instructions call for garlic, but garlic isn’t listed in the ingredients. So, how much garlic should be used and in what form? You have to guess here. Also, I found the recipe difficult to read because the website it is on (Intoxicated On Life) has an annoying pop-up ad that just won’t go away, yet it covers the entire right side of the screen as well as a third of the directions. Lastly, how long should the shepherd’s pie rest for once it is out of the oven because it is like lava when I took it out of the oven. Overall though, it is a good recipe, but the presentation of this recipe could use some work.
Hi Mike, sorry about that missing ingredient! I’ve added garlic to the ingredient list. 🙂
Sorry about the pop-up! The ad company we use does not use big intrusive pop-up ads, so that might be a virus or something on your computer.
The pie can rest however long you need it to. It’s obviously going to be too hot to eat immediately out of the oven, but resting for around 10-15 minutes should be long enough.