Guinness Shepherd’s Pie is a meaty and delicious comfort food filled with ground beef, onions, garlic and carrots swimming in a rich beef gravy flavored with classic Guinness Beer. It’s topped off with cheesy, rustic mashed potatoes. Everyone will ask for seconds!

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon and my Guinness Shepherd’s Pie is just the recipe you need!

Normally, a classic shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, but I don’t usually cook lamb for my family so I decided to take the easy route and use ground beef. You can absolutely use ground lamb in place of the beef if you want to.

This Guinness shepherd’s pie is made with ground beef, onions, garlic and carrots in a flavorful gravy and topped with decadent, cheesy mashed potatoes. It is the epitome of comfort food!

Here’s what you will need to make it!

Special Equipment needed

• 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate (You can also use a shallow 9-inch oven-safe bowl, cast iron pan or casserole dish.)
• potato masher tool (Or a stand/hand mixer if you want your potatoes very smooth.)

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes

• 1.5 lbs (680g) potatoes (I use russet or Yukon Gold.)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup (112g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used Boar’s Head Irish cheddar.)
• 1/2 cup (113g) half & half or milk

For the ground beef filling

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (150g) onions, diced
• 1 cup (150g) raw carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs (680g) ground beef or lamb
• 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon rosemary, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon thyme, to taste
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 (118g) cup Guinness beer
• 1 1/2 (360g) cups beef broth
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the mashed potatoes

Step 1. Add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water.

Step 2. Add salt to the water. ( I usually just grab some from my salt cellar and drop it in!)

Step 3. Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender.

Step 4. Drain potatoes and add back to large saucepan.

Step 5. Add butter, cream cheese and salt and pepper (to taste).

Step 6. Using a potato masher, mash up your potatoes until the texture is to your liking. (You can definitely use a stand or hand mixer if you like your potatoes to be smooth.)

Step 7. Add cheddar cheese and stir in until melted. (I will usually put my pan back on low heat and stir until the cheese is melted.)

Step 8. Add a little of the half & half to the potatoes and stir. You may need to add the rest, as well, to get the texture you want. I like my potatoes very creamy for this recipe so they are easy to spread over the meat mixture.

Step 9. Add more salt and pepper at this point, if needed.

Step 10. Cover potatoes and set aside.

For the ground beef filling

Step 1. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (You can also use a shallow 9-inch oven-safe bowl, cast iron pan or casserole dish.)

Step 2. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Step 3. Add olive oil to pan on medium heat.

Step 4. Once olive oil is hot, add onion and carrots to the pan and saute’ until the onions are translucent.

Step 5. Add garlic to the pan and saute’ until fragrant. (Be careful not to let get too brown or burn.)

Step 6. Add ground beef to the pan and cook until browned.

Step 7. Turn off the heat and drain the fat from the pan.

Step 8. Add the flour to the pan and stir.

Step 9. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the rosemary and thyme, the worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beer, beef broth and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until all ingredients are blended.

Step 10. Bring to a simmer on medium and simmer on medium/low heat for about 15 minutes until the carrots are cooked through and you see that the juices have cooked down. Add another tablespoon of flour if you want your gravy thicker.

Step 11. Add more rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, at this point, to your taste.

Step 12. Pour into prepared pie plate.

Step 13. Add the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture. Spread it evenly using a butter knife or an offset spatula.

Step 14. Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until the mashed potatoes just start to brown. (I usually put a baking sheet or some foil under the pie plate in case it bubbles over.)

Step 15. Remove shepherd’s pie from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Whether you’re making this dish for St. Patrick’s Day or just for dinner one night, you’re sure to enjoy it! If you’ve tried it and love it, let me know in the comments below.

Sweet regards,

Michele

For more delicious beef recipes, visit my beef recipes page!

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