Guinness Shepherd's Pie
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!
Equipment
- 1 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate (You can also use a shallow 9-inch oven-safe bowl, cast iron pan or casserole dish.)
- 1 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
- 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 cup (118g) Guinness beer
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) cups beef broth
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the mashed potatoes
- Add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water.
- Add salt to the water. ( I usually just grab some from my salt cellar and drop it in!)
- Drain potatoes and add back to large saucepan.
- Add butter, cream cheese and salt and pepper (to taste).
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- Add more salt and pepper at this point, if needed.
- Cover potatoes and set aside.
For the ground beef filling
- 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.)
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Add olive oil to pan on medium heat.
- Once olive oil is hot, add onion and carrots to the pan and saute' until the onions are translucent.
- Add garlic to the pan and saute' until fragrant. (Be careful not to let get too brown or burn.)
- Add ground beef to the pan and cook until browned.
- Turn off the heat and drain the fat from the pan.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add more rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, at this point, to your taste.
- Pour into prepared pie plate.
- Add the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture. Spread it evenly using a butter knife or an offset spatula.
- 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.)
- Remove shepherd's pie from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Store leftover shepherd's pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Shepherd's pie can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.