“May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.”
Irish grandmothers are the best, you know?
One minute they’re putting the actual fear of God in you, using all three or four of your names, and the next they’re slurring, red cheeked, and filling you with wisdom.
I miss mine every minute of every day.
It is, perhaps, why St. Patrick’s Day is a personal favorite of mine, and I do it justice just fine by cooking huge meals and drinking too much liquor that tastes like rain water you found sitting in an old tire swing.
In honor of Jeanne, I give you Shepherd’s Pie and a little too much whiskey.
I am joined in the kitchen by my favorite cohort, Meredith, and between the two of us, we get the job hilariously done.
Click here to view this video on my YouTube channel.
Details, details, details.
Shepherd's Pie
This classic dish is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, or any night you're craving some much needed comfort food.
Ingredients
- Mashed Potatoes:
- 3-4 lbs Russet Potatoes, washed and cubed
- 2 cups Chicken Broth (or water)
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Salt to taste
- Shepherd's Pie Base
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 bag Frozen Carrots and Peas
- 1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 3 oz Tomato Paste (about half a small can)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 sticks Celery, chopped
- 1 tbsp Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp Thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
Instructions
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Clean and cube Russet Potatoes. Peeling them is optional, I leave the peel on.
- Add potatoes, chicken broth, butter and salt to instant pot, and set to cook for 10 minutes on manual.
- Once it's finished cooking, allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick release the remaining time.
- Open instant pot, and mash potatoes using a metal masher. Set aside.
Shepherd's Pie
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Brown ground beef in a large pan, do not drain.
- Add garlic, onion and celery to pan. Cook until they begin to soften.
- Add tomato paste and mix well. Season meat with salt and paprika.
- Add beef broth, reserving about 1/4 cup in a separate bowl. Deglaze pan with added broth.
- Add thawed carrots and peas.
- In separate bowl of broth, add corn starch, and mix well to form a slurry to thicken the pie.
- Add slurry to pan, and stir to thicken.
- Add thyme and rosemary.
- Dump meat mixture in a 9x13 glass pan, and then top with mashed potatoes, smoothing to form a pie crust.
- Ten top potatoes with cheddar cheese.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then broil for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Sláinte!
