The Luck of the Irish Is Baked Right Into This Traditional Recipe for Shepherd’s Pie

If you’ve ever ordered shepherd’s pie in an Irish pub, you know you’ve tasted a dish steeped in tradition. This comforting, delicious meal is one that warms your heart and soul from tummy to toes. ​

Legend has it that shepherd’s pie was first created in the late 1700s by mothers who, just like today, wanted to find ways to get their families to eat the leftovers. Our recipe calls for hearty potatoes, savory beef, and a helping of wholesome veggies that everyone in the family will love so much that there might not be any leftovers at all! ​

Pair this recipe with Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon, an award-winning wine with dark fruit flavors and hints of toasty vanilla goodness. When served together, your St. Patrick’s Day, or any day, will be as richly rewarding as it is delicious.​

So, while the history of this dish is anything but mysterious, the recipe is something that Irish cooks like to put their own unique spin on — and you can, too.​

Looking for more hearty recipes that pay homage to the Emerald Isle? Try our Sutter Home Irish Stew.

Sutter Home Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients:​

• 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes​
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan​
• ¼ cup milk​
• 2 tablespoons oil​
• 2 medium onions, chopped​
• 4 cloves garlic, minced​
• 1 pound ground or cubed beef or lamb ​
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small​
• ½ cup fresh or frozen English peas​
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste​
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce​
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme​
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary​
• 1 ½ to 2 cups chicken broth​
• salt and pepper, to taste

Sutter Home Shepherd’s Pie Directions:​

1. Fill a saucepan with potatoes until they are fully immersed. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until the potatoes are completely cooked through. Drain and mash until completely smooth. Add the grated Parmesan, milk, and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. ​
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.​
3. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil simmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add meat, salt and pepper and cook until browned and/or cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.​
4. Add the peas to the beef mixture and spread evenly into mini pots for individual serving. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up. Place on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.