Authentic Irish Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 pounds lean ground lamb
• 1 onion, diced
• 0.33 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 0.13 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2.5 cups water, or as needed
• 1 (12 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 2.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
• 0.25 pound Irish cheese (such as Dubliner®), shredded
• 0.25 cup cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for baking.
2. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, combine olive oil and butter. Add ground lamb and chopped onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is browned and crumbly, approximately 10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour until fully incorporated. Add minced garlic, ketchup, dried rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Pour in water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture thickens, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Remove the lamb mixture from the heat source, then stir in frozen peas and diced carrots until well combined.
6. Spread the prepared lamb mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside temporarily.
7. Place peeled potatoes into a large pot filled with salted water. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender, around 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return the cooked potatoes to the pot.
8. Mash in Irish cheese, cream cheese, butter, and a pinch of cayenne pepper into the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
9. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and milk until combined; gently stir this mixture into the mashed potato mixture.
10. Carefully top the lamb mixture in the baking dish with the prepared mashed potatoes; spread evenly to completely cover the lamb layer.
11. Bake in the preheated oven until the potato topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 517 kcal
• Fat Content: 28 g
• Fiber Content: 4 g
• Sugar Content: 1 g
• Sodium Content: 301 mg
• Protein Content: 29 g
• Cholesterol Content: 132 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 37 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g