Guinness Shepherd’s Pie for Saint Patrick’s Day

My husband and I met on Saint Patrick’s Day, at an Irish Bar in Washington DC. Michael being Irish, we always love the celebrating the holiday, who doesn’t…everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day!! I am a big fan of seasonal and holiday recipes! For dinner this week, I decided to experiment with a couple variations of different Shepherd’s Pie recipes. The result was hearty, very flavorful and full of tender beef and vegetables. Use your simple mashed potato recipe to top off the pie. And of course, enjoy a pint of Guinness! Slàinte!

Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness for Saint Patrick’s Day

1.5 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (or you can use 2 lbs. ground beef)

2 TBSP olive oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup sliced carrots

7 oz frozen peas

7 oz frozen corn

1-2 cloved chopped garlic

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp thyme

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 TBSP steak sauce

¾ cup Guinness stout

¾ cup beef broth

2 TBSP flour

3-4 cups seasoned mashed potatoes

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Chives and paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown meat, flipping once. Transfer meat to a clean plate or bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and carrots, cooking about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Stir in tomato paste and steak sauce. Return the meat to the pan and add the peas. Whisk the flour and beef broth together until smooth. Slowly pour the broth and the Guinness over the meat and vegetables, stir to combine. Mixture will begin to thicken. Cover and move to the preheated oven, bake for 45 minutes. Remove and toss mixture gently. Mix the hot mashed potatoes with half the cheddar cheese then spread the potato mixture on top of the beef mixture. Spread remaining cheese on top of pie. Sprinkle with paprika. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with chives if desired. Serve warm.