Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie
There’s something timeless about a traditional shepherd’s pie. A hearty filling of lamb, vegetables, and herbs is gently thickened with a little flour from The Old Mill, then topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until golden.
It’s a classic Irish comfort dish that’s perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but just as satisfying any night you’re craving a warm meal from the oven.
Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Yield: 4–6
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 55 Min
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, with tops, chopped
- 12-ounce bag of frozen peas and carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of The Old Mill Miller’s Choice Unbleached Flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp dried)
- Salt & pepper
Mashed Potato Topping
- 2 ½ lbs potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 6 tbsp Irish butter, melted
- ½ cup warm milk or cream
- ½ cup Irish cheddar cheese
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender. Drain, mash with butter, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper. It’s important that your butter is melted and milk is warm so your mashed potatoes remain fluffy and not sticky.
- Brown lamb in a large skillet. Remove excess fat if needed.
- Add the butter or oil, onion and celery; cook until softened.
- Stir in garlic and let it cook 1 minute.
- Mix in the flour and let it brown slightly.
- Add in the tomato paste and broth, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, peas, and carrots.
- Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Transfer filling to a baking dish or portion out into pottery bowls.
- Top with mashed potatoes by and rake across the top with a fork to create ridges.
- Bake at 400°F for 20–25 min or until golden. You can put them under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to make the mashed potatoes a little more crispy on top.