Irish-Style Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Irish and British shepherd's pie? ›

It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.

I never shy away from the excuse to celebrate anything Irish. What's not to love about shepherd's pie? It's got ground beef, or lamb, with mushrooms, onion, corn, peas and carrots cooked in a delicious gravy sauce that's topped with a mashed potato crust that's baked in the oven.

This traditional shepherd's pie recipe is made with a mixture of lamb and sirloin, lots of veggies, and a creamy, cheesy mashed potato topping ⁠— sure to delight everyone at the table!

The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.

Mince pies are delicious miniature pastries filled with a spiced nut and dried fruit. Expect to be offered mince pies at all times of the day and night, not just after dinner. Mince pies are often served warm, with lashings of cream and brandy butter.

Most workers ate their meat, potatoes and corn separately but workers of mainly Asian origins, combined their rations to create shepherd's pie, a more communal dish. The French-Canadian railway workers liked this new concoction, adopted the dish, and called it “pâté chinois”, which loosely translates to Chinese pie.

The mashed potatoes are also made with butter, onion, and Cheddar cheese. Vegetables: This shepherd's pie includes carrots and onions. Flour: All-purpose flour will thicken the beef gravy. Ketchup: Ketchup will add a little tang to the ground beef mixture.

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

Talk about satisfying. Ground beef, vegetables, and gravy are baked under pillowy mashed potatoes. If it's not yet already, this will soon be a family favorite recipe.

Simply put, after making a weekend roast, unused meat was repurposed into a pie using affordable potatoes as a crust. This frugal, albeit clever, meal suggests the name “cottage pie” referred to the consumers of the dish—poor Irish peasants (remember, they lived in cottages).

Why does shepherd's pie need to go in the oven? ›

Both ingredients are already cooked so it really only needs to be in the oven long enough for the potato to form a golden brown crust on top. Minced or ground beef is used for a Cottage Pie not a Shepherds pie.

Brown meat in a large skillet. While the meat is browning, mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and garlic until well blended. Drain meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy.

Irish Shepherd's Pie is a delicious comforting dish perfect for celebrating the upcoming St Patrick's Day. Ground meat is cooked with lots of vegetables and Guinness, topped with delicious mashed potatoes and cheese and then baked to create a perfect golden crust.

The main difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's pie is cottage pie uses ground beef, and Shepherd's pie uses ground lamb. Both pies are cooked with vegetables and gravy and baked under a layer of mashed potatoes. To make Shepherd's pie using this recipe, simply substitute ground lamb.

Its predecessor, the cottage pie (typically distinguished by using ground beef rather than ground lamb, though the two terms have frequently been used interchangeably) was first documented in England in 1791.

“Shepherd's pie” and “cottage pie” are used interchangeably, but technically traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and traditional cottage pie is made with ground beef.

Bangers and mash is a quintessential British dish of sausage and mashed potatoes, typically served with onion gravy. It's roots extend to Ireland where you'll find the dish in many local pubs. I found “Irish Style Banger Sausages” at my whole foods and knew I had to try them out.

British pies are often meat pies or pasties. Most American pies are fruit, pecan or pumpkin. A more comparable comparison would be to American pot pies which have meat in them but also a gravy.

Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.