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Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
What's better than Shepherd's Pie? Shepherd's Pie with a Colcannon top, of course! The mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage and leek turns it into an Irish Shepherd's pie (of sorts) and one that you'll want to come back to again and again.
Course: Entrées
Cuisine: Irish, British
Keyword: Beef, One Pot Meal
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 685 kcal
Ingredients
  • Colcannon
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 6 ounces Irish butter
  • ¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream
  • 2 leeks sliced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ head Savoy cabbage shredded about 3 cups
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
Filling:
  • 2 pounds 90 to 95% lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ½ cup dry sherry or red wine
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
  1. Make the Colcannon potatoes according to the recipe, by clicking the link in the ingredient list above.

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Remove browned beef and drain the grease.
  4. Add the butter and onions to the pan and cook until they start to brown. Add the celery and carrots. Season with the salt, dried thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetable start to soften. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for a couple minutes to toast the paste. Stir in the flour until it coats the vegetables, stirring and cooking for another 2 minutes.
  5. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the sherry, bringing to a simmer and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and return the browned beef to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the fresh or frozen peas. Transfer the beef to 2-quart casserole dish.
  6. Top the beef mixture with spoonfuls of the colcannon mashed potatoes. Spread out the potatoes to evenly cover the beef, making sure the potatoes touch the edges of the dish. Make swirls in the mashed potatoes with a spoon or spatula or score the top in a diagonal pattern with a knife. Lightly sprinkle some paprika over the potatoes.
  7. Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes until potatoes are lightly browned on top and sauce is bubbling. Let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 685 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 21g105%
Trans Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 168mg56%
Sodium 735mg31%
Potassium 1756mg50%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 8g32%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 5797IU116%
Vitamin C 68mg82%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.