This Guinness Shepherds Pie, also known as Cottage Pie, is an Irish classic and a great recipe to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This traditional Irish casserole starts with a flavorful beef, vegetable and Guinness layer and is topped with creamy mashed potatoes. It's packed with flavor and one of my favorite Irish recipes.
This Shepherd's Pie is seriously comfort food in a casserole dish. I honestly don't make a whole lot of Irish food, but this is a classic, must have for St. Patrick's Day.
My grandmother was Irish and loved St. Patrick's Day. I like to go a little above and beyond on the holiday and cook traditional Irish recipes. It makes me feel a little more like a part of the culture.
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Why You'll Love This Irish Recipe:
- An Irish Classic. This casserole recipe is an Irish classic traditionally made with ground lamb, but now more commonly used with ground beef.
- Layers of Flavor. This recipe features two layers. It starts with a beefy layer and is topped with mashed potatoes, then baked.
- A Full Meal. Enjoy meat, veggies and potatoes packed into one dish!
- Easy to Make. Follow simple instructions to prepare this traditional Irish dish, ready in just one hour.
For more layered casseroles, try this Cowboy Cornbread Casserole, Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, and Walking Taco Casserole.
Ingredients:
Ground Beef: The base of the bottom layer of this Cottage Pie. I highly recommend a 85/15 for a middle ground of fat and lean meat. A 93/7 will be on the drier side and 80/20 will produce a lot of grease in the pan.
Guinness: A traditional Irish beer made in Dublin, Ireland. It is a dry stout that tastes amazing in Shepherd's pie, soups and stews.
Carrots, Onion and Garlic: Used to add additional flavor. I recommend slicing the carrot very thin to avoid any raw crunch in the final dish.
Peas: Frozen peas add a nice sweetness and texture to the dish. Plus, they are a great Spring time vegetable and St. Patrick's Day kicks off the Spring season.
All Purpose Flour: Used to thicken the base layer and turn the beef drippings and beer into a bit more of a sauce.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Have a creamy, buttery texture when prepared and are fantastic for mashed potatoes. These feel a bit more decadent versus russets, and I really love them for this recipe.
*A list of the full ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
The ground beef can be substituted with ground lamb for the more traditional recipe version.
Can't have alcohol? Substitute the Guinness with beef stock.
The vegetables are used to add flavor, but you can leave out any that you don't love.
Russet potatoes can be substituted for the Yukon gold potatoes, but you may only need 3-4 depending on the size.
The stand mixer can easily be replaced with a large bowl and hand mixer or masher.
How to Make Guinness Shepherds Pie:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender and almost falling apart, at least 15 minutes.
Step 2: While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter and melt. Then, toss in carrots, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Step 3: Increase stovetop heat to medium. Add in the ground beef and begin to break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to medium low. Sprinkle in fresh garlic, dried thyme and rosemary. Pour in Worcestershire, Guinness and frozen peas. Cook for two minutes, then stir to combine and add in flour. Stir well to turn the liquid into a thicker sauce. Turn off heat to the pot, cover and set aside.
Step 5: At this point, the potatoes should be fork tender. Strain the water from the potatoes and add the potatoes into the stand mixer bowl.
Step 6: Into the potatoes, add sour cream, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ cup milk. Use the beater attachment to whip until combined. Add an additional ⅛-1/4 cup of milk if the potatoes appear too thick.
Step 7: Assemble the casserole in a 8x8 or 8x10 casserole dish. Pour in the beef mixture and spread flat with a spoon. Dollop large piles of mashed potatoes over the top of the beef.
Step 8: Carefully spread the potatoes over the beef mixture with the back of a spoon, so you can only see a flat layer of potatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Optional: Broil on high for 2-4 minutes to make the potatoes golden brown on top.
Step 9: Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with minced parsley.
Step 10: Serve by slicing into squares. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Start the potatoes at the same time as the beef filling, so they are pretty close to oven ready at the same time.
- Don't add too much milk to the potatoes. You want them on the thicker side.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes over the beef layer before spreading to avoid mixing the two layers together.
- I prefer the casserole baked in a smaller size than 9x13, so it's taller in height. I highly suggest an 8x8 or 8x10 size. It's also easier to spread the potatoes without mixing the meat.
- For a crispy golden look, broil for just a few minutes at the end of baking.
Big on meat and potato dishes? Try this Hashbrown Chicken Casserole, Boneless Beef Short Ribs and Sirloin Tip Roast in the Crock Pot.
Recipe FAQs:
Absolutely! The dry stout makes a delicious option for flavoring beer cheeses, soups, stews and Shepherd's Pie.
Traditionally, Shepherds pie was cooked with ground lamb and cottage pie was ground beef, but today more people use the terms as the same dish. Ground beef is a common ingredient for both Cottage and Shepherds Pie. Both are cooked with a vegetable and meat layer and topped with Mashed Potatoes.
The best way to store Shepherds pie is to allow it to come to room temperature, then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also cover the original casserole dish with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Reheat in a 350 degree oven in a casserole dish or cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until warm. Don't cook much longer or the meat layer will start to dry out.
Check out What Eat with Shepherds Pie: my top ten favorite sides to serve with this Classic Irish dish!
More Comfort Food Dinners You Will Love:
If you tried this Guinness Shepherds Pie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Guinness Shepherds Pie
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Guinness Shepherds Pie, also known as Cottage Pie, is an Irish classic and a great recipe to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It's packed with flavor and one of my favorite Irish recipes.
Ingredients
Ground Beef Layer:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb ground beef, 85/15
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup Guinness beer
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup frozen peas
Mashed Potato Layer:
- 5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 large chunks
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup sour cream, full fat
- ¼-½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender and almost falling apart, at least 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add in 1 tablespoon butter and melt. Then, toss in carrots, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Increase stovetop heat to medium. Add in the ground beef and begin to break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Sprinkle in fresh garlic, dried thyme and rosemary. Pour in Worcestershire, Guinness and frozen peas. Cook for two minutes, then stir to combine and add in flour. Stir well to turn the liquid into a thicker sauce. Turn off heat to the pot, cover and set aside.
- At this point, the potatoes should be fork tender. Strain the water from the potatoes and add them into a stand mixer bowl.
- Into the potatoes, add sour cream, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ cup milk. Use the beater attachment to whip until combined. Add an additional ⅛-1/4 cup of milk if the potatoes appear too thick.
- Assemble the casserole in a 8x8 or 8x10 casserole dish. Pour in the beef mixture and spread flat with a spoon. Dollop large piles of mashed potatoes over the top of the beef.
- Carefully spread the potatoes over the beef mixture with the back of a spoon, so you can only see a flat layer of potatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Optional: Broil on high for 2-4 minutes to make the potatoes golden brown on top.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with minced parsley. Serve by slicing into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- Start the potatoes at the same time as the beef filling, so they are pretty close to oven ready at the same time.
- Don't add too much milk to the potatoes. You want them on the thicker side.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes over the beef layer before spreading to avoid mixing the two together.
- I prefer the casserole baked in a smaller size than 9x13, so it's taller in height. I highly suggest an 8x8 or 8x10 size. It's also easier to spread the potatoes without mixing the meat.
- For a crispy golden look, broil for just a few minutes at the end of baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Irish
Holly
This is so good! I had to make it before St. Patty’s day because I couldn’t wait. Thank you!
Tara Smithson
Yay! I don't blame you! Maybe you can make it again this weekend:)