Irish Cream Shepherd's Pie
By: Linda Bonwill - World Class Cooking
BLACK SHEEP!
Do you feel sometimes, your meals don't measure up?
Don't be that lost sheep any longer. You will certainly stand out with this famous Irish casserole.
Shepherd's Pie is a stew of ground meat. Traditionally, in Ireland,the lamb meat is sautéed with vegetables and herbs, creating a delicious gravy. The meat is topped with mashed potatoes, then sprinkled with cheese. It is browned in the oven to achieve a crispy texture.
It was common for ground beef or any other meat to be used when potatoes were first introduced in the area. Sometimes the potatoes would be sliced instead of mashed, representing roof tiles on their homes. It was affordable food for people living in the cottages. It is appropriate that this version of Shepherd's Pie is called Cottage Pie.
Keeping close to customs, we wanted to bring an exciting twist to this now, World-known favorite, by adding Irish cream coffee. The subtle taste in the coffee gives this meat pie a depth of flavor to savor the spirits of Ireland.
So when you feel you have your "baa"ck against the wall and don't know what to make. Why not give this recipe a try?
This is a fan-submitted recipe. It was not made in the kitchen of the Door County Coffee Cafe.
Featured ingredient: Irish Cream Coffee 10 oz. Bag Ground
INGREDIENTS
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lbs ground lamb or beef
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 2 TBSP Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)
- 3 TBSP tomato paste
- 6 thyme sprigs, fresh
- 2 tsp rosemary, fresh
- 2 TBSP flour
- 2 TBSP beef broth paste (bouillon)
- 1 cup brewed coffee (from potatoes water)
- 10ozs peas and carrots, frozen (thawed)
- 6 cups mashed potatoes, prepared warm
MASHED POTATO INGREDIENTS
- 8 cups Irish cream coffee, brewed
- 3 large starch potatoes (approx. 6 cups)
- 6 TBSP butter
- 1 cup Wisconsin cheddar cheese, shredded (extra for topping)
- 1 tsp chicken broth paste (bouillon)
- 1 cup heavy cream, warm
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oil at med/high temperature in a large skillet. Add peppers, onions, garlic, and meat. Chop up meat into small pieces as the meat is sauteing. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, whiskey, and tomato paste. Stir and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any food that may be stuck. Stir in the thyme and rosemary into the meat. Cook for 2 mins. Sprinkle flour over the top of the meat and stir into the mixture.
- Add broth, coffee, and peas/carrots. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer for 20 mins. Remove sprigs of thyme and discard.
- While the meat is simmering, peel and cube potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add the potatoes to the brewed coffee in a medium size pot. Make sure the coffee liquid covers the potatoes thoroughly. Season the salt. Cook the potatoes on high heat for approx. 20 or until the potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of coffee liquid. Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl with 1 cup of coffee. Whip the potatoes with an electric mixing to get them smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and continue whipping until creamy. Put aside.
- Add the meat filling to a 13x9-inch baking dish. Add mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly over top of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with additional cheese
- Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25-30 mins.
Note: Add the casserole to the broiler for 5 mins for additional browning.