We all know and love shepherd’s pie, but this is not your mom’s shepherd’s pie! It starts with a Guinness/Worcestershire reduction and just gets better! Packed with veggies and herbs and topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked with a Parmesan topping! Your family will go wild over this!
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 1 bottle of Guinness beer
- 3 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 1/2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup of milk, cream or half & half, room temperature
- 2 Tbs of butter, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 Tbs of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef or veal or pork or a combination (I used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground pork)
- 2 tsp of kosher salt
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 2 Tbs of flour
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock
- 3 Tbs of tomato paste
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 – 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tsp of dried thyme
- 8 oz of cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- a heaping 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- a scant 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
Directions:
Start this masterpiece by adding the Guinness into small saucepan with the Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 20 -25 minutes.
Next, place the potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and cook until fork-tender. Drain and add in the milk, butter, egg yolk, and salt & pepper to taste. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
In a large heavy skillet over medium/high heat, add in the oil and then the onions, carrots, and celery, saute for 3 – 4 minutes, then add in the garlic and saute 1 more minute. 
Add in the ground meats and salt & pepper, cook for 5-6 minutes.
Then sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. 
Add in the Guinness/Worcestershire reduction and the chicken stock, stir well, then add in the tomato paste, rosemary and thyme, stir and cook 5 -6 minutes.
Now just stir in the mushrooms and the peas and cook for a few more minutes.
Remove the herb sprigs and spoon the meat mixture into a 9 x 12 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Top with the mashed potatoes and spread all the way to the edges with a butter knife. Make swirls in the potatoes with the end of the butter knife (looks prettier than flat!)
Now just mix the breadcrumbs and the parmesan together and sprinkle on the top. All that’s left is to bake at 400 ° for 20 – 25 minutes!
Note to cooks: You can make this ahead and refrigerate it until ready to bake, just let it come to room temperature first.
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