Shepherd’s Pie
Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
Beef mixture
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 400 F.
In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cook until soft, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth. Add butter, milk and sour cream. Mash until fully incorporated, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes more. Drain. Stir in frozen peas and corn. Cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over meat and stir to evenly distribute. Cook for another minute, then add chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Let mixture thicken slightly, about 5 minutes.
Top beef mixture with an even layer of mashed potatoes. Bake until very little liquid is visible and mashed potatoes are golden, about 20 minutes. Broil if desired. Remove skillet from the oven and spread cheddar cheese on top. Return to the oven until cheese is melted. Cool slightly before serving.
Bacon, Corn and Potato Stew
- 2 cups diced thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 large white potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 15-ounce cans cream-style corn
- 11-ounce can sweet corn, drained
- 2 cups water
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Cook bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir in onion. Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until bacon and onion are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain bacon grease, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons in the skillet. Add potatoes to bacon-onion mixture. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned, about 5 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a medium-sized pot. Add cream-style corn, sweet corn and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Warm half-and-half in a small pan over medium-low heat until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Stir into stew until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with parsley.
Irish Beef Stew
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 16-ounce bottle Guinness
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- Freshly chopped parsley
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot and cook on all sides until seared, about 10 minutes. When finished, set beef aside on a plate.
Add remaining oil to the same pot. Cook onion, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic. Cook about 1 minute.
Return beef to Dutch oven. Add potatoes, broth, beer and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until beef and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Colcannon
- 3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 sticks butter, divided
- 1 1/4 cups hot milk
- 1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-pound piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- Chopped parsley leaves
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes, then peel. Mash thoroughly to remove lumps. Add 1 stick of butter. Slowly stir in hot milk. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns darker. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover with a lid for 2 minutes. Drain cabbage thoroughly, and chop into small pieces.
Put the ham or bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes, until tender. Drain. Remove any fat. Chop meat into small pieces.
Add cabbage, scallions, and ham or bacon to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 pound carrots, cut into large chunks
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3-pound corned beef brisket with spice packet; meat cut in half
- 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges
Place onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-quart slow cooker. Combine chicken broth, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar and contents of spice packet in a small bowl. Pour mixture over vegetables. Top vegetables with brisket and cabbage.
Cover and cook on low until meat and vegetables are tender, about 8 to 9 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Irish Soda Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter.
Pour batter into pan. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours or overnight for best flavor.