Guinness Beef Shepherds Pie

I wanted to make something for St. Patty's day, I have made the beef stew in the past, so I wanted to try a Shepherds Pie. This turned out great. I will say this was a TOTAL pain in the ass though. If you are going to make this, you NEED to have a pan that can go on the stove and in the oven. I thought the casserole I bought was able to do this.. turns out, it cannot go on the stove-top. I am in DIRE need of a dutch oven that I am able to do both. 

Of course, after doing all the switching of the pans.... 3 times? Ryan told me that his pans can go in the oven....... yeah, I wont go into how annoyed I was about that. 

Regardless of the pain-in-the-ass-ness... it turned out great. 

I am still off bread, but Ryan bought a baby loaf and shared that 

I forgot to take a picture... so I stole one from the blog I got this from, which means this time you actually have a decent photo! Yay!

www.pictureperfectmeals.com

Guinness Beef Shepherd’s Pie

 

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Prep time

35 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 35 mins

 

Author: Cheryl Beverage Barnes

Recipe type: Stews

Cuisine: Irish

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more, as needed
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, stems removed and halved
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• one (12-ounce) bottle Guinness – no foam
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with string
• 1 recipe mashed potatoes
• 1 cup shredded aged cheddar, plus more for the top
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Position the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the beef dry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss well to lightly coat all the pieces. In a Dutch oven or large, ovenproof heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high. You want it hot, but not smoking. Working in three batches (so the meat will brown, not steam), sear the meat, stirring occasionally until well-browned, about 5 minutes per batch; add the extra tablespoon of oil between batches, as needed (I used two extra tablespoons total). Transfer the browned meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add ½ of the beef stock, onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Season with a little more salt and pepper and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes; add the tomato paste, remaining stock, Guinness, Worcestershire and thyme. Add the beef, along with any juices in the bowl. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and transfer to the oven.
2. Braise until the beef is very tender and the sauce has reduced, about 1-1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes, if using. Stir in the cheese and garlic powder to the potatoes.
4. Remove the pot from the oven. Fish out the thyme and discard; add in the peas. Place the pot of stew on the stove over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil and cook until nicely thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and let cool slightly if using the potato topping.
5. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Spread the stew into a casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal and to prevent the filling from bubbling up (some will but that’s okay). Smooth with a rubber spatula and make decorative peaks, if desired. Sprinkle a little cheese on top. Place the dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes just begin to brown and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.