Irish Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Recipe by: Chef John

"This makes a lovely alternative to the much more common corned beef and cabbage that you may have been planning for St. Patrick's Day dinner."

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2Place olive oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and ground lamb; brown the meat, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes.
3Stir in flour until incorporated, then mix in salt, black pepper, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, ketchup, and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
4Stir in water and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer; cook and stir until thick, about 5-6 minutes.
5Remove lamb mixture from heat and stir in peas and carrots until combined.
6Spread lamb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
7Place potatoes into a large pan of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to pan.
8Mash butter, cayenne pepper, cream cheese, and Irish cheese into the potatoes. Mash until combined and potatoes are smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
9Whisk together egg yolk and milk in a small bowl; stir into the mashed potato mixture.
10Top the lamb mixture in the baking dish with the mashed potatoes and spread evenly to cover.
11Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.