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In honor of our Irish heritage, and in honor of the upcoming St. Patty’s Day holiday, I have a classic meat-and-potatoes dinner for you today. And, of course, I’ve taken a few short-cuts to make it tasty, but also easy to prepare.
When my mom gave me these green ramekins for Christmas last year, the first things that came to my mind were little individual treats for St. Patrick’s Day. They’re green, after all. And isn’t every meal more fun when it’s served in miniature, individual dishes? The kids certainly think so.
What could be more quintessentially Irish than Shepherd’s Pie?
I began by sautéing veggies and beef in a skillet. If you want to be really authentic, use ground lamb. I’m just not sure that my boys would think that’s so cool, nor does my grocery store sell it!
Scoop the meat mixture into the individual ramekins…
and top with store-bought garlic mashed potatoes. Better yet if you have the time to make your own! Not me…
Pop them in the oven until they’re heated through and your Irish dinner is served!
Individual Shepherd's Pies
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter divided
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup frozen corn
- Salt to taste (approximately 1-2 teaspoons)
- 1 24-ounce container refrigerated garlic mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Sautee carrot, celery, and onion in 1 Tablespoon of butter until tender (about 5-7 minutes). Add beef and garlic and cook until meat is browned. Drain and return to skillet.
- In small saucepan, melt remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat and whisk in flour. Whisk for about 2 minutes. Continue whisking as you slowly add beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir gravy into the meat mixture in the skillet. Add peas, corn, and salt to taste.
- Spoon about ¾ cup of the meat mixture into each of 4 individual ramekins. Top each dish with about ¼ cup mashed potatoes.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and potatoes are browned on top.
Looking for other fun St. Patrick’s Day food and activities? Stay tuned all week, and check out yesterday’s post: Lucky Pots of Gold!
