Guiness Shepherds Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Position the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F. 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. To the pot 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. Braise until the beef is very tender and the sauce has reduced, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes, if using. Stir in the cheese and garlic powder to the potatoes. 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. Turn the oven up to 400°F. 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.

Steps:

• 1. Cook's note: You can make the roast beef and the mashed potatoes ahead and refrigerate. Be sure to warm up the meat and potatoes before making the recipe as it will affect the cooking time.
• 2. MAKE AHEAD: Use this recipe for roast beef. (It is my posted recipe for French Dip Sandwiches, and it is perfectly seasoned for this recipe) Place in a crockpot the following 4 ingredients. One 2.5 pound chuck roast, fat trimmed. One can Campbell's French Onion Soup. One can of beef broth, and one bottle of Guinness beer. Cook in slow cooker until tender but not falling apart. Let it cool, then cut meat into a 1/2 inch dice.
• 3. BOIL POTATOES: Make mashed potatoes, season with 1/2 cup sliced green onions, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of milk if it needs more liquid when you are mashing them. I use an electric mixer to mash the potatoes.
• 4. PRECOOK VEGETABLES: Precook the frozen carrots, corn and onions until partially done and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, add the diced meat, all the vegetables, one cup of gravy and mix gently. Pour meat mixture into a 9X13 dish, or if you are making a smaller amount use a 10 inch pie plate. Top with the seasoned mashed potatoes. Using the tines of a large fork, make the design on top like my photo. Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet with a lip, and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let set at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!