Get in the Irish spirit this St. Patrick’s Day with shepherd’s pie, Irish soda brown bread plus bread pudding with whiskey butter sauce.
These recipes from News4’s Megan McGrath are pure gold.
Shepherds’ Pie Recipe
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground lamb or mild sausage
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups frozen pea/carrot mix, thawed
- 2, 32 oz packages of prepared mashed potatoes
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté until tender and add the garlic and ground meats-cook until brown and crumbly. Drain excess fat. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir through. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, spices and salt and pepper. Simmer until a gravy forms. Gently stir in the carrot and pea mixture.
Transfer the meat mixture to an ovenproof dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350° until warmed through and the potatoes are slightly browned.
Bread Pudding
- 1 lb loaf day-old brioche or challah bread, cut into big cubes
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Cut a 1 pound loaf of day-old Brioche or Challah bread into large cubes. Place in a greased, oven-proof dish.
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In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Mix in the milk, cream and vanilla. Pour over the bread and using a spatula, push the cubes down into the liquid. Let stand for 10 minutes to absorb. Cook at 350° for 45-50 minutes until brown on the top, but still moist.
Whiskey Butter Sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 cup Irish whiskey
Melt butter and stir in sugar and water. Cook until sugar dissolves and then add the Irish Whiskey. Simmer until sauce thickens. Let cool slightly before serving over the pudding.
Irish Brown Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose white flour
- 2 cups wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons softened butter, chopped in pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- egg wash (1 egg and 2 tablespoons water)
Brown bread is a dense, “no rise” bread. Mix together the white and whole wheat flour. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Mix all the dry ingredients together and cut in chunks of butter- use your hands to incorporate.
Add buttermilk and lightly knead together. Divide the dough into two pieces, forming each into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and smash each loaf down a little so it’s more of a fat disk. Use a knife to cut across in the top, then brush with an egg wash and bake at 400° until brown, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with butter.