St. Patrick Cottage Pie

History

You are probably aware of the myriad of traditions that accompany St. Patrick’s Day and his commemoration on March 17th. We even touch on some of them here in our St. Patrick post. The thing about most of these secular practices, though, is that they aren’t necessarily historic traditions or customs that primarily belong to the Christian celebration of the saint.

So, if you are looking for one of the most historic ways in which the Church remembers St. Patrick, we encourage you to join the millions of believers who have gone before you and prayed the words of “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” or sung “I Bind unto Myself Today,” found in our hymnal as LSB 604. These two texts brilliantly articulate Patrick’s confession of the Triune God and serve as some of the best ways to commemorate the saint.

Cottage Pie

Yet many also associate St. Patrick’s Day with food, the custom of eating Irish cuisine, and desire to celebrate Patrick in that way. In that spirit, we figured that we could offer you another way in which you might commemorate St. Patrick’s Day in your households.

Cottage pie is certainly one of the easiest and most delicious Irish meals to make in remembrance of Patrick and is something that you can likely throw together by just using common ingredients that you already have in your pantry. It is also a great transitional meal for this time of year, being a classic, hot dish that many would consider comfort food, while also incorporating lots of the yummy and tasty vegetables that we crave with the change of the seasons.

Our specific recipe calls for ground beef instead of lamb, which is the main difference why it is classified as a cottage pie instead of a shepherd’s pie. The reason we did this is because of how much easier it is to get ground beef over lamb in the United States. If you do have access to lamb, though, we hope that you will consider making it that way, as lamb is even more connected to the saint’s Irish legacy.

If you are so inclined, we also know that this meal can be adjusted for Lenten fasting by making your vegetable roux void of meat and adding lentils. You can also mash your potatoes with olive oil. These two adjustments will still make for a delightful dish that combines lots of ingredients, textures, and flavors.

In either case, we encourage you to pray some of the words of “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” before you enjoy your meal, all the while keeping Patrick himself in mind!

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 ounces butter, divided

¾ cup whole milk

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalk of celery, diced

1 cup peas

1 tsp thyme

dash of paprika

1 lb ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup tomato paste

2 cups stock

Instructions

1. Brown the meat in the olive oil on medium-high heat.
2. To the pan, add in the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Then add in the carrots, celery, and peas. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened.
3. Incorporate the spices into the mixture. Then add in the flour and tomato paste, stirring constantly and cooking for 1-2 more minutes. Lastly, add in the stock.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the mixture to have a gravy consistency.
5. Transfer to a large pie dish or casserole to cool slightly and preheat the oven to 350° F.
6. Cook your potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain them, reserve the water, and mash them with butter and milk. If you are adjusting your mashed potatoes to be dairy-free, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil while mashing and just a bit of the reserved water to make them creamy.
7. Spread the potatoes onto the pie and use a fork to rough up the surface for optimal browning. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling.
8. Let the pie stand for 10 minutes before serving. You can top with cheese and fresh herbs if you desire!