Martie Duncan's Easy St. Patrick's Day Food to Feed a Crowd: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a great, inexpensive recipe for St. Patrick's Day or any time you need something comforting to feed a big crowd. Ground meat, potatoes, onions.... the ingredients are simple, the prep time is minimal and you can bake it off right before guests arrive. With the ground beef and potatoes, your picky eaters will never notice the carrots or peas hiding in the filling. I normally use the ground beef for this recipe but made it once with the traditional ground lamb and it was fantastic.

TRADITONAL SHEPHERD'S PIE

Makes 4-6 small ramekins or 1 medium casserole

1/2 T. olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or use ground lamb if you prefer- or a combination of both)

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1 small yellow onion, diced small (about 1 1/4 cup)

2 carrots, diced very small

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

3 T. tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen English peas

1 t. fresh Thyme leaves, minced fine

1 t. fresh rosemary leaves, minced fine

For the mashed potato topping:

2-3 large potatoes, peeled and diced small

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided n half

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350

Dice the potatoes. Rinse in some cool water. Fill a pot with water. Add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender. Drain well. Use a fork to mash the potatoes while they are hot and allow to cool slightly. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Using a hand mixer or any method you prefer, whip the potatoes until they are fluffy. Add the egg yolk and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Reserve.

In a large skillet or pan, heat up the olive oil. Add the ground beef and brown. Add the onion and carrots. Brown until they are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Drain off excess fat if there is any. Add the tomato paste and brown for about 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook that for about 1 minute. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits of flavor on the bottom of your pan. Add the thyme and the parsley. Cook until the wine is mostly evaporated. Stir in the chicken stock. Cook 3-4 minutes more. The mixture should be quite thick and paste like. If it is not, cook and stir until most of the liquid is cooked out. Check the seasoning- you may need a bit more salt and pepper at this point. I often put a dash of Tabasco or a pinch of cayenne pepper into mine also...

Spray your ramekin or casserole dish with non-stick spray if you want a shortcut. I prefer to lightly brush the ramekin with a little olive oil and then dust it with some of the grated Parmesan cheese. Fill the ramekin 2/3 full with the meat mixture. Top with the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Use a fork to pierce the top so the juice will bubble up through the potatoes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly hot.

Irish Beer Cheese FondueMORE ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES FROM MARTIE KNOWS PARTIES:

HOW TO MAKE GREEN BEER

EASY RECIPES FOR COLCANNON AND IRISH SODA BREAD

IRISH WHISKEY LEMONADE

IRISH COFFEE

IRISH BEER CHEESE FONDUE

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY IDEAS & FUN!

Irish Beer Cheese Fondue

Perfect for St. Patrick's Day parties, this beer cheese fondue is made with Irish cheddar and Guinness, the stout Irish beer. Your friends will loooovvee this recipe. And once you have it made, you can leave it on low in a crockpot or fondue pot and forget it! Best of all, it's self-serve; you just need to make sure you have enough because your guests will scarf this down. Seriously, it might be my new obsession. And don't worry if St. Patrick's Day is long past, this is a wonderful starter for a party, an appetizer for a dinner party, or a nice dinner for two in front of the fire.

Use Irish cheddar and an Irish stout like Guinness for a full, hearty tasteGuinness Beer & Cheese Fondue

Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough for an appetizer portion for 8 guests

Serve with a brown hearty bread or French baguette cut into cubes

2 lbs cheddar cheese (Irish cheddar, like Kerrygold, is great. Find it at most Whole Foods stores.)

1 1/2 cups Irish beer, like Guinness stout

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard  (like Coleman's)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Dash cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

In a 2 quart fondue pan or heavy pot over medium heat, warm 1 cup of the beer until bubbles slowly rise to the surface. About 5 minutes. While you are waiting, mix the cheese, cornstarch, and mustard and toss together. Add the cheese mixture to the hot beer, a handful at a time, stirring until all the cheese is melted and the fondue is smooth and bubbly, adding the other 1/2 cup of beer a little at a time to thin the mixture slightly, stirring constantly. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Stir well and transfer to a fondue pot or lower heat and let the the mixture slowly bubble. Dip chunks of hearty bread, veggies, or fruit into the mixture. Warn guests that the mixture will be hot and do check the temperature from time to time. 

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Weekend Cocktail: Belfast Lemonade (Irish Whiskey Lemonade)

There are a lot of green drinks and beer drinks out there for St. Patrick's Day... But this year, I wanted a signature cocktail for our St. Paddy's Party that was definately Irish, but a little "girly" since we were also celebrating our lovely friend Jessica's birthday! The cocktail I came up with got a big thumbs up from the guys and the girls alike; it will be perfect for your spring and summer BBQ's, lake parties, and yes, even wedding celebrations! Since Bushmills, my favorite Irish whiskey, is made close to the Irish city of Belfast, I named it Belfast Lemonade. I used just a little Limoncello to smooth out the cocktail, but it is very good without it if you want to keep your cost down.

Give it a try! Oh, and happy birthday, sweet Jessica!

Irish whiskey, freshly squeezed lemonade and a little lemon liqueur makes this cocktail perfect for spring and summer entertainingBELFAST LEMONADE

Makes 1

4 ounces fresh lemonade

1 1/2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey

1/2 ounce Limoncello

Mix and serve in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint or a lemon wheel.

For a crowd:

Serves 15+ guests depending on serving size

1 gallon fresh lemonade

1 bottle (750ml) Bushmills Irish Whiskey

2 cups Limoncello or other lemon liqueur

Add more or less whiskey to your taste. Mix ingredients in a large dispenser. Add lots of ice to the dispenser but also provide clean ice along side the dispenser because the drink tastes best served over ice. If it is a hot day, make sure to freeze lemonade and use that in place of the ice so you don't water down or dilute the drink. Add mint or lemon wheels to the dispenser to add some color and style to the presentation.

Cheers! And as always, drink responsibly!!

Weekend Cocktail: Irish Coffee

For St. Patrick's Day or any day, an Irish Coffee is a great way to wrap up a meal or the end of a long day. It's a classic that ever goes out of style. Warm, rich and smooth, it is one of those drinks you order at a restaurant but rarely make at home. The recipe is simple and the technique is not difficult to master. Just use the back of a spoon to slowly add the cream on the top of the coffee.

Happy St. Paddy's Day... may the road rise up to meet you and the luck of the Irish be yours.

Classic Irish Coffee Recipe

Makes one

3-4 ounces hot coffee (fill mug 2/3 full)

1 to 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey (I like Bushmills) for each serving (for a larger mug, use a 1 1/2 ounces)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Heavy whipping cream, lightly whipped (amount depends on the size of your mug)

Put the sugar in a heat-proof mug or glass. Fill 2/3 full with coffee. Add the whiskey. Then carefully pour the whipping cream over the back of a spoon to keep the color separation intact. Add a shake of cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, cocoa powder, or chocolate shavings, if desired as a garnish.

MORE WEEKEND COCKTAIL RECIPES FROM MARTIE

Chambord Champagne Cocktail

Classic Cuban Mojito

Oatmeal Cookie Martini

Classic Whiskey Sour

 French Martini

Make Green Beer for St. Patrick's Day!

Whoo-hoo! Green Beer! What is a St. Patrick's Day celebration without green beer? 

From our friends at MyRecipes.com, here's how to tint your beer as green as the Chicago River:)

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!

The folks at MyRecipes.com tested green beer for St. Patrick's DayHOW TO MAKE GREEN BEER

Ingredients

Green liquid food coloring

Lager or ale - use a light colored beer, it will be hard to tint a dark or stout beer

Chilled beer mugs

Place two drops of the green food coloring in each mug. Fill with cold beer. Consume. Ahhhh. I'd suggest keeping some of those awesome Colgate Wisps in your pocket if you plan to spend the evening drinking green beer so you don't have green teeth and a green tounge:) AND get a designated driver. Drink responsibly, my friends!

Click for the full story on MyRecipes.com

More ideas for St. Patrick's Day celebrations from Martie Knows Parties:

How to Make a Classic Irish Coffee

Recipes for St. Patrick's Day parties