St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, and I always celebrate with Cottage Pie, a hearty meat pie, made with ground beef and topped with creamy mashed potatoes. 

It is the ultimate Irish comfort food and perfect for a crowd. Cheesy, warm and full of vegetables, the flavors are familiar and clean-up is easy because it’s a meat and three in one. From stovetop to oven, using a cast iron skillet makes cooking it super simple.  

Traditionally, Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with ground beef. I’ve even used venison. Each of those meats are delicious when seasoned well, so use whatever is most readily available to you. When it comes to cheeses, sharp cheddar and fresh Parmesan cheese make a winning combination. Parmesan gives it a salty bite and works wonderfully with creamy potatoes. 

I love hearing the timer buzz and pulling this comforting skillet out of the oven, perfectly browned on top and bubbling around the sides.

In Ireland, March 17 is set aside to celebrate the country’s patron saint, St. Patrick, on the anniversary of his death. The celebration includes a feast, with traditional Irish foods such as corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and colcannon, a mashed potato dish with butter, cream and cabbage. 

St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to his people, and legend has it that he would use the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And here’s a fun fact: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade ever recorded was not in Ireland, but America, in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, Fla. in 1601. Today, Savannah has the second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country, just behind New York City. 

You can find festive menus and more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, like my green mint chocolate chip cookies, orange marmalade thumbprint cookies, Irish mojitos and Irish coffee by visiting SomeKindaGood.com. 

Now, for an old Irish blessing: May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face and rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. 

Erin go bragh (Ireland forever)! 

 Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef, speaker, culinary TV personality, and author. Featured in Forbes, on ABC and Food Network, she is a Georgia Southern University alumna and an honors graduate of the Savannah Culinary Institute. Visit RebekahLingenfelser.com, like Some Kinda Good on Facebook or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and YouTube.

Parmesan Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups mashed potatoes

• 1 pound lean ground beef or venison

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• Garlic salt

• Pepper

• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

• Dried Oregano

• ½ cup fresh or frozen carrots

• ½ cup English peas

• 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

• 2 teaspoons Tomato Paste

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

• ½ cup Parmesan

• ½ cup Sharp Cheddar

Directions

In a cast iron skillet, saute ground beef and onion until beef is brown. Add seasonings: garlic salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. 

Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly. 

Add frozen peas and carrots and cook until incorporated. Top mixture with grated Parmesan cheese. Gently spread leftover mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Dot with butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let cool for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!