1. Prepare Mashed Potato Topping:

• Boil peeled, cubed potatoes until very tender. Drain thoroughly.
• In a large bowl, mash the hot boiled potatoes until smooth.
• Stir in the sour cream, softened cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of the softened butter, the egg yolk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are smooth and fully incorporated. Set aside.

2. Cook Lamb and Vegetables for Filling:

• Heat the 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the ground lamb. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat, until it is browned and crumbly, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Carefully pour off any excess grease from the skillet. Season the cooked lamb with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir in the chopped stewed tomatoes (with their juice), the chopped onion, and the chopped carrot into the ground lamb. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat slightly and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the peas to the mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the peas are warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Make the Stout Gravy:

• While the lamb mixture simmers, heat the Irish stout beer in a separate small saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef bouillon cube. Cook and stir until the bouillon cube is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
• In another separate small pan (or if you temporarily remove the lamb mixture from its skillet), melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat until sizzling.
• Whisk the all-purpose flour into the melted butter and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute to create a smooth, thick paste (roux).
• Gradually whisk the warm beer-bouillon mixture and the Worcestershire sauce into the flour-butter roux until the gravy is smooth and begins to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Combine Filling and Thicken:

• Pour the prepared stout gravy into the skillet containing the lamb and vegetable mixture.
• Stir well to combine. Let the entire mixture simmer over low heat until it has thickened to a nice gravy consistency, at least 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

5. Assemble the Shepherd’s Pie:

• Set your oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler.
• Grease a 9×12-inch baking dish (or your oven-safe skillet if it’s large enough and suitable for broiling).
• Pour the prepared lamb and vegetable filling into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
• Carefully spoon the prepared mashed potato mixture over the lamb filling, covering it completely like a crust. You can use the back of a spoon to create decorative swirls or peaks in the potato if desired.
• Sprinkle the shredded sharp Cheddar cheese evenly over the mashed potato topping.
• Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley and smoked paprika over the cheese.

6. Broil and Serve:

• Carefully place the baking dish under the preheated broiler.
• Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, watching very closely, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the potato crust is nicely browned in spots. Do not walk away, as broilers work very quickly and can burn easily!
• Once browned, carefully remove the Shepherd’s Pie from under the broiler.
• Let the pie cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set slightly.
• Serve hot and enjoy this hearty pie!