Growing up, I was forced to eat a not-very-good version of corned beef and cabbage every year for St. Patrick’s Day. As a result, I’ve never made any sort of special food for the holiday as an adult – until this year. I came across this recipe for a beef pot pie, and it just sounded really nice. It turned out to be serendipitous planning – our friend Marsha was in town for a couple of days so she got to share it with us.

The filling is pretty simple – beef chuck in a Guinness-spiked, flavorful gravy. The filling and the pastry can both be prepared the day before so the final construction is quick. The pastry is a standard rough puff pastry that’s pretty easy to work with (it just takes some time to make, most of it resting time). We liked the pot pies – the stew filling would be terrific on its own, over mashed potatoes.

• Beef & Guinness Pie (Gourmet, October 2004)
• Red Leaf Lettuce with Light Parmesan-Peppercorn Dressing (The Best Light Recipe)