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Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

This Paleo Shepherd's Pie Recipe is a hearty dish that is packed with vegetables and is topped with cauliflower mashed potatoes potatoes. It is another great make-ahead Paleo comfort food!

I make this dish with ground, grass fed, pasture raised beef, but you could make it with ground lamb, or even turkey.

For my cauliflower mashed potatoes, I make mine with a ratio of 3/4 cauliflower, 1/4 golden potatoes. I find this makes a huge difference in the flavor and the texture of the mash. My kids will actually eat it, and I have passed them off as regular mashed potatoes on several occasions.

If you prefer, you can make your mash with all cauliflower, or all potatoes, depending on your carb goals. Potatoes are Whole 30 approved now! They are still packed with starch so I limit them in my diet. However, I think the additional 5 carbs per serving are well worth it, for this dish.

Shepherd’s Pie reheats beautifully, so it is a great make ahead meal! I have made it up to four days in advance in the refrigerator and just reheated it in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. It also makes great left overs, just spoon out individual portions and zap them in the microwave.

You can even freeze this meal! I like to freeze the meat and the mash separately, then after defrosting, I assemble the pie in a casserole dish and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. You could also freeze the assembled pie, but some of the meat sauce may bleed into the mash as it defrosts.

I love to serve this at my ski house because it can be made in advance, it’s hearty, it feeds a crowd on a budget, and the kids like it. I usually serve it along with a big tossed salad.

Short cut!  Sometimes when I’m in a hurry to get dinner on the table, I don’t bother assembling the casserole and baking it. I just spoon the beef mixture into a bowl and top it with a big spoonful of mash. It isn’t as pretty, but my hungry family could not care less!

For step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe.

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • For the Beef Mixture:
  • 1 Tbs grass fed pasture raised butter or olive oil or lard
  • 3 carrots- peeled quartered lengthwise, and then chopped (1 & ½ cups)
  • 1 & 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 & ½ lbs ground beef organic, grass fed and pasture raised
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup red wine
  • ½ cup beef broth divided
  • 1 Tbs tomato paste
  • 2 Tbs coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp molasses
  • 1 tsp tapioca flour
  • 2 cups of frozen peas
  • For the Cauliflower Mash:
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 2 cups of peeled chopped golden potatoes 2 small potatoes
  • 1 Tbs grass fed pasture raised butter or fat of your choice
  • 2 Tbs chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • I recommend using organic ingredients when possible.

Instructions

  • Heat a large wide pot, such a dutch oven or a frying pan with a tall rim over a medium burner. Add butter and chopped carrots, stir and sauté for about three minutes. While carrots are softening, clean and chop the mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the pan and sauté for three minutes.
  • Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Add the chopped onions to the pan and stir until softened, about two minutes.
  • Add the ground beef to the pan and season salt and pepper. Break up the beef with a spatula and stir as the meat browns.
  • When the beef is almost cooked through, but still a little pink, add the minced garlic and stir. Cook , stirring until it is fragrant, about a minute.
  • If there is a lot of grease from the beef you can drain it off at this time.
  • Add the paprika, dried thyme, cayenne, minced garlic, red wine, 1/4 cup beef broth, tomato paste, and coconut aminos. Stir well.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of beef broth and the tapioca flour. Add the slurry to the pot and stir.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes on low to thicken. Stir in the frozen peas, turn off heat and cover.
  • Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower mashed potatoes.
  • Chop 1 small head of cauliflower into about 4 or 5 cups of florets. Steam for 10 minutes, or until soft.
  • Meanwhile set three cups of water to boil and add a tsp of salt to the water. Peel and chop two small golden potatoes (2 cups chopped).
  • Boil potatoes until easily pierced by a fork and strain.
  • Puree the steamed cauliflower with an immersion blender. You could also use a food processor,or a blender.
  • Mash the potatoes into the pureed cauliflower using a potato masher. Don’t use the blender or the potatoes will become too glutinous.
  • Add butter, salt, pepper, and broth. Stir well.
  • Spread beef mixture into the bottom of a 9” x 11” casserole pan. Spoon the cauliflower mash over the top of the beef mixture and spread evenly.
  • Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven. Just long enough to warm the meat through, and firm up the mash.
  • Sometimes when I’m in a hurry to get dinner on the table, I don’t bother assembling the casserole and baking it. I just spoon the beef mixture into a bowl and top it with a big spoonful of mash. It isn’t as pretty, but my hungry family could not care less!

Shepherd's Pie

 

Step-by--step instructions with photos:

Heat a large wide pot, such a Dutch oven or a frying pan with a tall rim, over a medium burner. Add butter and chopped carrots, stir and sauté for about three minutes.

Chopped Carrots

While carrots are softening, clean and chop the mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the pan and sauté for three minutes.

Chopped Mushrooms

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Add the chopped onions to the pan and stir until softened, about two minutes.

softened vegetables

Add the ground beef to the pan and season salt and pepper. Break up the beef with a spatula and stir as the meat browns.

Browned Beef and Vegetables

When the beef is almost cooked through, but still a little pink, add the minced garlic and stir. Cook, stirring  until it is fragrant, about a minute. If you have a lot of grease from the beef in your pan, you can drain it off at this time.

Add the paprika, dried thyme, cayenne, minced garlic, red wine, 1/4 cup beef broth, tomato paste, molasses,  and coconut aminos. Stir well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of beef broth and the tapioca flour. Add the slurry to the pot and stir.

Simmer for 5 minutes on low to thicken. Stir in the frozen peas, turn off heat and cover.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Chop 1 small head of cauliflower into about 4 or 5 cups cups of florets. Steam for 10 minutes, or until soft.

cauliflower florets

Meanwhile set three cups of  water to boil and add a tsp of salt to the water.  Peel and chop two small golden potatoes (2 cups chopped).

chopped golden potatoes

Boil potatoes until easily pierced by a fork and strain.

Puree the steamed cauliflower with an immersion blender.  You could also use a food processor,or a blender.

Mash Cauliflower with Immersion Blender

Mash the potatoes into the pureed cauliflower using a potato masher. Don’t use the blender or the potatoes will become too glutinous.

Add butter, salt, pepper, and broth. Stir well.

Spread beef mixture into the bottom of a 9” x 11” casserole pan. Spoon the cauliflower mash over the top of the beef mixture and spread evenly.

Spoon-Mash-over-Shepherd's-Pie-Filling

Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven. Just long enough to warm the meat through, and firm up the mash.

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

 

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Hi, I'm Caroline

About Caroline

I love adding a whole, unprocessed and healthy twist to classic recipes.  My food is often grain-free, usually gluten-free, and always unprocessed.

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