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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
I love adding a whole, unprocessed and healthy twist to classic recipes. My food is often grain-free, usually gluten-free, and always unprocessed.
[…] I started to think about how I could make a grain-free gnocchi with fewer carbs. I already knew that cauliflower is a great way to reduce the carb load in mashed potatoes, from my Paleo Shepherd’s Pie recipe. […]