Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

A recipe for Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping that is hearty, delicious and easy to prep ahead of time. 

I didn’t know I liked shepherd’s pie until recently. I was intrigued by a recipe I saw on another blog and was surprised by how much I loved it. It’s the perfect winter comfort food with the bonus that it a) is a one-dish meal, b) can be prepped ahead of time, c) lends itself to easily become gluten-free/Paleo/Whole30-friendly and d) gives you amazing leftovers.

I’ve made quite a few modifications to the original recipe so I’m sharing my twist with this Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping recipe that I’m sharing with you today.

Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Let’s address the obvious first. This is definitely one of those meals that looks a bit like a hot mess but you gotta trust me that it all comes together in the most perfect and delicious way.

You start by sauteing the meat and veggies. This recipe is versatile. I’ve used a variety of veggies including potatoes, carrots, leeks, celery, mushrooms, peas, turnips and more. You can get creative with what you have on hand. I’ve also used both ground beef and ground lamb. You could also do chicken or turkey.

While the veggies are cooking, you boil your cauliflower for the topping.

The meat and veggie mixture is thickened with a blend of chicken broth and arrowroot four. It’s a gluten-free thickener that can be used in place of cornstarch.

You can see how thick the meat and veggie mixture got with the addition of the arrowroot and broth.

The meat mixture goes into a big casserole dish. I love my Le Creuset Oval Covered Casserole. I’m a bit of a Le Creuset fanatic and can confidently say that it’s worth the investment after cooking with it for 10+  years.

The cauliflower goes into the blender with some garlic and salt.

And then on top of the casserole.

Let’s talk about why mashed cauliflower, because you can definitely do mashed potatoes on the Whole30. I opted to include diced potatoes in my meat and veggie mix and go with a lighter cauliflower topping. I love the taste and texture of the cauliflower on top. It feels hearty but not too, too heavy.

At this point you can either bake it or stick it in the fridge to bake later.

And this is what you get after about 30-40 minutes in the oven. I wish you could dip a fork through the screen because this Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie is so wonderful.

Again, this recipe lends itself naturally to being Paleo/Whole30 friendly but it should NOT stop you from making it if you don’t choose to follow either of those styles of eating. It’s just straight up good no matter what your preferences!

Try it and let me know what you think! 🙂

Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

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• Author: Jen Eddins
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x

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Description

A recipe for Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping that is hearty, delicious and easy to prep ahead of time.

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Ingredients

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FOR THE FILLING

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
• 4 small red or yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 2 small or one large purple top turnip, diced (you can also use more potatoes in place of the turnips)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 leek, white part sliced thin
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 lb mushrooms, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Arrowroot flour
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• FOR THE MASHED CAULIFLOWER TOPPING
  1 head cauliflower, quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish.
   Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the cauliflower.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, turnips, carrots, leeks, celery and mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften. Give this about 6-7 minutes. Give it a good dose of salt and pepper.
3. When vegetables begin to soften, add garlic, meat of choice, and Italian seasoning. Break up meat with a spoon.
4. While the meat is cooking, place the cauliflower in the pot of salted water along with the two peeled garlic cloves. Boil until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain, reserving garlic.
   In a small bowl, whisk together Arrowroot flour and broth until smooth.
5. Once the meat is browned and no longer pink, add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add broth mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   Spread the meat and veggie mixture in prepared baking dish.
6. Place the drained cauliflower and garlic into the blender or food processor with a generous dash of salt. Note that you’ll want to make sure to vent the cauliflower if you’re using a blender. Start on low and work up to a higher speed, until mixture is creamy. I usually don’t need any additional liquid here but if you do, add a little broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Using a spatula, spread the mashed cauliflower over the meat and vegetable mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until starting to brown and bubble.

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Notes

Recipe adapted from Fat Loss Foodies.

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