This Paleo Shepherd's Pie Recipe is loaded with nutritious roasted veggies and topped with a savory cauliflower topping, making it a fantastic low-carb alternative to traditional Shepherd's Pie.
This is a great one pan meal with rich flavor you're sure to love and it's adaptable to almost any special diet.
Finding recipes that are kid-friendly and also healthy can be a challenge. If you have kids, you know how helpful it is to have easy healthy meals that everyone in the family can enjoy so that you aren't needing to or tempted to make multiple meals every night.
Some of our family favorites that I have shared on the blog include this Pakistani Kima, Gluten-free Chili Mac, Baked Chicken Nuggets, and this healthy Egg Roll in a Bowl, but this recipe for Low-Carb Shepherd's Pie Recipe, is sure to become another one that we really love.
This shepherd's pie recipe is the creation of a healthy-living blogger friend who used to contribute here, Candace from Candida-free Candee. She created some other great recipes on this site like Key Lime Popsicles, Garlic & Chive Vegan Cheese, and these fantastic Homemade Gummies.
I'm so glad she shared this recipe with us--I just LOVE the added touch of the roasted veggies to bring extra flavor to an already delicious comforting meal.
Truth is, we Shepherd's Pie so much so that I have two versions on my site. I have a Vegan Adzuki Bean Shepherd's Pie Recipe on my site already (my apologies for the not-so-great photo in advance--I will get to them soon) but I really do love Candace's twist on this traditional recipe.
Shepherd's pie typically is topped with mashed potatoes, which, while totally yummy, is a little heavy on the carbs for those of us watching our carb intake. However, whether or not you are watching your carbs, you will love this reduced-carb version for sure.
This Low-Carb Shepherd's Pie is Make Ahead Friendly
I like to prepare meals ahead of time whenever possible so when things are busier I don’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen.
This low-carb shepherd's pie is a great make ahead dish to add to your family's recipe box. You can chop and roast the vegetables and even cook the cauliflower ahead of time, making meal time easy peasy.
Some other good prep-ahead, make-ahead, or easy meals on my site are:
Indian Lentils
Sweet Potato and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata
Dairy-free Quiche with Quinoa Crust (grain-free option)
Vegetables and beef after cooking down the added liquids
Where Did the Name Shepherd's Pie Come From?
Here is some of the history of one of Ireland’s most beloved dishes.
Shepherd’s Pie first came about some time in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Housewives back then were on the frugal side and as such, they were looking for ways to incorporate leftovers into a meal so as not to waste any food. Reusing leftovers was hard then as it is now, however, the shepherd's pie is the delicious result of a frugal necessity.
Recipes for shepherd's pie vary quite a bit, but they are all fundamentally the same. There’s a crust of mashed potatoes on the top and bottom and inside there is minced meat. Cottage Pie is similar and uses beef while a Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb or mutton.
In that sense, this recipe for Paleo Shepherd's Pie is truly a Cottage Pie, but I'm not telling :).
A Different Kind of Shepherd’s Pie
Roasted Topping
In more ways than one, this is not your typical shepherd’s pie. This particular creation is full of roasted veggies (so it helps you up your vegetable intake) plus it is a great meal for those who are trying to remove grains and starches either completely or partially from their diets.
Shepherd’s pie is a great winter comfort food, it is so warm and filling, however, it can be a little bland at times so the additional veggies & the roasting really help to mix things up.
Adding roasted veggies to the filling was an easy choice to add more flavor. Roasting is so quick and adds so much to dishes. In fact, once you've roasted a few veggies (like these Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, for example), you're sure to want to roast everything!
To make traditional shepherd's pie low carb, you simply ditch the potatoes and use cauliflower for the topping.
Yup, cauliflower.
Most likely if you've been eating low carb, or on the AIP diet, you've seen cauliflower used as a substitution in many recipes--for Pizza Crusts, or as an alternative for potatoes like in this Faux-tato Salad or in these Keto Mashed Potatoes. However, in this recipe, I'm doing something different with the cauliflower to make it even better.
Even if you're not a cauliflower lover, or have tried cauliflower mash or cauliflower rice and haven't been a fan, try this recipe since in this recipe it's not only the veggies in the Low-carb Shepherd's Pie that are roasted, but the cauliflower is too! Roasting this white cruciferous veggie adds SO much flavor; you really must try it. Even cauliflower haters will be clamoring for more.
Flavored Topping
Additionally, for more flavor, the cauliflower topping also includes nutritional yeast.
Yes, yeast.
This is a bit of a controversial topic, but even if you are suffering from candida, never fear. This yeast is deactivated and non-pathogenic and does not feed candida. However, some practitioners say that if you are dealing with a very severe case of candida of candida, then it's possible that nutritional yeast might be something to avoid.
At the same times, the word “yeast” still freaks some people out a bit, so that's the case with you, and you are feeling cautious, just leave it out. The cauliflower is pretty delicious on it’s own.
It is a good idea, if you are have MTHFR, to avoid fortified nutritional yeast and go with a non-fortified nutritional yeast. MTHFR is a genetic condition which leads to people having detox issues
Can You Make This on the Stove?
Yes, you sure can. This dish can be made either in the oven or on the stovetop.
As noted in the recipe card, after cooking the cauliflower and other ingredients, simply place all of the ingredients in a skillet or skillets.
Cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower topping is heated through.
Time Saving Tips
This Whole30 Shepherd's Pie recipe is a time saver. Roast veggies for a few recipes at a time you can really minimize time spent in the kitchen.
While the components of this recipe take a few extra steps I think you will agree that it is well worth it. For extra time saving make a couple of these pies, pop them in the freezer, and heat them up on a cold day!
Recipe Notes
- Pepper Options: For peppers, using one each of red, orange, and yellow makes for a colorful meal and is the version used for these photos
- Garlic Tip: See Easiest Way to Peel Garlic for a great tip on peeling garlic.
- Vegan Option: If vegan, use about 4 cups of your bean of choice for the meat, but de gas the beans first.
- Kombucha Vinegar: The original recipe called for kombucha vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, so you can use kombucha vinegar if you like, but it is very hard to find. You can of course make it yourself.
- Bone Broth Options: Here are some tips on how to make bone broth. Also, you can use this Vegetable Broth Mix for a vegan version. If you'd prefer to buy bone broth instead of making your own, here is a great place to do so.
- Skillet or Pie Pan?: Note that I make this recipe often in the cast iron skillet that you see in the photos. Another skillet can be used as well, but I love how the recipe turns out (and looks) in this skillet.
Paleo Shepherd's Pie with Roasted Veggies (grain & dairy free, vegan option)
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower (roughly chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 3 bell peppers (large dice - omit for AIP)
- 3 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.5 pounds ground meat (beef, venison or lamb)
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped and loosely packed)
- 1/4-1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup homemade beef broth
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or to taste)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Place 2 rimmed baking sheets to preheat in the oven. (optional, but helps cook the veggies faster and gives them a nice roasted bottom.)
- Take chopped cauliflower and toss it in a large bowl with 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add in nutritional yeast (if using) and salt. Toss to coat.
- In another bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, and peppers in a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Once oven is heated, take out baking sheets and line with parchment paper, if desired. Place in an even layer the cauliflower on one sheet and the rest of the veggies on the other.
- Bake until nicely roasted, about 20-25 minutes.
- While baking, saute garlic in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add celery and cook until slightly softened.
- Add in beef and brown, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Once veggies are done, remove them (except for cauliflower) from their baking sheets and add to the beef mixture. Pour in broth and vinegar and simmer until cooked down slightly. Stir in parsley.
- While mixture is cooking down, place the cauliflower in a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) or food processor and puree. You may need to add more yeast or salt at this point.
- Divide the beef mixture evenly among two 8" pie plates (or use a cast iron skillet of the same size) and top with the roasted cauliflower puree.
- Bake at 375° for 15-25 minutes or until heated and the topping has a golden colour. (colour will be lighter if yeast is omitted).
- Alternatively, this dish can also be prepared on the stovetop. Instead of using pie plates, use a cast iron skillet or other stovetop safe option. Cover and heat over medium until the cauliflower topping is heated through.
Nutrition
I hope this Paleo Shepherd's Pie Recipe makes its way on to your dinner (or lunch) table soon and I would love to hear how you like it.
Enjoy and be comforted!
So my oven just died on me. Is there another way to make this? ?
I just updated the recipe with an option for you - let me know if that helps!
This recipe was amazing!! I kinda tweaked it a lil due to using what I just happen to have. No celery, added squash and mushrooms to the vegetable mix that went in With onion and peppers.
Oh soooo happy to hear that! We love it too! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I am working on more recipes---one of them is a mushroom soup that is amazing. Stay tuned :).
This is one of my son's favorite meals. I'll have to try your version, it looks delicious! I never thought of adding nutritional yeast to the topping - what a great idea!!!
Thank you so much, Cassidy! I hope he likes it done this way!
Shepherd's pie is my brother's favorite meal. I'll have to try this recipe when he comes to visit in January. The nutritional yeast in the mashed cauli sounds interesting!
Thank you so much, Amanda! I so hope he likes it and the nutritional yeast is amazing. I have used it in many applications. Like in this popcorn: https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/dorito-flavored-popcorn-dairy-free/
The topping looks so incredible creamy! I've made a 50/50 cauliflower/potato topping for shepherd's pie, but haven't dared to go all cauliflower yet.
Thank you so much! I think you'll like it!
Love everything about this shepherd's pie! Looks perfect for dinner on a chilly winter night! So cozy and comforting!
Thanks so much, Erin--we sure need the cozy warmth here!
Sounds really yummy. Is this a stand alone lunch/dinner? What do you recommend as an accompaniment?
Thanks and yes it could stand alone due to all of the vegetables in it but personally I would add more as a side and maybe a salad with a healthy oil based dressing. Hope you like it!
no broth needed, still slightly soupy but roasting made it yummmmm. i used ground pork too & thyme, marjoram, oregano and rosemary as i wanted it highly flavorful. i used 1 head of cauli, i think 2 would have been too much as it was cauli-heavy with the 1.
good take on shepherds pie.
Thanks!!!
This sounds amazing!! We need to try it this fall.
Hope you enjoy it!!
Looks great, is probably all kinds of yummy and healthy. BUT! Did you know that carb percentage of cauliflower is almost the same as in a bagel? Here are a couple of links: cauliflower - https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2390/2 bagel - https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2390/2 It's just that the carbs in cauliflower are mostly fiber and in a bagel it's starch and sugar. So OK, it's a low starch recipe but low carb? No more so than with a grain crust. When will people stop labeling every Paleo recipe "low carb"? Carbs are not bad, you just have to be picky about the kinds you consume and their sources. For that you have to know the kinds. There's Internet, run the search.
P.S. I know I'm about to be publicly hated and flogged about now. But gosh it felt good to rant! Allergic to ignorance, makes me break out in (expletive deleted by blog owner). Nothing personal, I'm not perfect either.
Hi there. The issue is the amount of carbs and not just the percentage. (by the way, you had the cauliflower links for both of your links). For the cauliflower, there are only 5 g in 1 cup. For a small 3" bagel, there are 29 grams. So that is a huge difference. Here is the link I used: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/4818/2
It is for sure low carb due to the cauliflower. I agree that not all carbs are bad. I watch them but I still eat them and some days I eat more than others.
No flogging or hatred - :). Feel free to respond is you have further comments. I do hope that you will not insult me if you make further comments, however. I am not ignorant but I do make mistakes. Well, I am ignorant about some things. Thanks again.
This does look good, mostly, and I love the idea of a cauliflower mash topping! What a creative way to sneak in even more veggies! Unfortunately no matter how much I try, I just can't stand the taste of bell peppers and celery. What veggies would you suggest as a substitute? Broccoli maybe? I know peas and carrots is traditional.
Broccoli would be amazing! You could even do something like jicama or more onions - there are all kinds of options. How about green beans?
Ooh, I have butternut squash in the freezer, I am going to have to try it!
Yea !!!
Butternut squash with garlic also makes a DELICIOUS replacement for potatoes on shepherd's pie.
Sounds great!
nutritional count in this sheppard pie please! Thanks
Hi there. Sorry but I am not doing nutritional counts yet but I have heard you can plug the ingredients into certain sites to do that - are you aware of those? I don't remember the names now but I can try to find them if need be.
Hello and thanks for this great recipe! I followed the directions very closely but I think adding that much beef broth and vinegar isn't a good idea because even after letting it simmer for a half hour, it was very soupy and I had to drain it off before putting it in the pan, which probably meant most of the flavor went down the drain! Nonetheless, it was a fantastic dish that my fiancé LOVED, as we're both on the low carb way of eating! The roasted cauliflower really made the difference in flavor as opposed to just cooking and mashing. I would never have thought of that! So I was wondering if anyone has any nutritional info for this recipe per serving?
Hi Sarah,
So sorry yours stayed soupy! I'm wondering if the fat content of the meat that makes a difference? I do cook my meat until there is no "liquid" left before I added the broth and vinegar. I will have to try it again and see what happens! I don't have the nutritional breakdown but I think sites like cronometer allow you to input your own recipes. I hope that helps and I am glad it all worked out in the end and you enjoyed the dish!
I haven’t tasted the final dish, simply taste tested during the process. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes, so I substituted a can of fire roasted tomatoes. I think this is going to be a hit, however, it is a very time consuming process.
I am waiting to hear hubbie’s comments after dinner this evening.
To thicken up the sauce a bit, I added 6 tablespoons of chia seed. This is advantageous as I am always looking to add good fat, low carb and fiber to my entrees.
Hope it turned out well!!!
This looks fantastic! I am adding this to my February Meal Plan.
I would love to have you hop over and share with us at Tell Me About It Tuesday (https://www.sweetsillysara.com/2014/01/tell-me-about-it-tuesday-3.html)
What do you do with the vinegar and parsley?
Hi Julian,
I apologize for the oversight. They are to be added in step 9. This has been updated!
I looked at a few other recipes and assumed as much, it's in the oven now and smells amazing! I had to add a little arrowroot powder because the filling was still quite runny after 30 mins cooking down. I realize that adding starch kind of defeats the purpose of avoiding potatoes, but alas I'm too hungry to wait. Agar-agar would probably be a healthier choice.
Great recipe!
This looks really delicious! I've been playing around with a grain free shepherds pie, but looks like I don't need to try to come up with a recipe anymore since yours looks perfect 🙂
-Cassidy
Hi Cassidy! I think it's pretty drool worthy myself. Look forward to hearing what you think.
That is so kind Cassidy! I hope you enjoy it!
We have tried Shepherd's Pie using lamb because my husband can't eat beef or pork. I have not used all cauliflower, but part potatoes with the skin and part cauliflower and used coconut oil and almond milk for the mash, and used salt, pepper and nutmeg. I used chicken broth, and gluten free soy sauce, along with mushrooms, carrots, celery, tomato paste, along with a few green beans or peas, salt and pepper to taste, along with rosemary to simmer the deeply browned lamb and veggies, and thickened with arrowroot, this went into a 9 x 13 pan and was baked until the top was slightly browned and the gravy was bubbly.
We also like chicken pot pie, but used the mashed potatoes and cauliflower for the topping. A roast chicken simmered in coconut milk is also pure comfort food.
YUM!
Sounds delicious!