Paleo Shepherd’s Pie (Easy Low-Carb with Cauliflower Mash)

This Paleo Shepherd’s Pie is a healthy, low-carb comfort food loaded with nutritious roasted veggies and topped with a savory cauliflower mash.

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 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.

Truth is, we love Shepherd's Pie so much so that I have two versions on my site including this Vegan Adzuki Bean Shepherd's Pie Recipe on my site already (my apologies for the not-so-great photo in advance).

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.  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.

More Good Prep-ahead, Make-ahead, or Easy Meals:

• Indian Lentils – so easy and delicious
• Sweet Potato and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata – a great lighter meal or breakfast on the run
• Dairy-free Quiche with Quinoa Crust (grain-free option) – a delicious twist on traditional quiche

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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, shepherd's pie is the delicious result of a frugal necessity.

Shepherd's pie is typically minced meat with mashed potato topping, while cottage pie is similar and uses beef while shepherd’s pie uses lamb or mutton.

So actually, this recipe for is truly a Cottage Pie, but I'm not telling.

A Different Kind of Shepherd’s Pie

This shepherd's pie is special due to not only the low-carb topping, but mostly because of the roasted vegetables in the filling but also in the topping.

Roasting makes all vegetables better like with these Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Oven Roasted Rainbow Carrots.

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!

Cauliflower is used for making low-carb pizza crust, or as an alternative for potatoes like in this Faux-tato Salad or in these Keto Mashed Potatoes. However, roasting it for this recipe makes it so much better.

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Additionally, for more flavor, the cauliflower topping also includes nutritional yeast.

Nutritional yeast adds a savory, slightly cheesy flavor to the cauliflower topping, but it’s completely optional. If you’re sensitive to it or unsure, feel free to leave it out—the recipe is still delicious without it.

Can You Make This Shepherd's Pie 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.

Cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower topping is heated through.

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Recipe Notes

• Broth: Homemade beef broth or bone broth is great; vegetable broth works if that’s what you have.
• Vinegar (ACV vs kombucha vinegar): The original recipe used kombucha vinegar, which is usually mellower than standard apple cider vinegar (5%). For best results, add vinegar off heat at the end, starting with 1 tsp, then taste and add more only if needed (max 1 tbsp).
• Nutritional yeast: Optional. Start with 1–2 tbsp—some brands taste stronger and can read bitter if you overdo it.
• Watery cauliflower mash?: Roast cauliflower until browned and steam has cooked off. If it’s still loose, spread the purée on a sheet pan and bake 5–8 minutes at 425°F to dry it out, then re-blend.
• Pepper options: One each of red, orange, and yellow makes it extra colorful (photo version).
• Vinegar options: 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.
• Broth: Homemade beef broth or other homemade broth is great; vegetable broth works if that’s what you have.

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie (Easy Low-Carb with Cauliflower Mash)

This Paleo Shepherd's Pie Recipe is loaded with yummy roasted veggies and topped with a delectable savory cauliflower topping.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Entree

Cuisine: AIP, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, whole30

Keyword: paleo shepherd's pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 2 minutes minutes

Servings: 9

Calories: 286kcal

Ingredients

• 2 heads cauliflower roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery finely chopped
• 3 bell peppers large dice
• 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 tablespoon kombucha vinegar or apple cider vinegar (5%)
• 1 cup homemade beef broth
• 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons 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 tablespoon 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 simmer 5–10 minutes to reduce. Turn off heat, then add vinegar 1 tsp at a time to taste. 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. If the mash seems watery, spread it on the sheet pan and roast 5–8 minutes to dry it out, then re-blend.
• 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.

Notes

• • Apple cider vinegar: Add vinegar off heat at the end, starting with 1 tsp (max 1 tbsp). Kombucha vinegar is milder than ACV (5%).
  • Nutritional yeast: optional—start with 1–2 tbsp. If mash is watery, dry it on a sheet pan 5–8 min at 425°F, then re-blend.
  • Cauliflower mash tip: roast until browned and dry to prevent watery “mash.”
  • 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
  • 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. 

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Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 859mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2046IU | Vitamin C: 126mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg | Net Carbs: 8g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

The above nutrition facts are estimates only. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer here.

I'd love to hear how you like this after you've tried it!