Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

shepherd's pie in a skillet with wooden spoon

Whole New Mom - https://wholenewmom.com

Course: Entree

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

Keyword: paleo shepherd's pie

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 42

Total Time: 1 2

Servings:

Calories: 286kcal

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

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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.

Nutrition