Ewww. It’s cold and rainy and wet around here and all the gray is making me tired. And hungry. But since I am really trying to stick to my healthy January, even my comfort food needs to fit the clean eating bill. So for today, I reinvented Shepards pie as squeaky clean as I could make it!

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

 

I used super lean grass fed ground beef and tons of fresh vegetables to make the shepards pie hearty and nutritious. And then instead of mashed potatoes- I made a cauliflower mash that is sooooo tasty. It gives that creamy mashed potato feel and tons of flavor. Pia said she actually likes the mashed cauliflower more than mashed potatoes. Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

It felt like the perfect rainy night dinner when we had it after a long weekend. I served it up with a green salad and a toasted gluten free baguette for the kids and it was awesome.

I had a tiny amount of leftovers for lunch left (the four of us ate almost the entire shepards pie! Oink oink) and they were so good the day after too. Hope you love it!

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • kosher salt
  • Whipped Cauliflower:
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • kosher salt
Instructions
  1. For the whipped cauliflower:
  2. Bring a large saucepan filled half way with salted water to a simmer and add the cauliflower. Add a lid to the pan and steam for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and add it to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth and season with kosher salt. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  4. For the Shepard Pie
  5. In a 10” shallow braiser or skillet over medium heat add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until mostly cooked through and then add the onion. Cook another 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
  6. Add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix it into the vegetables and beef.
  7. Add the frozen peas and 3 ½ cups of beef broth and 2 bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
  8. Mix the ½ cup of beef broth with the cornstarch in a Tupperware and shake well until smooth. Pour the slurry in and stir it in well. Cook while occasionally stirring for another 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season to taste with kosher salt.
  9. Spoon the cauliflower in scoops to the top of the skillet. Bake the skillet uncovered for 20 minutes and then take it out when it is piping hot and the cauliflower is golden around the edges. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

 

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Categorized: Dinner, Paleo
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Ewww. It’s cold and rainy and wet around here and all the gray is making me tired. And hungry. But since I am really trying to stick to my healthy January, even my comfort food needs to fit the clean eating bill. So for today, I reinvented Shepards pie as squeaky clean as I could make it!

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

 

I used super lean grass fed ground beef and tons of fresh vegetables to make the shepards pie hearty and nutritious. And then instead of mashed potatoes- I made a cauliflower mash that is sooooo tasty. It gives that creamy mashed potato feel and tons of flavor. Pia said she actually likes the mashed cauliflower more than mashed potatoes. Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

It felt like the perfect rainy night dinner when we had it after a long weekend. I served it up with a green salad and a toasted gluten free baguette for the kids and it was awesome.

I had a tiny amount of leftovers for lunch left (the four of us ate almost the entire shepards pie! Oink oink) and they were so good the day after too. Hope you love it!

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Light Shepards Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • kosher salt
  • Whipped Cauliflower:
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • kosher salt
Instructions
  1. For the whipped cauliflower:
  2. Bring a large saucepan filled half way with salted water to a simmer and add the cauliflower. Add a lid to the pan and steam for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and add it to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth and season with kosher salt. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  4. For the Shepard Pie
  5. In a 10” shallow braiser or skillet over medium heat add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until mostly cooked through and then add the onion. Cook another 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
  6. Add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix it into the vegetables and beef.
  7. Add the frozen peas and 3 ½ cups of beef broth and 2 bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
  8. Mix the ½ cup of beef broth with the cornstarch in a Tupperware and shake well until smooth. Pour the slurry in and stir it in well. Cook while occasionally stirring for another 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season to taste with kosher salt.
  9. Spoon the cauliflower in scoops to the top of the skillet. Bake the skillet uncovered for 20 minutes and then take it out when it is piping hot and the cauliflower is golden around the edges. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

 

Recipe by Heather Christo (http://heatherchristo.com)