Keto Shepherd S Pie Cottage Pie

It’s topped with creamy mashed cauliflower instead of the traditional mashed potatoes. It’s wonderfully flavorful and satiating! I love making hearty casseroles, and this is one of my favorites. It’s wonderfully filling, my entire family loves it, and it makes a complete meal, so I don’t have to bother with sides (unless I want to). Plus, I love how this keto shepherd’s pie is just (OK, almost) as delicious as the traditional pie. Another big plus: it’s very easy to make, and the leftovers keep well for several days and taste great!

Expert tip

If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can speed things up by broiling the casserole instead of baking it. Vegetables: Cauliflower, onion, garlic, and spinach. Fats: Olive oil and butter. Ground beef: Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb while cottage pie is made with ground beef. Since the young ones in my family are not fans of lamb, I use lean ground beef (85/15) in this recipe. I don’t recommend going any leaner than that. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and garlic powder. Egg yolks: For the mashed cauliflower. They make it extra creamy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. Here’s an overview of the steps: You start by preparing the mashed cauliflower topping. Steam cauliflower florets in the microwave, drain them, then mash them in your food processor with butter, seasonings, and egg yolks. Next, make the pie filling. Cook ground beef, onions, and spinach in some olive oil. You’ll need to add the spinach in batches. Drain, then season the mixture and cook briefly to meld the flavors. Transfer the beef mixture to a baking dish, top it with the mashed cauliflower, and bake until the cauliflower begins to brown, about 20 minutes in a 400°F oven. Let the pie rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. If you opt for broiling, broil it 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) just until the cauliflower begins to brown. In my oven, this takes about 5 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

You can use ground lamb, ground chicken, or ground turkey instead of ground beef. If using poultry, make sure to use dark meat and not the white meat, which is too dry.Instead of spinach, you can incorporate cut green beans into the beef mixture.You can mash the cauliflower with softened cream cheese instead of butter.

Serving suggestions

This pie is a complete meal, much like a casserole. So you don’t really need to serve it with any side dishes. Although sometimes I do serve it with a simple arugula salad (which nicely balances out the richness of the dish), or with any of these vegetable sides:

Roasted carrotsBaked shiitake mushroomsRoasted leeksSteamed cabbageRoasted butternut squash