Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional English dish. In Britain it is generally made with lamb or mutton; in this recipe I have made a simple ground beef shepherd’s pie and added bacon for extra flavor.
Shepard’s pie is often referred to as “cottage pie,” by the English; it is a casserole made of cooked meat and vegetables that is then topped with mashed potatoes and baked. I have made this dish into a Paleo casserole by using Mashed Cauliflower for the topping. This reduces the glycemic index of the dish and increases the nutritional content, since cauliflower is a super food.
I based my recipe for ground beef Shepherd’s Pie, on this Shepherd’s Pie recipe from functionalfoodie.com. As you can see, I made some adjustments. First, I eliminated the tomato sauce, as research from Dr. Loren Cordain points to the possibility that tomatoes contain immune disrupting lectins (I have therefore eliminated them from my diet as I have MS). I also did not use coconut milk in the mashed cauliflower topping, and skipped the Worcester sauce (since I’m too lazy to read ingredients and prefer to use the simple spices in my spice rack).
I hope you enjoy this gluten free comfort food as much as I have!
Paleo Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pound turkey or pork bacon, cut into ½-inch slices
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1 pound organic grass fed ground beef
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup Chicken Stock or Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
- 2 large heads cauliflower, trimmed, chopped and steamed until very soft
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a very large frying pan
- Sauté onion for 15 minutes until soft
- Add bacon pieces to pan and sauté until cooked, about 10 minutes
- Add carrots and celery to pan and sauté in bacon fat for 10 minutes until soft
- Add ground beef to pan and sauté until brown, just a few minutes
- Season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika
- Add chicken broth and cook down broth until 60% evaporated
- Place cauliflower in food processor and puree with olive oil until smooth
- Pour ground beef mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Pour mashed cauliflower over beef mixture
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes
- Serve
I found that in my fridge this Shepard’s Pie kept for close to a week. I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What is your favorite gluten free comfort food?
Lynsi says
Delicious! Only Shepherd Pie recipe I found without the tomato paste that causes inflammation in me. I reduced the onion to half and used frozen organic peas and carrots to cut prep time. So good. Even the kids loved it! 10/10 recommend!
Elana says
Lynsi, thanks for letting me know the kids loved this and that it is 10/10!
Kate Torgerson says
This recipe is SO GOOD!! My family has been making it for years. Our one and only complaint it that it takes large pots and pans and a very long time to prep. We usually have to have at least three people preparing it or else someone will be spending three hours in the kitchen. So we rarely have it! But when we do, it’s a treat.
Elana says
Kate, thanks for letting me know this recipe is SO GOOD! Yes, this is one of my most complex recipes :-)
Aubrey says
I gave this recipe a big thumbs up in 2019, when my oldest child was 5 years old. Fast forward to 2023 and he is now 9 years old and helping in the kitchen. This was his first recipe to cook on his own! All I did was pop it into the oven since he can’t quite reach safely. This is still a family favorite, but for my oldest child, it is the first recipe in his repertoire – extra special!
Elana says
Aubrey, that is so amazing to hear, love that your son cooked this on his own, so special :-)