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?
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Captain Bob Gribben says
Just accessed your website following a tip from a food guru who is guiding me through a sugar/carb detox period and now entering week three so was struggling with recipe ideas, until I saw this. Really looking forward to trying it out.
jonireneez says
When I was in England, they did carrots, onion and peas (peas would replace the celery in this recipe). I love the texture and taste of peas. Also, in England they use lamb for Shepherd’s Pie and beef for Cottage Pie. So many options, all of them delicious.
joanne says
I like to gently brown some butter and pour that over the top of the shepherd’s pie … browned butter adds such a delicious flavor to the meal. I’m trying to eat “Low Glycemic Load” foods; that’s what brought me here. I like the idea of using cauliflower in place of the potatoes. I’ll give it a try as soon as I get cauliflower and if I remember I’ll check back.
Thanks again!
Joanne @ Frugal Home and Health
zo says
Sounds lovely. In Britain we call this recipe with lamb meat shepherds pie, and with beef cottage pie. :)
james says
I love a good shepard’s pie! I can’t wait to try this. I’m excited to have this comforting casserole in my fridge! Thanks!
Dawn says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My 11 year old daughter and I just started following the Paleo diet due to food allergies. I came across your recipe and made it this evening. It was a huge hit and I will definitely make it again.
Mathews says
YUMMY!! once i have tasted this!
Nichole says
Actually… shepherds pie uses lamb and cottage pie is beef. They are actually separate dishes. So this is actually a recipe for cottage pie.
Joann Partin says
hi elana. thank you so much for this site. i have been eating gluten free for approx 3 yrs now. i have a sensitivity to gluten, however, this past year i have noticed that dairy and grains are also making me feel ill. i suffer from severe allergies (seasonal) and sinus and ear issues. i have today decided to cut out grains and dairy. i have not yet had the change for look further into your site/cookbooks also, but do you have calorie/fat info for your recipes. thank you again. i’m so hoping all these hard/but needed diet changes will help me. i too have fibromyalgia too w/other health issues. i plan to buy your cookbooks. joann
Mary says
Have you had a test for Silent Reflux, as it can lead to sinus and ear problems and I suggest you take a look at the Fast Tract Diet …. tells one why low carb is good for many problems.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me for years!
This recipe looks amazing and I am going to try it.
LIsa says
Doesnt matter if you call this cottage pie or Shepards pit it is still a very good recipe that tastes fabulour and is one of the best dinners we have had that is Paleo! Thank you so much!