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?
MsJ says
Pretty please fix the spelling! SHEPHERD is correct–SHEPARD is not! In the recipe it’s right half the time and wrong the other half. Sorry, but that drives me NUTS! ;)
Abbie says
Shephard’s Pie (been making it for years with mashed cauliflower), Meatloaf, Meatballs, Chili’s, Pot Pies, and Moussaka. Those are what I have been craving this winter!
Julia says
My gluten free comfort food is paleo banana bread, your recipe in fact! I slather on some nut butter, and occasionally slice bananas and a little honey on top. It’s SO delicious! Can’t wait to try this shepherds pie!
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom says
Elana,
Just wanted to mention that I read about your MS – I hadn’t seen that before.
I am sure that you have looked into tons of alternative options, but I have been doing Nutritional Balancing and I have heard my practitioner talk about heavy metals being implicated in this disease. If you are so inclined I would be more than happy to talk with you about what I am doing anytime.
Take good care,
Adrienne
Stacey LoSacco says
I would love to know more about Nutritional Balancing. Where can I find info on it? thanks
Shirley says
I have made this before and it is great using the cauliflower…
Becca says
WOW. this looks incredible. thanks elana!
Kalyn says
Elana, this sounds delicious. I’ve made shepard’s pie numerous times with lentils, instead of beef.
HOWEVER, if you’re serious about eliminating the nightshades from your diet you might want to nix the paprika – it’s a pepper and therefore part of the nightshade family.
Thank you for everything you do, I so appreciate your creativity and generosity.
Kerri says
Elana, So glad you enjoyed the recipe and customized it to your needs. I found myself eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner too! Cheers! -Kerri @ thefunctionalfoodie.com
Lynnette says
Elana,
I’m ecstatic about this recipe. YUM! My boyfriend is a hunter and I’ll be making this with minced elk. And bacon will add some fat for flavor. All the variations of mashes sound fun to try.
Maybe we Paleo eaters ought to be the hunters! Elk is delish, way low fat, and naturally grass fed.
Lynnette
Elese says
Elana, thank you so much for sharing. This looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try it out this weekend…warm, nutritious, and comforting. :)