Low Carb and Macro Friendly Shepard’s Pie!
I was looking up something different to make this St. Patty's Day Wknd and I came across this yummy comfort “Shepard's Pie*” recipe.
BONUS: You can make this up to a day prior to serving and just warm it in the oven 30 minutes before sitting down to eat.
BONUS: You can make this up to a day prior to serving and just warm it in the oven 30 minutes before sitting down to eat.
Did you know that this “recipe” dates back to the 1700's when it was primarily eaten by the poor who used leftover meat and mashed potatoes which at the time were inexpensive??
Actually, for almost 100 years it was called Cottage Pie, referencing the cottages poor people who ate the dish lived in. As the dish become more popular with the middle class in the late 1800's, the name was changed to Shepherd's Pie.
Nowadays, although the two pies share many of the same ingredients and methods of preparation, Shepherd's Pie contains ground lamb while Cottage Pie is ground beef.
So basically my parents lied to me my whole childhood because I can tell you we never had lamb…in fact…I think my mom used hotdogs…? Isn't that true mom??
This lightened up version of classic Cottage Pie has all of the comforting rich flavors of the original dish, but with a low-carb creamy cauliflower puree on top.
Ingredients:
1.5lbs ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 onion finely diced
2/3 cup frozen peas
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp red vinegar
½ cup beef stock
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 frozen bag cauliflower rice
1 clove garlic minced
2/3 cup almond milk
1 tbsp butter or ghee/coconut oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
How to cook it:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit)
2. In a pot on medium heat, sauté the ground beef in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Add the diced carrots, onions and celery to the pot and cook until the onions become translucent-ish.
3. Once the beef has browned, add the peas, thyme, beef stock, red vinegar, tomato paste and cumin and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, season with salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid has begun to evaporate.
4. While the mixture is cooking, steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave. Once cooked through, drain and place in a blender or food processor along with the almond milk, crushed garlic, butter and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
5. To “assemble”: put the ground beef mixture on the bottom of a baking dish or cast iron pan. Top with the cauliflower blend and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top has turned a golden brown and you can see a little bubbling.
Optional: Sprinkle chopped parsley on the top.
NUTRITION
Calories: 550
Carbohydrates: 12g
Protein: 36g
Fat: 24g
