This keto Shepherd’s pie is prepared with minced lamb or beef, topped with a garlic cauli-mash and finished with melted Irish cheddar cheese. A hearty dish that is both comforting and delicious.
Shepherd’s pie has been around for hundreds of years originating from the British Isles. Households looking to make use of leftovers would prepare it using meat and potatoes. Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb and when using beef, called cottage pie. Before the advent of machinery you would need to chop the meat by hand. It wasn’t until the introduction of the mincing machine that minced (or ground) meat was readily accessible.
These days, you don’t have to leave your little ‘cottage’ to make yourself a minced meat pie. So it’s appropriate this beloved dish has endured well into the modern age of convenience.
a great meal to make when you need a little comfort from your food
However, we’ll need to break tradition a little so that our keto Shepherd’s pie fits into a low carb diet. Since potatoes aren’t widely considered low carb, cauliflower works great as a mashed substitute for these starchy spuds. Potatoes are good and all, but this has all the flavor and a fraction of the carbs!
This dish is also super convenient as you can make all the items ahead of time. In fact, I made both the meat and “potatoes” a couple days in advance. I then assembled and baked it in the oven when I was ready to eat. It’ll always taste better when it’s fresh, but the option of leftovers makes this dish a great meal prep addition. If you do plan on using leftovers, you’ll need to bake it an extra ten or so minutes to make sure it’s properly warmed through.
I’ve included the use of frozen peas and carrots. I know carrots are a divisive food amongst the keto community. I personally include them in my soups and stews as I don’t worry too much about it. You’d be eating a very small amount in a single serving so it wouldn’t really affect you. However, if you’d rather leave the carrots out, they’re purely optional. I like them though, so they stay.
So whether you’re making this from scratch or using the leftovers you have on hand, this keto Shepherd’s pie is a great meal to make when you need a little comfort from your food.
Keto Irish Cheddar Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 1.5 lbs lamb or beef ground
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 tsp thyme chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 oz peas & carrots frozen
Cauliflower Mash
- 28 oz riced cauliflower package
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 5 oz Irish cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Filling
- Heat butter in a large sauté pan and add chopped onion, celery and salt stirring until vegetables are tender (8-10 minutes). Add garlic, thyme, tomato paste, mustard and mix until combined.
- Add beef or lamb to pan with Worcestershire sauce and cook until no longer pink (6-8 minutes). Add beef stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add frozen vegetables and stir until warmed through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cauliflower Mash
- Heat butter or oil in a large pan. Add riced cauliflower and cook 3-5 minutes until cauliflower has lightened in color. Add garlic and cook additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add cream cheese and stir until combined completely.
- Add cauliflower mixture to food processor and blend until smooth. I like to keep a little texture to my mash, so I pulse it lightly to my liking.
Assembling the Pie
- Pre-heat oven to 450
- Place meat mixture into an oven safe dish and cover with a layer of cauliflower mash.
- Sprinkle top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake until the topping has browned (about 10 minutes). You can also place under the broiler for a faster browning if your ingredients are still warm.
Do you think it would work to use half beef and half lamb?
I’m not a big fan lamb, so I prefer using beef. But I would think using half & half would certainly make it less “gamey.” Since both lamb and beef can be cooked to the same temperatures (minimum of medium rare) you can add both to the pan at the same time.