Paleo Shepherd’s Pie
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What do you think about those “Tasty” videos that are all over Facebook these days? Well I got the brilliant idea to make one this week to showcase this delicious Paleo Shepherd’s Pie, but I did something wrong. Okay, I must have done a bunch of somethings wrong because the camera did not record…nope, not a thing. Sooooo, I don’t have a cool video a-n-d I do not have my standard step-by-step photos either…..
While some people complain about the amount of images in my posts, most of you actually enjoy the step-by-step images so I have ignored those comments, lol So what does that mean for this recipe? It means that I am going to use the images from my Sheep Herder’s Pie and comment where the ingredients do not match up correctly. 😉
Technically, my Sheep Herder’s Pie almost Whole 30 and Paleo compliant…but I wanted to try making it in a skillet this time AND I wanted a video…so it get’s it very own post!! Oh well, maybe next time I can get the video to work.
How to make Paleo Shepherd’s Pie:
We are going to start by making the “potato type” topping:
Place chunks of cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until cauliflower is in little pieces. Place cauliflower rice in a medium saucepan with olive oil, salt and pepper…..
Cover and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 – 5 minutes. Set aside when done.
Place parsnips in a saucepan. Cover with water and heat over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until parsnips are fork tender, about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain…..
Combine cauliflower, parsnips, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon parsley, canned coconut milk, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside…..
Obviously that is not a hand mixer. 😉 Turnips can be tougher to blend than potatoes or cauliflower, so a hand mixer is your best bet for a smooth mixture.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Drain fat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Return the meat to the skillet and stir in the arrowroot. Simmer for two minutes…..
Add the tomatoes, thyme, sage, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of parsley. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
Stir in the beef stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the entire mixture starts to thicken, 3 – 4 minutes…..
Spread the cauliflower-turnip mixture over the meat and drizzle 1 tablespoon of clarified butter over the top…..
The cauliflower-turnip mixture is not as smooth as the potato mixture, so I didn’t bother creating the markings with a fork. 😉
Bake until top is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving…..
Perfection! The Paleo Shepherd’s Pie fit perfectly in this 12-inch skillet {affiliate link} and it did not boil over <insert happy dance>. It did bubble up on the sides, but I can live with that.
Notes:
- Make sure your cauliflower and turnips are cooked until soft. My cauliflower was not as soft as I would have liked, and it did not blend correctly this time…of course!
- If your cauli-turnip topping is too dry, add more milk.
- You can purchase Arrowroot Starch/Flour in the health food section of your local grocery store…or you can order it online. {affiliate link}
Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb, and a Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. Ground lamb can be difficult to find outside of major cities, and the flavor is quite strong to some people. Most people love lamb or hate it, lol. I used a combination of ground lamb and ground beef so the flavor of the lamb would not dominate, and ground beef {even grass-fed} is cheaper than lamb.
This version is really delicious, all of the original flavors are still there, I just cut down on the carbs. I’m sure my Irish ancestors would not be amused that I removed the potatoes, but so be it, lol
More delicious Paleo recipes:
Taco Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Dinner
My original Sheep Herder’s Pie – technically cottage pie, but oh well.
I will be remaking a few of the Irish soups in the coming weeks to make them look more “appetizing”. Maybe I can make videos of those… BAHAHAHA 😉
Enjoy!!
Paleo Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Cauli-Turnip Topping
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into chunks
- 1 cup turnips peeled and sliced
- 3 Tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
- ¼ cup coconut milk (or almond milk)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Filling
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup minced yellow onions
- 2 Pounds ground lamb or combination of lamb and ground beef
- 1 heaping Tablespoon arrowroot starch/flour
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 cup beef stock or bone broth
Instructions
- Place chunks of cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until cauliflower is in little pieces.
- Place cauliflower rice in a medium saucepan with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 - 5 minutes.
- Place parsnips in a saucepan. Cover with water and heat over high heat.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until parsnips are fork tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
- Combine cauliflower, parsnips, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon parsley, coconut milk, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Drain fat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Return the meat to the skillet and stir in the arrowroot. Simmer for two minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, thyme, sage, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of parsley. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the beef stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the entire mixture starts to thicken, 3 - 4 minutes.
- Spread the cauliflower-turnip mixture over the meat and drizzle 1 tablespoon of clarified butter over the top.
- Bake until top is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure your cauliflower and turnips are cooked until soft. My cauliflower was not as soft as I would have liked, and it did not blend correctly this time…of course!
- If your cauli-turnip topping is too dry, add more milk.
- You can purchase Arrowroot Starch/Flour in the health food section of your local grocery store…or you can order it online. {affiliate link}
Have you tried using coconut milk instead of the cashew milk? I don’t usually use cashew milk so I wanted a substitute that I could use for other recipes. Or is the problem with coconut milk, you need to cook it…
Yes I have used coconut milk in the past Rebecca, before I found out that I was allergic to it. 🙁