Discover the Ultimate Keto Shepherd's Pie: Low-Carb Comfort Food You'll Crave!

This Keto Shepherd's Pie offers a comforting and delicious experience with a cheesy cauliflower topping and a rich, rosemary-scented filling. It's a low-carb casserole that truly lives up to the name "comfort food," providing a hearty and satisfying meal.

The Allure of Comfort Food, Minus the Carbs

When the weather turns chilly and wet, the craving for heartier meals like soups, stews, and casseroles naturally increases. These dishes warm us up from the inside out. However, these rich and filling meals don't have to come with a high carb count. With a few simple tweaks and adjustments, comfort food can easily fit into a keto diet. It's not just possible; it's absolutely delicious.

This wholesome Keto Shepherd's Pie exemplifies this concept. It retains all the hallmarks of the classic dish but with a fraction of the carbs. For those who grew up eating Shepherd's Pie, this keto version will surely satisfy those nostalgic cravings. The savory lamb filling and creamy mashed potato topping are quintessential elements of this Irish dish. But, the question arises: does it really have to be potatoes?

The Star of the Show: Cauliflower

Despite appearances, the airy, creamy topping of this Keto Shepherd's Pie contains no starchy potatoes. It's all cauliflower, a healthy and clean alternative that makes a fabulous topping for this meaty pie. Cauliflower proves to be the potato's arch-nemesis, offering a low-carb option without sacrificing taste or texture.

Ingredients for Keto Shepherd's Pie

Here's a breakdown of the key ingredients for making this delightful Keto Shepherd's Pie:

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Cauliflower: One pound of cauliflower florets, either fresh or frozen, is needed for the topping.
Sour cream: Sour cream contributes to the extra smooth and creamy texture of the mashed cauliflower. Alternatively, 2 ounces of softened cream cheese can be used.
Ground lamb: Classic shepherd's pie is traditionally made with lamb, but ground beef can be substituted if preferred. Technically, using ground beef would make it a cottage pie.
Dry red wine: Wine helps deglaze the pan and create a rich, flavorful sauce.
Fresh rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to the dish.
Glucomannan: Instead of flour, a little glucomannan stirred into the sauce before baking helps achieve the proper texture.
Cheddar cheese: A sharp Irish cheddar pairs perfectly with this Irish casserole. However, other cheeses like Gruyere or Swiss can also be used.
Olive oil: Olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil can be used.
Garlic cloves and onion: As aromatic flavor base.
Almond flour: to thicken the gravy.
Crushed tomatoes: To add richness to the gravy.
Beef bouillon: For extra savory flavor.
Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth and umami.
Bay leaf: Infuses a subtle aroma.
Beef stock: Forms the base of the gravy.
Heavy cream: For richness in the cauliflower mash.
Butter: Adds flavor and richness.
Salt and black pepper: To taste.
Shredded cheese: For topping.
Raw cashews: Raw cashews soaked in boiling water add creaminess to the cauliflower mash.
Celery root: For the mash.
Chicken broth: Low sodium chicken broth
English peas fresh or frozen.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to make Keto Shepherd's Pie:

Preparing the Cauliflower Topping

Cook the cauliflower: Set a steaming basket into a large stockpot and add water to the bottom. Add the cauliflower and garlic cloves and steam until the cauliflower is very tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Drain well: Transfer the cauliflower to a sieve and drain well. Then transfer to a blender or food processor, along with the garlic cloves. Add the sour cream, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Make mashed cauliflower: Steam your cauliflower in a pot until soft and tender. Drain and place in a food processor. Add the butter and blend until combined. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese and blend until smooth.
Garlic Mash Topping: Soak the cashews in boiling water and allow to sit and soften while you prep the vegetables. Peel the celery root and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Cut head of cauliflower into quarters and then break florets apart. Place celery root and cauliflower in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and celery root is easily pierced with a knife point, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the tops off of the heads of garlic and place on a square of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown and soft. About 25 minutes. Drain the cashews and add to a blender or food processor. Drain the veggies in a colander and then add them to the blender with the cashews. Add the roasted garlic, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Preparing the Filling

Cook the lamb: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the lamb until almost cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a large casserole dish.
Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, red pepper, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Make the sauce: Add the red wine and cook until reduced by about half. Stir in the chopped rosemary, then whisk in the glucomannan. Pour the mixture over the lamb and stir to combine well.
Build the gravy: Add oil to a skillet. Mix in the flour. Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and beef broth. Simmer.
Meaty Filling: While the celery root and cauliflower are cooking, prepare the filling. Pour olive oil into a 12-inch skillet and set over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until they begin to take on color, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes. Drain any excess grease at this point. Sprinkle the meat with the psyllium husk or cassava flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly 6-8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.Add the peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly into an 8 x 11 baking dish.

Assembling and Baking

Assemble and bake: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spread the cauliflower mixture over the filling in the casserole dish and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Turn the broiler on high and broil for 2 to 4 minutes to brown the cheese.
Top with the garlic mashed veggies and smooth with a spatula. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
Make the filling: Heat oil in a skillet on the stove and cook meat, onion, celery, and garlic.
Make the mashed cauliflower: Place cauliflower in a food processor (or blender). Add in cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, butter, and oregano.
Assemble: Place the ground beef mixture in the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Assemble and bake: Spread the cauliflower mixture on top of the pie. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown and bubbling on the sides.

Tips for the Perfect Keto Shepherd's Pie

Drain the cauliflower well: This ensures that the topping sets up properly. You can also add an egg yolk to the cauliflower mash for added firmness.
Don't skip the thickener: Glucomannan helps the sauce hold together better. Keep in mind that it will still be more loose than the original because it lacks gluten.
Customize the meat: If lamb isn't your preference, feel free to use ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and turkey. This would technically turn it into a Cottage Pie.
Add vegetables: Boost the vegetables by adding some chopped celery and carrots with the onions.
Bold flavor: If you like a stronger tomato flavor stir some tomato paste into the ground beef.
Mix in cream cheese: To get a super creamy cauliflower mash, add cream cheese to the mixture. Sour cream works as well.
Use a cast iron skillet: Let the filling cool slightly before adding the cauliflower mash.
Skip the crust: While it’s delicious, it’s definitely optional and can easily be omitted.

Serving and Storage

Garnish: Remove from the oven and sprinkle the paprika and fresh parsley on top for garnish.
Serving suggestions: This Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Cauliflower Mash is a hearty, filling meal that will keep you full for hours. Serve this shepherd’s pie with this Asparagus Salad with Caper Herb Dressing. They make such a great combination.
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for up to 5 days.
Freezing: You can also freeze the pie after baking for up to 2 months. Place cooled portions in freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to six months. Thaw the night before you want to reheat this shepherds pie. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and cover pie with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Make Ahead Instructions

You can prepare and assemble this Shepherd's pie a day before and bake it the next day. Just cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring it to room temperature before baking.

Nutritional Information

This Keto Shepherd’s Pie recipe has 5g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving, resulting in 3.2g net carbs per serving.

Variations and Adaptations

Mini Low Carb Shepherd’s Pie: These Mini Low Carb Shepherd’s Pie are made in a muffin pan for perfectly portioned servings.
Add keto-friendly vegetables: The best thing about casserole meals like this one is how interchangeable the ingredients are. You can add in other keto-friendly vegetables if you want to “bulk up” your meat a bit more while adding more nutrients.
Use different meat: You can use ground lamb, ground beef, turkey, or chicken!
Use frozen cauliflower rice: For a shortcut on time, use bags of frozen cauliflower rice.

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