Shepherd's pie is one of those meals that is pure comfort; a savory meaty bottom topped with creamy mashed potatoes. My mom always put a good layer of cheese on top before she baked it, which added some extra oomf. This is also one of those meals a lot of people think they must completely swear off when they go keto.
Not so!
Here's how I altered the classic recipe to suit my keto needs:
1. Use xanthan gum instead of flour in the base. Xanthan gum, when used in the right quantity, is one of those magic keto ingredients. It's pure fiber, so it adds no blood sugar spiking carbs to the dish and it's also incredibly potent, meaning you only have to use a very small amount to get the same thickening result as several tablespoons of flour or corn starch. It is a bit pricy, but IMO, it's completely worth it. I paid around $15.00 for a small bag of the stuff, however I use so little of it at a time that I've been using the same bag for several years. Yes, I said years. I store my opened bag in an air-tight container in the freezer.
2. Go easy on the onions and other carb-y ingredients. My mom only ever put onion in it and so do I, but some folks may like theirs with chopped celery, carrot, or mushrooms. The key thing to remember here is that with a lot of these ingredients a little goes a long way for flavor and texture.
3. Cauliflower! Cauliflower is one of those ingredients that works great as a substitute in some dishes, and not so well in others. My faux mac-and-cheese is based on cauliflower but I will tell you up front it's not really the same. It just tastes like cheesy cauliflower. Luckily this recipe is one in which the cauliflower works incredibly well. The trick to getting it super creamy- just like those mashed potatoes- is to throw well cooked and drained cauliflower into a good blender or food processor with salt, pepper, and butter. You can add cream if you like it.
4. Normally I would never, ever tell you to drain your meat. Fat is the heart and soul of keto and animal fats are the dietary equivalent of liquid gold. However, if you keep the fat from the meat you will have a very wet base, and unless you like it kinda soupy, I highly suggest you drain the meat.
Remember, this recipe is entirely customizable, so feel free to add any veggies you like (just keep the quantities lower for a low carb count) to the meat part, or sour cream and chives in the cauliflower mash. However you like it, do it!
I served this pile of deliciousness with roasted asparagus that I topped with a creamy garlic and cheese sauce. It was divine!
Keto-Friendly Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Meat Base:
2 lb ground meat (Beef, lamb, turkey, whatever you like. We like it beefy.)
1/2 c total chopped onion, or veggies of your choice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
3/4 c beef broth
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spices, as desired (Rosemary, thyme, etc. We like it without added spices, but to each his own)
Mashed Cauliflower Topping:
2 lb cauliflower (I used frozen)
4 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 c shredded cheddar
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F on convection or 400 degrees F regular. Get out a 2 -quart casserole dish.
2. Brown your meat over medium high heat and drain well.
3. In the same pan melt butter over medium heat. Throw in onions (or other veggies) and garlic and sauté until onion begins to soften a bit. In the meantime, measure out your beef broth, sprinkle the xanthan gum over the top if it, and whisk it in until there are no clumps.
4. Deglaze the pan with the broth mixture, being sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Throw your meat back into the pan for a few minutes until the liquid reduces and you have a mixture that is moist but not too wet. This takes around 3-5 minutes, but you be the judge of how saucy you like it.
5. Put the meat mixture evenly into the bottom of your baking dish.
6. Cook your cauliflower until soft; about 8-10 minutes if fresh and boiling, 6-7 minutes if microwaving from frozen. Drain well.
7. Working in batches if necessary, put the cooked cauliflower into your food processor or blender. Add in butter, salt and pepper to taste, and any other ingredients you like. Blend well, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice, until the entire mixture is the consistency of well-mashed potatoes.
8. Spread the mashed cauliflower evenly over the top of the meat mixture, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for five minutes before serving.
Serves 8-10
Assuming 8 servings, 455 calories, 37 g fat, 24 g protein, 7 g total carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, NET CARBS 4 g*
* calculated using fatsecret.com, assuming ingredients are as written
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