Cauliflower-Mash Shepherd’s Pie

Since living in England, I’ve gotten quite a hankering for shepherd’s pie! 😉 This healthy spin on your traditional shepherd’s pie recipe is by making it with mashed cauliflower. This Mashed Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie is filling, low-carb, gluten-free, paleo and most importantly–delicious! It’s also quick to make.

If you’ve made mashed cauliflower before, you know it is as flavorful as mashed potatoes and it makes a great combo with the filling as well.

Ingredients

• 1 head Cauliflower (chopped into florets)
• 2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
• 1 Yellow Onion (diced)
• 2 Garlic (cloves, minced)
• 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey, Chicken or Beef
• 3 cups Mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 Carrots (diced)
• 2 Stalks Celery (diced)
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Place cauliflower florets in a medium sized saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let the florets boil until they are soft, about 15 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower is boiling, heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
4. Add the meat, and cook until browned.
5. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and salt. Continue to cook for a few minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Remove from heat.
6. Drain the cauliflower and discard cooking water. Return the cauliflower to the pot and add the other half of the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Mash well until the cauliflower becomes almost like a puree.
7. Transfer the meat mixture to a casserole or pie dish and distribute into an even layer. Top with the cauliflower mash and spread it evenly across the top.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven to a low broil and broil for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and serve. Enjoy!

For a vegan/vegetarian version add lentils instead of ground meat!