You may be missing comfort food while doing keto, but this Keto Shepherd's Pie will hit the spot! It's low carb and can also be dairy free too!
What is Shepherd's Pie?
Shepherd's Pie is such a comfort food! It's also known as Cottage Pie, and originated in England. It has three layers: vegetables, meat, and mashed potatoes.
There's a lot of variations too! You can have a sauce for the veggies and/or meat. You can get really creative with the vegetables. You can also put cheese on top!
How to make a Keto Shepherd's Pie
After reading the above ingredients, you may have seen the potatoes and wondered, how in the world is this a low carb shepherd's pie?
To make this a Keto Shepherd's Pie, we'll be using faux-tatoes, aka cauliflower, instead! Cauliflower is the perfect low carb substitution to keep things creamy and comforting!
There's no flour to up the carb count, and all the veggies are on the lower carb side!
Ingredients in Low Carb Shepherd's Pie
- Cauliflower
- Milk
- Butter
- Ground Beef
- Green Bell Peppers
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Spices
- Cheese
This healthy shepherd's pie has options for a Whole30 or Paleo Shepherd's Pie as well! Simply use almond milk instead of dairy milk, and ghee instead of butter.
Omit the cheese for Whole30, and for Paleo decide if it works for you or not.
FAQ's for Keto Cottage Pie
What to serve with Keto Shepherd's Pie?
I love to serve this with bread or salad! Toast up some keto bread with butter, or top a salad with your favorite keto dressing!
Can this Cauliflower Shepherd Pie be made in Advance?
Yes! Preferably a max of 3 days in advance to keep the freshness.
How to reheat Keto Diet Shepherd's Pie
My favorite way to reheat this is via the oven! Using the microwave just doesn't seem as fresh to me.
Can Shepherd's Pie be frozen?
I don't think mashed cauliflower ever lends itself to be frozen well. It will thaw watery and just look unappealing, even tough the taste will be just the same.
How to store Cauliflower Keto Shepherd's Pie
Two good options here. One, store it right in the container you baked it in! Or portion it out and refrigerate it.
Is Keto Shepherd's Pie Healthy?
It's loaded with veggies, so I'm going to say yes! If you can use organic veggies, even better!
Ground beef is a fantastic protein source as well.
Tips to make Cauliflower Keto Shepherd's Pie
To get the perfect consistency for the mashed cauliflower, I like to use an immersion blender! It makes the best consistency, and a potato masher just doesn't do it.
Saute your veggies and meat seperately.
Layer first the veggies, then the meat, and finally the cheese!
With the cheese, I like to top the meat and the cauliflower with cheese. So yummy!
You can also broil it for a bit at the end to make the cheese nice and crispy!
Tools Needed to make Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie
You don't need many tools here, but here's what you do need:
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Pan for boiling
- Immersion Blender
- Casserole Dish (or cast iron pan)
- Measuring Spoons
I cooked the veggies and baked the casserole all in one pan! I used my Lodge Cast Iron, which I absolutely love.
More Keto Recipes to Try
Let me know in the comments any other keto recipes you'd like to see!
Keto Casserole Recipe
Keto Shepherd's Pie (Whole30, Paleo Option)
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Skillet
- Oven Safe Dish
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- butter ghee if Whole30/Paleo
- Milk almond milk if Whole30/Paleo
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 teaspoon salt split
- ½ teaspoon pepper split
- ½ teaspoon chili pepper split
- 1 teaspoon onion powder split
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder split
- 1 bunch asaparagus chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350F degrees.
- Heat a large pot of water to boil. Rough chop the cauliflower, and boil until easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the cauliflower, and using an immersion blender, blend the cauliflower, butter, and milk until creamy. Salt to taste. Set aside.
- Cook the ground beef over medium heat. Add half of the spices. Set aside.
- Chop the veggies. Cook in the beef fat (if needed, add butter to the pan). Mix in the remaining spices.
- In an 8x8 casserole dish or 8-9 inch skillet, place the veggies, then beef, then cauliflower, and lastly cheese if using.
- Bake until everything is evenly heated and cheese is melted.
- Optional: Broil for 1-2 minute to crisp the cheese.
Nutritional Facts for Keto Shepherd's Pie
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Nicole says
This looks amazing! I definitely want to try this. Me and my husband used to do a lot of keto and it’s crazy how different you feel energy wise. I love that you also attach the nutritional information I’ve rarely seen that and that’s so nice to see. You can tell that you definitely do your research and due diligence! Love it!!
Rachel Rivera says
Thank you so much I really appreciate that! So true, you definitely get lots of energy doing keto! It's typically healthy and clean to so I love that.
Amie says
I love making this regularly since it’s Shepherd’s Pie I can finally eat with my potato allergy!
Rachel Rivera says
Yes it's such a good alternative to potatoes!