Keto Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Goes Keto!
For Saint Patrick's Day, I was asked to make a Shepherd's Pie for a ketogenic diet. I accepted the challenge. I substituted the traditional mashed potatoes with cauliflower with cream and parmigiano reggiano cheese. I chose vegetables with low carbohydrates for the base of the pie, and if I am going to eat red meat, I make sure sure it is organic, grass-fed, and not treated with growth hormones or antibiotics.
Ingredients
8 oz cremini mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
3 jalapeno peppers
1 lb ground beef
2 T garlic, minced
2 T Bragg's Amino Acids
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. parmigiano reggiano, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, to sauté
Notes
Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb, but I couldn't easily find good lamb. If you find ground lamb in your neighborhood, go for it!
You'll need a large pot to boil the the cauliflower like pasta. You'll also use a large skillet for everything else. And of course, several bowls for mise-en-place and mashing your cauliflower. And it all cooks in a small casserole dish.
I grated my own parmigiano reggiano, but you can use grated parmesan. Just make sure you get it from the fancy section of your market and skip the green can.
The easiest way to deseed and devein a jalapeño is to cut the ends off, slice and half, and scrape it with a spoon.
I used my stand mixer with a whisk attachment to mash the cauliflower. You could use a blender, food processor, or electric hand mixer. Or whatever favorite method you have for mash potatoes should work here as well.
I found orange cauliflower and decided to use it for this recipe. Be adventurous with your choice; there is a rainbow of cauliflower on the market these days!
Directions
Mise-en-Place
Wash the produce.
In a large bowl:
Small dice the onion.
Dice the mushrooms.
Remove the seeds and veins from the peppers. Small dice.
Core the cauliflower.
Combine the Bragg's, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.
Have other ingredients on standby.
Cook
In a large skillet, add a generous amount of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Over medium high heat, sauté the onions, mushrooms, and peppers for about 10-15 minutes. Stir often.
Multitask the cauliflower.
Fill a large pot about halfway with water. Salt and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for about ten minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450℉.
Once the other vegetables are cooked, add to the bottom of a small casserole dish.
In the same skillet you cooked the vegetables, brown the ground meat. Break the ground meat up with your spatula. Once browned through, add the Bragg's, garlic, and vinegar. Cook another 3 minutes.
Top the vegetables with the cooked, seasoned meat. Leave as much juice and fat behind as you can.
Use your preferred method to mash the cauliflower with the cream and grated cheese. Salt to taste.
Spoon the mashed cauliflower on top of the meat and spread evenly. Or get fancy with it! Just keep in mind that any peaks left behind will brown in the oven.
Bake
450℉ for 20 minutes.
Let cool for ten minutes.
Serve & Enjoy!