This one is for my Grandmother… The kids called her Nanny, the adults called her Mum and I swear she was the most caring person I’ve ever met. She didn’t have an unkind bone in her body. She was born and raised in England (so you know her Shepherd’s Pie was legit) during the war my Grandfather, an American Soldier, was stationed in England. They met and she came back to America with him... 60 years later here I am writing blogs. During the summers when my parents were at work she’d watch my siblings and I and we loooooved Nanny’s Shepherd’s Pie. I ate a lot of potatoes back then. A few too many...
But no more! We’re doing Shepherd’s Pie Low Carb Style! And plenty of fats to keep those keto macros up.
You’re going to need an oven safe dish. Now, I always opt for my cast iron. It’s just the best pan ever and I can make this whole meal with just one pan, which is great for clean up. Otherwise you’ll need to use a pyrex or your oven safe dish of your choice.
The combination of celery, onions and carrots is the saute base for so many recipes, it gives off such a great aroma and really adds a lot of flavor to the meat.
The mashed faux-tatoes are absolutely delicious and I promise you won’t get that cauliflower vibe. We’re loading them up with enough cream and butter that you’ll forget what a potato is!
Depending on how fancy you want to get you can either use ground beef or lamb. To be honest, I intended on using ground beef but the store had grass fed ground lamb on sale for the same price, so I had to go with the lamb. I typically always opt for the grass fed if it’s in my power. Now, some people think that this is a waste of money, but it really isn’t and for many reasons!
Grass Fed contains as much as 5x the amount of Omega-3s and 2x as much Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which is a fatty acid known to reduce body fat and boost your immune system.
Omega-3 needs no introduction. This is the reason you take fish oil pills or omega 3 supplements but it’s all right there in the beef, the grass fed beef! Some of the Omega-3 benefits include(1):
- Improved Eyesight
- Improved Risk Factors for Heart Disease
- Aid with Depression and Anxiety
- Fights Autoimmune Disease
- Reduces ADHD Symptoms in Children
- Reduces Inflammation
- Reduced Risk of Cancer
I mean seriously, the list goes on. Grass fed meat is well worth the investment, because you’re doing just that… investing in your health.
But anyway, let’s get cooking, shall we?
The Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef or Lamb
- 1 medium Carrot
- 2 Celery Stalks
- ½ medium Onion
- 6 cups Cauliflower Rice (2 Bag’s Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic)
- 2 Egg Yolks
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 small can Tomato Paste
- ⅓ cup of Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (depending on preference)
- 1 Rosemary
- Thyme
- Salt and Pepper
The Steps
Prep work: carrots, onions and celery - dice it into small pieces. I like mine a little chunky, but some prefer it minced. Separate your eggs.
Microwave your cauliflower for 7-10 minutes (if frozen) mixing at the 5 minute mark. They should be HOT when they come out. Make sure to strain them thoroughly because you want to sweat out all of the water. (A hot, dry pan works as well)
While the cauliflower is in the microwave start you meat. On medium heat you want to get that olive oil nice and hot and then add your meat, mixing and mincing and stirring until it starts to brown.
Once you’re mostly brown add your seasoning: thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix, mix, mix!
Next, add in your veggie mix and keep stirring. Get that mix nice and evenly spread.
Now add in your Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and chicken broth. Mix this all up and turn down the heat we’re going to let this simmer a bit while we make the mashed pota… I mean cauliflower.
You can use a hand mixer but I prefer the food processor… Add cauliflower, butter, egg yolks, heavy cream, ¼ cup of parmesan (save the other half) and some salt and pepper. Mash that bad boy up
Ok, now that we have some nice creamy mashed cauliflower take a big scoop and mix it into the meat batter, this will help thicken up any residual liquid
The remaining mash gets evenly coated on the top like you’re painting a masterpiece
Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese and garnish with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
Broil for about 15-20 minutes on high. My broiler is kind of weak so at the 12 minute mark give it a little look.
Serve and Enjoy :)
The Macros
Sources
- http://advances.nutrition.org/content/3/1/1.full