It took a few tries to get this recipe right. The first time I used sweet potatoes & although it gave the dish the right potato texture, the flavor was definitely off.
The second time I tried mashed cauliflower & found it a bit soupy.
So with this one, I still used the cauliflower, steamed it and then dried it out in the pot. It made ALL the difference. I added about one spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) to the recipe. No I know that takes it out the the “clean” realm BUT this recipe makes enough for two dinners. One tablespoon between ten servings doesn’t even count does it?
For the mashed topping:
1/2 a head of cauliflower cut up
1 Tablespoon Ghee or Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper
For the filling:
1 lb grass fed ground beef, browned
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
1/2 Cup Bone Broth or stock
1/2 teaspoon Coconut Aminos
1/4 Cup Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Sweet Potato Hash (Optional)
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Preheat the oven to 350º
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To prepare the mashed topping steam the cauliflower until soft.
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Once soft, discard the water & puree the cauliflower. Alternatively, you can just mash it if you are ok with it being a little chunky.
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Add the cauliflower back to the empty pot with the heat on medium low and stir to dehydrate the cauliflower. Keep cooking it until the cauliflower is sufficiently dried out and there’s not a ton of steam evaporating from it. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP. It will ruin your shepard’s pie if you do.
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Add the ghee, salt & pepper to the cauliflower mash & set aside.
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Brown the meat.
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Add in the garlic, onions, celery, carrots & cook for a few minutes the vegetables are a bit soft.
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Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook until the filling looks dry.
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To assemble the pie just pour the filling in, add about a cup of Sweet Potato Hash on top if you have it & then top with the Cauliflower mash.
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Cook in the oven until the topping begins to brown & it’s bubbling.