Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-7
I’m SO excited to share this recipe with you. In 2019, I was at the height of food restriction. I created strange, strict, rules around foods I could have & foods I could not. Potatoes were rare, sugar was limited to fruit & dark chocolate, rice, or for that matter, pasta, was totally non-existent. Sometimes, it was because those foods genuinely hurt my stomach or made me look 5 months pregnant, other times, it was because I was afraid they’d make me gain weight. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of why in this post, but I mention these because I’ve reached a point in my life, (& maybe you have too) where I’m tired of having such silly rules around foods. So, I’m starting a series called “yep, I eat this now” where I’ll be sharing foods I rarely ate or heavily avoided for years. So, here’s recipe #1, Shepherd’s pie.
Looking back, I find it funny that this dish was off-limits because it’s really just a bunch of whole foods thrown together to make a delicious bowl of comfort. But, it was on my ‘no’ list for two reasons (please keep in mind these are thoughts I created in my head based on fear, not on any factual information). One, too many carbs from the potatoes, & two, dairy was inflammatory, caused acne, & simply unfathomable back then.
To this day, I still don’t eat too many potatoes because they’re really just not my preference (unless we’re talking sweet potatoes), but cheese certainly shows up a few times a week.
about the dish: Shepherd’s Pie
From a Nutritionist’s standpoint, I actually really like this dish. You get plenty of protein from the meat & bone broth, veggies thrown into the mix, & starchy carbohydrates from the potatoes. For anyone looking to build muscle (or lose weight, which is 100% connected), your body needs both protein & the appropriate carbs. For this dish, I did add cauliflower to the topping, but before you think “but wait, aren’t you trying to eat the potatoes that you avoided…” yes, you’re correct. I added cauliflower to the mix for the added nutrients, specifically, sulforaphane. Cauliflower (& other cruciferous veggies) is loaded with sulforaphane, which is WONDERFUL for estrogen metabolism. When I work with someone who’s showing signs of estrogen dominance, I always want to support their detoxification systems. Sometimes, excess estrogen can happen as a result of poor detox, regardless of how much estrogen your body is actually producing. So if you can add them to a dish, why not?
recipe considerations
Cauliflower/potato topping: As mentioned above, I combined the two to make the topping. If you prefer all cauliflower, great, go for it! I’d suggest replacing the entire potato amount with cauliflower. If you are following a low FODMAP protocol, omit the cauliflower.
Boiling cauliflower: If you are using pre-cut cauliflower, you do not need to boil this. Simply add it to the potatoes as soon as you drain the water. If you are using whole heads of cauliflower, you’ll need to boil them.
To make dairy-free: The parmesan is a delicious touch, but 100% not necessary in Shepherd’s pie. Feel free to omit & substitute the ghee with olive oil.
To make low FODMAP: Omit the cauliflower & replace that amount with additional potatoes. Omit onion & garlic powder. If you’d like the garlic flavor, feel free to add garlic-infused olive oil to your topping mixture for a better flavor!
Cast-iron pan: If you have a large cast-iron pan, I highly recommend cooking your beef in it & then using that as your baking dish! Less mess, right? If you don’t, no worries. Cook your beef in a separate saucepan, then place it in an oven-safe baking dish & top with your potato / cauli mixture.
ingredients
Filling:
1 lb ground lamb (organic, grass-fed/finished), or sub for beef
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp thyme
1 ½ tsp garlic
1 tsp sea salt
2 carrots, large
1 bell pepper
¼ cup onion, diced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
½ cup bone broth, I use Kettle & Fire’s Beef Bone Broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lime
Topping:
9 oz cauliflower / 272 g
1.3 lbs golden potatoes / 530 g
2 Tbsp ghee
½ cup parmesan, grated or cut into thick slices
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch of sea salt
steps
Preheat oven to 425°F
Dice potatoes & loosely chop the cauliflower head. The smaller you chop them, the faster they’ll boil.
Fill a large pot about halfway with water & bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower & potatoes & cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain water once you can pierce a fork through the potatoes.
While the cauliflower & potatoes are cooking, get started on your filling. Add the lamb (or beef) to a large cast-iron pan. Leave it untouched to brown for about 2 minutes.
While the beef is cooking, dice your onion, then chop the carrots & bell pepper, set aside.
Break up the beef into large chunks & add your sea salt, garlic powder, rosemary, & thyme, mix together. After a minute or two, add your diced onion & continue cooking.
Once your meat is well-cooked, add the carrots & bell pepper. Mix to coat everything together & continue cooking for 5-7 minutes.
Check on your potato & cauliflower mixture. Remove from the stovetop & drain the water once you can pierce a fork through the potatoes (not the cauliflower, these will already be more tender). Set aside.
To the meat, add your tomato paste, bone broth, & Worcestershire sauce. Turn the heat down to low & let simmer for just a few minutes, then turn the stovetop off, squeeze ½ lime into your mixture, & let it sit while you finish the topping.
To the drained cauliflower & potatoes, add the ghee, grated parmesan (or thick slices, this is delicious!), garlic powder, & a pinch of sea salt. Mash with a potato masher (or a whisk – it works great) until creamy. Set aside.
Grab your cast-iron pan & spread your meat & veggie mixture until you have an even layer across your dish. Top with your cauli / potato mixture. Smooth it out to create an even layer, then place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove from the oven & let it sit for at least 10 minutes (trust me, it’ll taste better)!
Serve over a bed of arugula & top with cilantro, flaky sea salt, & freshly squeezed lime!
Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 lb ground lamb, organic, grass-fed/finished, or sub for beef
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 ½ tsp garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 carrots, large
- 1 bell pepper
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup bone broth, I use Kettle & Fire’s Beef Bone Broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lime
Topping:
- 9 oz cauliflower / 272 g
- 1.3 lbs golden potatoes / 530 g
- 2 Tbsp ghee
- ½ cup parmesan
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Dice potatoes & loosely chop the cauliflower head. The smaller you chop them, the faster they’ll boil.
- Fill a large pot about halfway with water & bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower & potatoes & cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain water once you can pierce a fork through the potatoes.
- While the cauliflower & potatoes are cooking, get started on your filling. Add the lamb (or beef) to a large cast-iron pan. Leave it untouched to brown for about 2 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, dice your onion, then chop the carrots & bell pepper, set aside.
- Break up the beef into large chunks & add your sea salt, garlic powder, rosemary, & thyme, mix together. After a minute or two, add your diced onion & continue cooking.
- Once your meat is well-cooked, add the carrots & bell pepper. Mix to coat everything together & continue cooking for 5-7 minutes.
- Check on your potato & cauliflower mixture. Remove from the stovetop & drain the water once you can pierce a fork through the potatoes (not the cauliflower, these will already be more tender). Set aside.
- To the meat, add your tomato paste, bone broth, & Worcestershire sauce. Turn the heat down to low & let simmer for just a few minutes, then turn the stovetop off, squeeze ½ lime into your mixture, & let it sit while you finish the topping.
- To the drained cauliflower & potatoes, add the ghee, grated parmesan (or thick slices, this is delicious!), garlic powder, & a pinch of sea salt. Mash with a potato masher (or a whisk – it works great) until creamy. Set aside.
- Grab your cast-iron pan & spread your meat & veggie mixture until you have an even layer across your dish. Top with your cauli / potato mixture. Smooth it out to create an even layer, then place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the oven & let it sit for at least 10 minutes (trust me, it’ll taste better)!
- Serve over a bed of arugula & top with cilantro, flaky sea salt, & freshly squeezed lime!
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