This keto shepherd's pie recipe ideally suits the low-carb diet and is loaded with the same insane flavor, just like the real thing. This casserole dish is healthy, gluten-free, pretty simple to make, and is the perfect comfort food.
One serving of this delicious shepherd's pie has slightly over 4 grams of carbs, which is the perfect amount for staying in ketosis. Your little one won't even notice that there are no potatoes in this recipe and will enjoy the pie to the very last bite.
There are a few differences from the traditional shepherd's pie recipe, but this doesn't mean that it's any less good. Want your meat pie to be as close to the original? Read on for some tips.
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How Many Carbs Are in Shepherd's Pie?
It all depends on the recipe and the ingredients you use to make your shepherd's pie. Since this main dish recipe was meant to be keto-friendly, I chose low-carb ingredients and had to make a few major changes to the original recipe. So one serving of such a shepherd's pie has just 4 grams of carbs. And this is amazing!
Usually, the traditional shepherd's pie is quite high in carbs and not even close to being compatible with the keto diet(unless you throw away the potato mash layer and avoid adding high carb veggies into the meat sauce).
Needed Ingredients for Meat Sauce
As I already mentioned, this keto shepherd's pie has a few major differences from the traditional recipe since the intent was to make a low-carb dish. First of all, there are no potatoes in this pie.
And there's no lamb meat. If you want, you can use lamb meat in the recipe instead of the meat I chose. But I'm not a fan of lamb meat, so I decided to stick with what I like the most - a combination of beef and pork.
Another difference is that I didn't use any high-carb veggies. I know that many prefer to add carrots, peas, and corn, but if you skip it, it won't make this shepherd's pie any worse.
So, here are the ingredients that I used for the meat sauce for this keto shepherd's pie:
- Ground beef
- Ground pork (or ground turkey)
- Olive oil
- Diced tomatoes or a tablespoon of tomato paste
- Chicken broth or beef broth
- Salt
- Pepper
To boost the flavor of the meat layer, you can add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce when making it or a tablespoon of coconut aminos.
The top layer for this low-carb shepherd's pie is made of cauliflower mash. That is a delicious and perfectly low-carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.
How to Make Cauliflower Mash
For the cauliflower mash layer, you'll need to prepare these ingredients:
- Cauliflower florets - I used fresh cauliflower, but if you want to speed things up, it's okay to use steamed frozen cauliflower instead;
- Butter - definitely don't skip this ingredient since it adds the nice creamy texture to the cauli mash;
- Sour cream - personally, I prefer the taste of sour cream in my mashed cauliflower, but you can definitely replace it with cream cheese or heavy cream if you like;
- Minced garlic - it is definitely a YES here, and don't even try replacing it with garlic powder since it makes a huge difference in taste;
- Eggs - keep in mind that you should add them only when the cauliflower florets are completely cool;
- Mozzarella or cheddar cheese - there can never be enough cheese in a cauliflower mash.
And of course, you'll also need some salt and pepper.
Serving Ideas
Once the cauliflower shepherd's pie is fully cooked, garnish it with some freshly chopped parsley, cut into portions, and serve. It is always a good idea to serve the pie with some salad on the side. Here are some amazing low carb salad recipes that go perfectly with this pie:
Storing Tips
You should store the leftovers from this keto shepherd's pie in your refrigerator, either covered with plastic food wrap or in an airtight container. This way, it should last up to 2-3 days.
If you decide that you want to make this low-carb shepherd's pie in advance, you should follow all of the steps in the recipe card except for the baking part. Simply cover the baking dish with the uncooked pie with foil or food wrap and freeze. Then whenever you want to bake it, simply throw it into the oven for 35 minutes and enjoy!
Recipe
Keto Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the meat layer:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can tomatoes diced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
For the cauliflower mash layer:
- 13 oz cauliflower
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley to garnish optional
Instructions
- For the cauliflower mash: Place the cauliflower florets in a medium pot with boiling water and cook until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain the water and let the cauliflower cool down. Add butter, sour cream, minced garlic, eggs, shredded mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Then, using a hand blender or a food processor, blend everything until smooth.
- For the meat layer: pour the olive oil into a large skillet, add the minced meat, and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set the skillet aside.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking dish.
- Place the meat layer on the bottom of the pan and spread it all over. Then place the cauliflower mash on top of it and also spread.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes (until golden brown)and garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
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