Warm, comforting, and surprisingly light, this Keto Shepherd’s Pie delivers all the cozy vibes of the classic dish without the heaviness! With cauliflower mash and lean ground beef, it’s a feel-good favorite that only requires 15 minutes of prep and works well as a meal prep recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly. You will need a handful of ingredients, but they are all common, inexpensive pantry staples.
- Great for meal prep. You can prep this recipe a few days prior to baking or you can freeze for up to 3 months.
- Kid-Friendly Comfort Food. This is a great comfort food recipe that has a hearty serving of protein and veggies with flavor that your kids will enjoy too!
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
The specific country responsible for the creation of Shepherd’s pie is disputed. However, it is safe to say it originated in the British Isles. This recipe is basically a casserole with cooked meat and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes. In the states, ground beef is the most common meat used with this recipe, but in the British Isles this would be called a “cottage pie” while a Shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb.
While this recipe traditionally uses a mashed potato topping, we will use a cauliflower topping for this version to keep it keto-friendly. There are thousands of traditional Shepherd’s pie recipes out there, but we wanted to create a version that had the same great taste but with fewer calories and carbs!
Ingredients Overview
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe! For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card near the bottom of the page.
- Avocado oil: We prefer avocado oil for this recipe but olive oil or any neutral oil will work.
- Vegetables: For this recipe we are loading up on tons of fresh veggies including onion, garlic cloves, frozen peas, cauliflower and carrots.
- Lean ground beef: at least 90% lean, you can also use ground turkey or chicken in this recipe.
- Beef broth and tomato paste: a high quality broth makes a noticeable difference in the flavor
- Worcestershire sauce: key component of Shepherd’s pie flavor
- Herbs and Spices: Fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley. Spices include garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavor and thickens the topping. You can also use salted if that is all you have on hand, you may want to reduce the salt the recipe calls for to accommodate.
- Grated parmesan cheese: Adds flavor and thickens the topping.
How to Make Keto Shepherd’ Pie
Aside from the ingredients listed above you will need a large skillet or dutch oven and a pot. You will also need a cutting board and knife. Follow the step-by-step directions below or scroll to the recipe card.
Make the filling
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Then saute the onion and garlic. Next, crumble and brown the ground beef. the ground beef and crumble as it cooks. Once browned, drain off any grease. Then add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste and stir until combined and no lumps remain. Next, simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add the frozen vegetables and fresh herbs. Stir until combined, then set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the cauliflower topping
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then steam the cauliflower with a steamer basket for about 10-15 minutes, or until fork mashable. Then drain and transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl, blender, or food processor, and add the butter, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender, blender, or food processor to blend until smooth.
Bake
Now, pour the meat mixture into a greased 8×8 baking dish. Top with the mashed cauliflower, spreading it evenly over the meat mixture. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (to prevent spills) and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then serve!
Serve
Allow the casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes before you cut into it. This allows for the sauce to cool and thicken. I find this to be a complete and hearty meal because it has tons of protein and vegetables, but if you’d like to stretch things further it would pair nicely with any of these side dishes:
Keto Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ▢ 1 yellow onion diced
- ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
- ▢ 1 lbs lean ground beef at least 90% lean
- ▢ ½ tsp salt
- ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper
- ▢ 3/4 cup beef broth
- ▢ 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ▢ 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ▢ 1 ½ cups frozen peas & carrots
- ▢ 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- ▢ 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Cauliflower Topping
- ▢ 2 lbs cauliflower florets
- ▢ 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ▢ 2 tbsps grated parmesan cheese
- ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
- ▢ ½ tsp salt
- ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
- Add the ground beef and crumble as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. If you have any grease in your skillet, go ahead and drain it off now.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste and stir until combined and no lumps remain. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Add the frozen vegetables and fresh herbs. Stir until combined, then set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Make the cauliflower topping by bringing a pot of water to a boil, then steaming the cauliflower with a steamer basket for about 10-15 minutes, or until fork mashable.
- Drain and transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl, blender, or food processor, and add the butter, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender, blender, or food processor to blend until smooth.
- Pour the meat mixture into a greased 8×8 baking dish. Then top with the mashed cauliflower, spreading it evenly over the meat mixture. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (to prevent spills) and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then serve!
Notes
- I used 93% lean ground beef. I would suggest using at least 90% lean ground beef if not leaner to keep it from being too oily.
- This recipe makes 6 servings, and each slice measures about 4″ x 2.6″ in the 8×8 pan. Each slice has 9.5 net carbs.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Reheating Instructions: This recipe reheats well in the microwave. You can reheat in 30-second increments until heated to your desired level. For a larger serving, you can reheat in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through to your desired level
- Refrigerator Storage: Allow to cool completely. Then you can store this recipe in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezer Storage: This recipe does store well in the freezer. You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. This recipe can be cooked then leftovers frozen or you can freeze prior to baking.
