Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (low-carb, paleo, whole30) (2024)

By Adriana Harlan | 99 Comments | Published: · Modified:

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5 from 64 reviews

I'm so excited to be sharing this Healthy Shepherd's Pie recipe with you! I've been super sick with a cold these last few days and it was hard to make, film, and edit the video for this recipe in time to publish it today. I did it and it feels really good! It took me a total of 5 days to get this post ready, but now you can finally see how I make one of my favorite dinner recipes.

Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (low-carb, paleo, whole30) (1)

This is one of the first recipes I posted here on the website when I started the blog back in late 2012 (see post here). I felt this recipe needed a much better explanation on how to make it, and it's so good, it deserves a full video tutorial so be sure to watch it above!

Shepherd's Pie is easy to make and most commonly, the top layer you see in the pie is made with mashed potatoes. Yes, it tastes amazing but, there's a healthier vegetable we can use in place of the potatoes that has almost the identical taste and texture, and with a far superior nutritional value.

Cauliflower interestingly enough, is the vegetable we will be using in place of the potatoes, and to top our pie we are going to transform the cauliflower into an amazingly delicious garlic roasted mashedcauliflower.What's most interesting though, is that even if you don't follow a healthy diet chances are you won't even be able to tell we are not using potatoes in this recipe.

If you crave some kind of comfort food, this meals gives you that satiating feeling without guilt. Cauliflower is low in carbs, and it's nutritional value far exceeds that of potatoes. It is rich in vitamin B, C, K, as well asmanganese, phosphorous, and potassium. It is also rich inphytochemicals which arenow being studied for their anti-cancer properties.Cauliflower is also a sulfur-rich vegetable, anessential nutrient necessary for the production of hormones which helps keep our muscles, digestive, cardiovascular, and nervous systems healthy.

As you can see, there arenumerous health benefits to cauliflower, but we also want our food to taste good, and this meal does. I think you will love it, and it may become a favorite in your home like it is in mine. Be sure to watch the video above to see my method of making this pie, and when you're ready to make it, read the recipe card below for all of the measurements and step by step instructions.

This HealthyShepherd's Pie recipe is easy to make and takes me no longer than 30 minutes. Hope you try it, and please comment below letting me know how it goes. I also want to know what kind of dinner recipes you want me to teach you how to make, so let's chat in the comment section below.

Check out my other favorite dinner recipes. I think you'll love them too!

  • Carrot-Apple Soup
  • Roasted Cinnamon Lemon Chicken

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Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (low-carb, whole30, paleo)

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5 from 64 reviews

Recipe by Adriana Harlan

Servings :8

Prep :30 minutes mins

Cook :30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1.25 lbs (610g) ground beef
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 5 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, or your preferred cooking oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine Himalayan salt
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder

Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

  • 2 small cauliflower heads, 1026g
  • 7 large roasted garlic cloves*
  • 1 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt

To see the brands I use, click each ingredient above or visit my Amazon shop.

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until tender. Add the carrot and zucchini, and cook until they start to soften. Add the ground beef, salt, and chili powder, and cook until the beef browns and all of the moisture begins to dry out.

  • Meanwhile prepare the mashed cauliflower. Chop the cauliflower heads into small chunks, and steam until they soften (a fork can easily pierce). Add the steamed cauliflower, roasted garlic and salt to a blender and blend until you have a smooth puree. Use the tamper to help blend the cauliflower if you have one.

  • To assemble the pie, distribute the ground beef evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed cauliflower over the top of the ground beef, and bake in a preheated oven to 350°F for 25 minutes. If you're adding cheese (I use mozzarella) to the top of your Shepherd's Pie like I show in the video, sprinkle the cheese on top after you bake it, and then broil it until the cheese browns (about 3 more minutes in the oven).

Notes

*Roasted Garlic - Using a sharp knife, cut ¼ inch from the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake in a preheated oven to 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Watch the video above to see how I do it.

Tip: In the video above you see me adding cheese and egg on top of my Shepherd's Pie. Both these ingredients are optional. If you are not adding cheese to your pie, and you want it to brown during baking, brush an egg over the top of the mashed cauliflower before you bake it. The nutritional values you see above were calculated without adding cheese or egg.

Use all organic ingredients if you can. For the ground beef, be sure it is grass-fed, and for the salt I prefer using finely ground pink Himalayan salt.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 248kcalProtein: 15gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gSugar: 4gFiber: 3gCarbohydrates: 10gNet Carbs: 7g

*This post may contain affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.

Made this recipe?Please leave a review and photo in the comments below.

More Healthy Dinner Recipes

  • Carrot Apple Soup
  • How to Cut Cauliflower Into Florets and Make Cauliflower Rice
  • Black Pepper Shrimp
  • Roasted Cinnamon Lemon Chicken

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Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (low-carb, paleo, whole30) (2024)

FAQs

How many carbs are in shepherd's pie? ›

Shepherd's pie with beef contains 265 calories per 243 g serving. This serving contains 7.7 g of fat, 15 g of protein and 34 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 3.2 g sugar and 3.4 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate.

How do you thicken shepherd's pie without cornstarch? ›

Arrowroot Powder – If you're following the Paleo Diet then Arrowroot Powder is a great alternative to using cornstarch to thicken gravies and sauces.

Why is flour used in shepherds pie? ›

This shepherd's pie recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy but if you feel like the meat mixture is too watery, add in another tablespoon and stir to combine. You may also try simmering the mince mixture for longer so that the stock reduces down and thickens.

How many carbs are in shepherds pie from costco? ›

What Are The Macros Of Costco Shepherd's Pie? The macros are 21 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 28 grams of protein and 1010 mg of sodium.

Is shepherds pie high in carbs? ›

A shepherd's pie has two main components: minced meat in vegetable gravy and mashed potatoes. Traditional shepherd's pie is high in all of the macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbs.

How many carbs are in 1 cup of shepherds pie? ›

Shepherd's Pie With Beef (1 cup) contains 34.4g total carbs, 31g net carbs, 7.7g fat, 15.5g protein, and 265 calories.

Can I substitute cornstarch for flour in shepherd's pie? ›

Thickening Gravy, Sauces, or Pie Fillings

Cornstarch works remarkably well as a thickener in sauces, gravy, and pie fillings, and some prefer it to flour. 2 You won't be able to taste the cornstarch the way you sometimes can taste the flour.

Is Shepherd's pie good for you? ›

This ultimate comfort food can be quite unhealthy, with lots of butter in the mash and pushing up your saturated fat intake. Here are a few ideas to make this classic a little healthier and just as tasty.

Can I use potato starch instead of cornstarch in pie? ›

Potato starch is the cornstarch substitute favorite of associate food editor Kendra Vaculin. A light white powder extracted from crushed potatoes, it's an almost flawless one-to-one swap for cornstarch in all applications.

What can I use to thicken my shepherd's pie? ›

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Why do Irish people eat shepherd's pie? ›

It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

Are Costco hot dogs low carb? ›

Costco Ks Hot Dog (1 hot dog) contains 46g total carbs, 44g net carbs, 33g fat, 24g protein, and 570 calories.

What is Costco shepherd's pie made of? ›

As for what's inside, expect to find beef and veggies. “It's similar to a pot pie except it's beef instead of chicken and has a layer of mashed potatoes on top. No layers everything is just mixed together below the potatoes and crust,” explained Redditor rowdygos in the thread.

Does shepherds pie have a lot of sodium? ›

Nutritional analysis (per serving):

922 calories. 34g protein. 72g fat. 931mg sodium.

How much is a serving size of shepherd's pie? ›

Shepherd's Pie - 1 serving (about 2 cups)

How many calories are in 2 cups of shepherd's pie? ›

There are 544 calories in 2 cups of Shepherd's Pie with Beef. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

How many calories are in a 2 cup Shepards pie? ›

shepherds pie
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 2 Cup (321.61g)
How many calories are in shepherds pie? Amount of calories in shepherds pie: Calories 376.2Calories from Fat 204.6 (54.4%)
% Daily Value *
How much fat is in shepherds pie? Amount of fat in shepherds pie: Total Fat 22.7g-
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