Low Carb Keto Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Name: Low Carb Keto Shepherd's Pie with Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; 1/2 cup raw cashews, (soaked in boiling water ); 1 pound cauliflower florets; 1 pound celery root, (cubed); 2 tbsp olive oil (or grass fed butter); 2 heads garlic, roasted; 1 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup onion, (small dice); 1 cup celery, (small dice); 1/2 cup carrot, (peeled and diced small); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb, (grass fed ground beef, ground turkey, or leftover thanksgiving turkey chopped into a small dice); t tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp psyllium husk (or cassava flour to thicken the filling); 2 tsp tomato paste; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tsp coconut aminos (or Worcestershire sauce ); 1 tsp rosemary; 1 tsp thyme; 1/2 cup English peas (fresh or frozen )

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This low carb and keto shepherd’s pie with garlic cauliflower mash is the perfect cozy meal. Make this shepherd’s pie from scratch as detailed below or use holiday leftovers to create this hearty, filling meal.

I like to serve this shepherd’s pie with this Asparagus Salad with Caper Herb Dressing. They make such a great combination.

Why You’ll Love This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

This Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Cauliflower Mash is a hearty, filling meal that will keep you full for hours. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients as the recipe comes together easily.

The cauliflower mash is the perfect alternative to high carb potatoes and finishes off this dish perfectly.

Ingredients To Make Low Carb Shepherd’s Pie

Cauliflower celery root garlic mash topping

Raw cashews – Raw cashews soaked in boiling water add creaminess to the cauliflower mash.
Cauliflower florets – You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower for this mash.
Celery root – I used one celery root, cubed. Note this is not the same as regular celery.
Olive oil or grass fed butter – Both are great options.
Garlic – I used 2 heads of garlic, roasted.
Sea salt – I like to use sea salt in my cooking.
Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is best.

Meaty filling

Olive oil – Make sure to use extra virgin olive oil when you cook.
Onion – Any kind of onions will work, small dice.
Celery – Cut the celery in a small dice as well.
Carrot – I used an organic carrot, peeled and diced small.
Garlic – I used fresh garlic, minced
Ground lamb, grass fed ground beef, ground turkey, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey chopped into a small dice all work well.
Sea salt
Black pepper
Psyllium husk or cassava flour to thicken the filling.
Tomato paste
Chicken broth – I used low sodium chicken broth.
Coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce
Rosemary – Use organic spices if possible.
Thyme
English peas fresh or frozen – I usually have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer.

Equipment Needed

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash

To make the garlic mash topping

Soak the cashews in boiling water and allow to sit and soften while you prep the vegetables.
Peel the celery root and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Cut head of cauliflower into quarters and then break florets apart.
Place celery root and cauliflower in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and celery root is easily pierced with a knife point, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut the tops off of the heads of garlic and place on a square of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown and soft. About 25 minutes.
Drain the cashews and add to a blender or food processor.
Drain the veggies in a colander and then add them to the blender with the cashews.
Add the roasted garlic, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

To make the meaty filling

While the celery root and cauliflower are cooking, prepare the filling. Pour olive oil into a 12-inch skillet and set over medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until they begin to take on color, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Drain any excess grease at this point.
Sprinkle the meat with the psyllium husk or cassava flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly 6-8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Add the peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly into an 8 x 11 baking dish.
Top with the garlic mashed veggies and smooth with a spatula.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the top begins to brown. Remove and allow to cool a little before serving as the center will be very hot. Enjoy!

Storage

This recipe for Shepherd’s pie will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Pro Tips

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your shepherd’s pie turns out every time.

Take all the ingredients out and place them on the counter. There are a lot of ingredients needed for this recipe so best to make sure you have everything on hand before you start.
Keep a bag of raw cashews on hand, they are great for adding creaminess to both sweet and savory dishes.

FAQs

Can I make this recipe using potatoes instead of the cauliflower mash?

Yes, you can use regular mashed potatoes but then this recipe would not be low carb.

Can I use a different nut in the cauliflower mash?

No, you can not use a different nut. The soaked cashews add a unique creaminess that can not be achieved by soaking a different nut.

Did you make this recipe? If you did don’t forget to tag me and share on Instagram!