AIP/Paleo Shepherd's Pie
It’s officially winter here, we’re gearing up for Christmas and decorated our tree this past weekend and started to decorate the rest of the house. I always feel like I’m forgetting something and there are always stray fall decorations up until the last minute, but hey, we try our best. With the cold weather I start to go into hibernation mode and mostly want to spend my time under a blanket with a good book and my dinner plan usually includes things with lots of carbs. Today I wanted to share my AIP/Paleo Shepherd’s Pie recipe with you guys incase you feel the same way about warm comfort food this time of year.
This recipe can be done very easily in a large, oven proof shallow cast iron or enameled dish on the stove and then baked in the oven. I didn’t do this for the pictures for this post, but typically when I’m making it that’s what I do to cut down on dishes. This recipe is very AIP friendly but doesn’t sacrifice any of the hearty comforting flavor!
INGREDIENTS :
(Shepherd’s Pie Filling)
1 lb of Ground Beef (organic, grass-fed if AIP)
2 Large Carrots (diced)
2 Large Celery Stalks (diced)
1 Large Onion (diced)
5 Cloves of Garlic (chopped small)
8oz Mushrooms (white or baby bellas work well) (Sliced)
2 Parsnips (diced)
2 White Sweet Potatoes (diced)
3-4 Cups Chicken Broth (bone broth or vegetable works well also)
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley (Or a bunch of fresh)
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Tablespoons Arrowroot or Tapioca Flour
Sea Salt to taste
Compliant oil (I used Olive Oil)
(Mashed Cauliflower Topping)
1 Head of Cauliflower Steamed
1/4 - 1 cup of Chicken or Vegetable Broth (depending on desired consistency)
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Sea Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS :
To make Shepherd’s Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 350.
In a pot or oven proof deep skillet/pan, cook the beef until browned and then set aside in a separate dish. In the same skillet heat 2 tablespoons of your choice of compliant oil and add mushrooms (sliced), onions, carrots, celery and parsnips, cook over medium high heat until softened. Add browned beef, garlic and sweet potatoes, cook for about 5 more minutes until garlic is fragrant and potatoes are slightly softened.
Add chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, parsley and sea salt to taste. Mix well and let simmer about 5-10 more minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of water or broth with the tapioca or arrowroot flour to make a slurry, pour into the mixture and let simmer until thickened. This shouldn’t take long at all, a few minutes maybe. Take off heat and add mashed cauliflower over the top and put in the oven to bake until top is slightly golden and the sides are bubbling.
To make Cauliflower Mash:
In a good sized pot steam the entire head of cauliflower (cut into florets first). Add Cauliflower into a food processor, with the garlic powder, salt and 1/4 cup of the broth. Pulse food processor until well blended and combined, it should look very similar to mashed potatoes. There shouldn’t be any large lumps in it (unless you prefer it that way). Feel free to add more broth in small quantities to get your desired consistency.
* Note : If you aren’t sensitive to nightshades like I am, feel free to use regular mashed potatoes on top if you prefer that.
See below for some of our favorite paleo/aip friendly products that we used to create this dish :