As you can tell by the pictures this keto shepherd’s pie recipe is absolutely mouth-watering. One of my favorite comfort foods and a wonderful addition to any keto diet.
A traditional shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie) is topped with mashed potato. Instead, we use a cauliflower topping which has all the flavor without the carbs! It’s a perfect keto-friendly comforting dinner, especially in the fall and winter.
What is Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie?
Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie is a hearty casserole traditionally made with ground lamb or ground beef. A pie made with ground lamb is a Shepherd’s Pie and a pie made with ground beef is a Cottage Pie.
There are a lot of variations that all use ground meat (beef or lamb) cooked in rich gravy or sauce with veggies. The meat is then covered in a layer of mashed potato before being baked.
With those ingredients, you’ll know that a traditional cottage pie is not keto-friendly because it’s loaded with starchy vegetables and gravy. Luckily it’s not hard to make a few changes for a keto shepherd’s pie or keto cottage pie.
How To Make A Low-Carb Shepherd’s Pie
- Replace the mash potato topping with a cauliflower cream cheese topping.
- Reduce the number of peas and carrots. You can also swap peas for green peppers for even fewer carbs.
- Create a low carb meat sauce instead of gravy that is still packed with flavor.
Is Shepherd’s Pie Keto?
Yes! Keto shepherd’s pie with cauliflower is perfect for your low carb diet. By using cauliflower instead of potato we reduce the carb count significantly.
Each serving contains 8.1 grams of net carbs which will fit into most people’s keto macros. It’s a very filling dinner that doesn’t need a large side. A simple low carb salad is an excellent choice.
One of the great things I’ve noticed with this recipe is that even people who aren’t on a low carb or keto diet love it. When you serve up this low-carb cottage pie everyone will be asking for seconds.
How to Make Keto Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie
First, add the ground beef or ground lamb to a frying pan and cook it for 5 minutes over high heat. Once it starts to brown, add the tomatoes, carrot, garlic, oregano, tomato puree, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
Combine everything together and allow it to cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. You may need to add 1/4 cup of water here so keep an eye on it. At the end add the peas and then transfer the meat mixture into a baking dish.
In another pot boil your cauliflower for around 10-12 minutes until soft. Add the cream cheese and gently combine it together with the cauliflower until nice and creamy.
Preheat your oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit / 180 degrees Celsius. Carefully cover the meat mixture with the cauliflower cream cheese topping so that it forms an even layer.
Bake for around 20 minutes until the topping is golden. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, garnish with rosemary and serve!
Keto Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie Tips
Make more – If you have a lot of people to feed you can easily alter this recipe to make bigger portions.
Meal prep – By making the bigger portions mentioned above you can easily use this recipe for meal prep. Cut and freeze the portions then zap them in the microwave for a quick and easy meal when you’re low on time!
Meat swaps – Even though we used ground beef in this recipe, cottage pie is traditionally made with ground lamb. Feel free to substitute the beef for lamb which also works great with this recipe.
Veggie swaps – You can easily change up this recipe by swapping and adding more low carb vegetables. Green peppers, onions, zucchinis and broccoli all work great. Remember to avoid starchy veggies with higher carb counts.
Make ahead – This recipe is a great choice to make ahead of time and will keep for up to 2 days. Simply prepare the beef or lamb mixture and cauliflower cream cheese topping and store them in air-tight containers in the fridge. When you’re ready, assemble the keto shepherd’s pie and bake as directed below.
Keto Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Keto Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 7 oz Ground Beef or Lamb 200g
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 2 small Tomatoes optional
- 1 Carrot
- 1 tbsp Peas optional
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 pinch Chili Flakes
Keto Shepherd's Pie Topping
- 2 cups Cauliflower
- 3 tbsp Cream Cheese
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
- Fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Add the ground beef or lamb to a frying pan and cook it for 5 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, carrot, garlic, oregano, tomato puree, chili flakes, salt and combine everything together. If needed, add 1/4 cup of water and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the peas at the end and then transfer the mixture into a baking dish.
- In another pot boil the cauliflower for 10-12 minutes until soft. Add the cream cheese and gently mix together until nice and creamy.
- Preheat your oven to 355°F / 180°C. Carefully cover the top of the ground beef mixture with the cauliflower topping so that it is entirely covered in an even layer. Bake for around 20 minutes until the top is golden.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and garnish with fresh rosemary.
