This delicious keto shepherd's pie incorporates spinach and onions into the meat mixture.
It's topped with creamy mashed cauliflower instead of the traditional potatoes. It's wonderfully flavorful and satiating!
I love cooking with ground beef. It's cheap, readily accessible, and tasty. Recipes like Korean ground beef, keto tacos, Cuban picadillo and pumpkin chili are staples in my household.
I also enjoy cooking hearty casseroles, and this keto shepherd's pie is one of my favorites. It's wonderfully filling, my entire family loves it, and it makes a complete meal, so I don't have to bother with side dishes unless I want to.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Vegetables: Cauliflower, onion, garlic, and spinach.
- Fats: Olive oil and butter.
- Ground beef: Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is made with ground beef. Since the young ones in my family are not fans of lamb, I use lean ground beef (85/15) in this recipe. I don't recommend going any leaner than that.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and garlic powder.
- Egg yolks: For the mashed cauliflower. They make it extra creamy!
Variations
- You can use ground lamb, ground chicken, or ground turkey instead of ground beef. If using poultry, make sure to use dark meat and not white meat, which is too dry.
- Instead of spinach, you can incorporate kale or cut green beans into the beef mixture.
- You can mash the cauliflower with softened cream cheese instead of butter. It makes for a very rich mash.
Instructions
Making my version of this pie is easy, although admittedly, this recipe is more complex than most of my recipes. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. Here's an overview of the steps:
You start by preparing the mashed cauliflower topping. Microwave cauliflower florets, drain them, then mash them in your food processor with butter, seasonings, and egg yolks.
Next, make the pie filling. Cook ground beef, onions, and spinach in olive oil. You'll need to add the spinach in batches. Drain, then season the mixture and cook it briefly to help the flavors meld together.
Transfer the beef mixture to a baking dish, top it with the mashed cauliflower, and bake until the cauliflower begins to brown, about 20 minutes in a 400°F oven.
Let the pie rest for 5-10 minutes before serving it.
Expert Tip
If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can speed things up by broiling the casserole instead of baking it.
If you opt for broiling, broil it 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) just until the cauliflower begins to brown. In my oven, this takes about 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
It's a simple, hearty casserole of meat and potatoes. In traditional recipes, ground meat (typically lamb) is browned with vegetables and seasonings, then topped with mashed potatoes and baked.
My keto version replaces the potatoes with mashed cauliflower and uses low-carb vegetables.
I should note that if you use ground beef rather than lamb, as I do here, you're actually making a "cottage pie."
In my version of this recipe, there's no need for any flour. I simply saute the ground beef in oil with vegetables. Since I don't add liquids (such as beef broth), there's no need to thicken the mixture with flour.
You can try using celery root, but the nutrition information will obviously change. You'll need to boil it until tender, then mash it with butter and seasonings.
Serving Suggestions
This pie is a complete meal, so it doesn't require side dishes. However, sometimes I serve it with a simple arugula salad (which nicely balances out the richness of the dish) or with a veggie that I can roast in the same 400°F oven, such as:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
You can also freeze this pie for up to three months. To freeze, let it cool completely, and then wrap it in cling wrap followed by a layer of foil. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat uncovered in a 350°F oven. Remember to remove the baking dish from the fridge 30 minutes before you put it in a hot oven.
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Recipe Card
Keto Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds cauliflower florets
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided; or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, also divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules - or powder
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef - 85/15
- 1 cup onions - diced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
Prepare the topping:
- Place the cauliflower florets in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup of water, cover, and microwave until very tender, about 7 minutes.
- Drain the cauliflower. Puree the hot cauliflower in your food processor with butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and garlic granules. This should take about 1 minute. When very smooth, add the egg yolks and process for a few more seconds until fluffy. Set aside.
Prepare the filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the beef and onions. Cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat as you cook, about 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach leaves in batches and keep stirring. Cook until the beef is browned, 4-5 more minutes. If the skillet gets too hot, lower the heat to medium.
- Drain the beef mixture and add it back to the hot pan. Add the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
Assemble and bake the pie:
- Place the beef mixture in an 11 X 7-inch rimmed baking dish or a baking dish of similar capacity. Spread the mashed cauliflower on top, smoothing it out with a spatula. Make sure to seal the edges of the casserole with the cauliflower mash.
- Place the baking dish on the prepared baking sheet (meant to catch any spills). Bake the pie until the cauliflower begins to brown, 20-30 minutes.
- Allow the pie to rest and set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can speed things up by broiling the casserole instead of baking it. If you opt for broiling, broil it 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) just until the cauliflower begins to brown. In my oven, this takes about 5 minutes.
- Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is made with ground beef. Since the young ones in my family are not fans of lamb, I use lean ground beef (85/15) in this recipe. I don't recommend going any leaner than that.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
- You can also freeze this pie for up to three months. To freeze, let it cool completely, and then wrap it in cling wrap followed by a layer of foil. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat uncovered in a 350°F oven. Remember to remove the baking dish from the fridge 30 minutes before you put it in a hot oven.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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