AIP Friendly and GAPS Friendly Paleo Shepherd’s Pie.
It’s warm, hearty comfort food time again! The weather has gotten cooler, the leaves are starting to fall (depending on where you live) and the rain showers are coming intermittently now. You might even have some snow. Or not, if you’re in California. Sorry guys! Even when I lived in California I liked to pretend it was fall and cook comforting foods. My Paleo Shepherd’s Pie is perfect to make this time of the year.
Shepherd’s Pie Can Be On The Table in Under and Hour
Generally, I need fairly quick recipes for breakfast lunch and dinner to prepare during the week since our days are always jam packed with schooling, extracurricular activities and prioritizing our health. Although this dish has a few extra steps in it, they are not hard and it is still a meal that can be ready in an hour. That’s a quick dinner if you ask me!
You’ll see peas in this photo and that’s because I make Shepherd’s Pie with peas sometimes. Technically they are legumes and if you follow the Paleo diet then you omit legumes. I personally have not noticed I have a problem with peas and since I eat them only about once every six months and I never eat a heaping portion of them they sit well with me. Should you not be able to have peas or choose not to eat them then feel free to leave them out. The dish is great without them and great with them. Either way works.
- 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
- 5 large organic carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 c. frozen, organic green peas - NOT canned please (optional)
- 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 Tlbs. bacon fat
- 2 Tlbs. coconut Oil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. pepper (leave out if AIP)
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. ground sage
- ¼ c. homemade beef broth or Kettle and Fire Brand (reduce to ⅛ c. if not using arrowroot powder)
- ½ tsp. arrowroot powder (leave out for GAPS)
- 1 large head of cauliflower cut up in to same size florets
- 4 Tlbs. Ghee (use coconut oil for AIP)
- 1 egg (leave out for AIP)
- Few shakes of paprika for the top (leave out for AIP)
- Grease a 9x13 pan with coconut oil.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place cauliflower florets in a steamer or pan with a little filtered water (1/4 c.) on the bottom.
- Simmer on medium until cauliflower is all very tender.
- Using an immersion blender blend all the cauliflower until smooth. Add ghee (or coconut oil) to your cauliflower with salt and pepper to taste and stir.
- Add egg into the cauliflower mixture stirring very quickly to combine and to ensure that none of the egg scrambles into chunks.
- While the cauliflower is steaming, melt bacon fat in a saute pan and saute carrots, onions and celery until they are almost tender and have a little color - about 15 minutes.
- Add the ground meat, breaking it up and browning it until no pink remains.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic powder into meat mixture, stirring to combine.
- Place frozen peas in the filling mixture.
- Add broth and then add arrowroot powder (if using) and stir to combine. Let it simmer about 5 minutes until the sauce (broth) gets a bit thicker. (Skip this step if you are not using arrowroot.)
- Place meat mixture into the pan.
- Top with fauxtatoes and spread evenly to cover the top. *If it doesn't cover the whole top then you can leave the sides uncovered.
- Sprinkle paprika over the topping.
- Place in the oven for 30 minutes until bubbling and a light brown around the edges.
- Serve with a green salad and enjoy!
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