Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

Eat a comforting but healthy dinner with this Paleo Shepherd’s Pie. Fill with your favorite veggies and top with white or sweet potatoes.

A few Saturdays ago, I woke up craving some good comfort food. I knew we didn’t have any leftovers in the fridge and I knew that if I had any hope of eating healthy during the weekend, I needed to make a hearty meal that would give us a dinner on Saturday and lunch leftovers for Sunday.

One of Matt’s favorite meals is shepherd’s pie. I guess I didn’t realize this was such a comfort meal for him. When I told him I was going to create a paleo shepherd’s pie recipe, he got excited. Really excited. The way to a man’s heart is definitely through their stomachs, ladies.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• healthy shepherd’s pie that fits into our paleo eating plan
• packed with ground beef
• 4 types of veggies on the bottom: garden-fresh zucchini, carrots, peas and kale
• a layer of of mashed potatoes on top.
• pure comfort food!

Shepherd’s Pie vs Cottage Pie

Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, shepherd’s pie generally is made with lamb or mutton and cottage pie uses beef. Most recipes will call for either type of meat though.

Both have a minced meat on the bottom and mashed potatoes on top.

The Parts of The Casserole

• Potatoes topping. The top of the casserole is mashed potatoes. Use sweet potatoes or white potatoes, whichever you’d like. If you’re making this paleo, use ghee and almond milk. Regular milk and butter work too.
• Ground beef. Use a lean ground beef or even ground turkey. Brown the meat and drain off any fat before assembling the casserole.
• Vegetables. I loaded four types of veggies in this casserole: zucchini, carrots, kale and peas. Peas are not allowed on the Whole30, so you can switch those out for brussels sprouts or green beans if you’d like.
• Tomato sauce. The sauce that the meat cooks in is not thick and rich like spaghetti sauce. It simply adds flavor and a little “juice” to the meat layer. You could add tomato sauce if you’d like it thicker.

How to Make Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

• In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes until they are tender (about 10 minutes). Mash the potatoes and cream them together with the butter, milk, salt and pepper until they are fluffy. Set aside.
• Place all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet or saucepan. Drain the fat off the meat.
• Add the sauce and chopped vegetables to the skillet. Cover the skillet and allow the meat and veggies to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies start getting tender. Don’t allow them to cook all the way through since they will continue to cook in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the meat and veggies to a 9×13 pan or a deep dish 9×9 casserole pan. Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes and spread out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.

What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie

If you are looking for just a healthy shepherd’s pie recipe and don’t need a special diet, I suggest serving this with our dinner rolls. If you’re looking for Whole30 side dishes, try one of these:

• Broccoli Slaw
• Antipasto Salad
• Unsweetened applesauce or pineapple

Many times I also serve green beans on the side.

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

4.87 from 23 votes

Eat a comforting but healthy dinner with this Paleo Shepherd’s Pie. Fill with your favorite veggies and top with white or sweet potatoes.

Servings 6

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

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Ingredients

 

• 5 large Russet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks (2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup salted butter ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons tapioca starch or corn starch

Filling:

• 1 1/3 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion chopped (½ cup)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup zucchini peeled and chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup finely chopped kale

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes until they are tender (about 10 minutes). Mash the potatoes and cream them together with the butter, milk, salt and pepper until they are fluffy. Set aside.
• Place all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet or saucepan. Drain the fat off the meat.
• Add the sauce and chopped vegetables to the skillet. Cover the skillet and allow the meat and veggies to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies start getting tender. Don't allow them to cook all the way through since they will continue to cook in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the meat and veggies to a 9×13 pan or a deep dish 9×9 casserole pan. Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes and spread out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges.
• Serve warm.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the casserole. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 1984mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5195IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 6mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 548

Keyword beef casserole, casserole recipe, healthy dinner

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Try our Paleo Italian Chicken Fingers, Zuppa Toscana, Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken, Stuffed Peppers and more!

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