I’m so excited to be sharing this Healthy Shepherd’s Pie recipe with you! I’ve been super sick with a cold these last few days and it was hard to make, film, and edit the video for this recipe in time to publish it today. I did it and it feels really good! It took me a total of 5 days to get this post ready, but now you can finally see how I make one of my favorite dinner recipes.
This is one of the first recipes I posted here on the website when I started the blog back in late 2012 (see post here). I felt this recipe needed a much better explanation on how to make it, and it’s so good, it deserves a full video tutorial so be sure to watch it above!
Shepherd’s Pie is easy to make and most commonly, the top layer you see in the pie is made with mashed potatoes. Yes, it tastes amazing but, there’s a healthier vegetable we can use in place of the potatoes that has almost the identical taste and texture, and with a far superior nutritional value.
Cauliflower interestingly enough, is the vegetable we will be using in place of the potatoes, and to top our pie we are going to transform the cauliflower into an amazingly delicious garlic roasted mashed cauliflower. What’s most interesting though, is that even if you don’t follow a healthy diet chances are you won’t even be able to tell we are not using potatoes in this recipe.
If you crave some kind of comfort food, this meals gives you that satiating feeling without guilt. Cauliflower is low in carbs, and it’s nutritional value far exceeds that of potatoes. It is rich in vitamin B, C, K, as well as manganese, phosphorous, and potassium. It is also rich in phytochemicals which are now being studied for their anti-cancer properties. Cauliflower is also a sulfur-rich vegetable, an essential nutrient necessary for the production of hormones which helps keep our muscles, digestive, cardiovascular, and nervous systems healthy.
As you can see, there are numerous health benefits to cauliflower, but we also want our food to taste good, and this meal does. I think you will love it, and it may become a favorite in your home like it is in mine. Be sure to watch the video above to see my method of making this pie, and when you’re ready to make it, read the recipe card below for all of the measurements and step by step instructions.
This Healthy Shepherd’s Pie recipe is easy to make and takes me no longer than 30 minutes. Hope you try it, and please comment below letting me know how it goes. I also want to know what kind of dinner recipes you want me to teach you how to make, so let’s chat in the comment section below.
Check out my other favorite dinner recipes. I think you’ll love them too!
Carrot-Apple Soup – click for recipe
Roasted Cinnamon Lemon Chicken – click for recipe
Healthy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (low-carb, whole30, paleo)
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs (610g) ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or your preferred cooking oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
- 2 small cauliflower heads, 1026g
- 7 large roasted garlic cloves*
- 1 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until tender. Add the carrot and zucchini, and cook until they start to soften. Add the ground beef, salt, and chili powder, and cook until the beef browns and all of the moisture begins to dry out.
- Meanwhile prepare the mashed cauliflower. Chop the cauliflower heads into small chunks, and steam until they soften (a fork can easily pierce). Add the steamed cauliflower, roasted garlic and salt to a blender and blend until you have a smooth puree. Use the tamper to help blend the cauliflower if you have one.
- To assemble the pie, distribute the ground beef evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed cauliflower over the top of the ground beef, and bake in a preheated oven to 350°F for 25 minutes. If you're adding cheese (I use mozzarella) to the top of your Shepherd's Pie like I show in the video, sprinkle the cheese on top after you bake it, and then broil it until the cheese browns (about 3 more minutes in the oven).
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This was truly outstanding! I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture, as well, and I used cheddar cheese on top to give the pie a nice crust. This is definitely a recipe that I will make regularly for my husband and I!
So happy to hear you guys liked it! Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Looks delicious!
For the zucchini and other veggies, do you need to squeeze the water out? Or just use it as is, once shredded or diced?
If you don’t drain the meat, will it create extra water in the dish?
I usually don’t squeeze the water out of the vegetables. A trick I like to use to keep the meal dryer is to cook the meat for long until it starts sticking to the pan. I also have my stove on high and use a cast iron pan to distribute a constant heat in the pan. But for sure you can drain the from the meat and water from veggies.
I have never eaten Sheperd’s pie before. The cauliflower change was absolutely brilliant. We loved it. It was gone. Thanks
Thank you for sharing your feedback here Sherri! I’m really happy you liked it 😊
Wow, this is delicious. I am not much of a cook but this was super easy. I am so hooked and look forward to trying the variations mentioned.
Thanks for posting this!!!
Just tried this recipe. I added mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, and topped it with mozzarella cheese at the end. It was so delicious. Thank you for the great recipe!
Looks amazing Audrey!! Thank you for sharing and I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This was delicious! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef. Will definitley make this again. Thank you!
So good. I use tomato paste, rosemary and thyme in mine
Thank you so much for your feedback Katherine! I bet it was really good with those herbs!!
I actually made this while i was on our holidays for a quick(ish) meal , and my other half and myself loved it so much i bought some more mince and cauli as soon as we got home and made another , hes awfully generous to me is my other half , he said “that was lovely YOU can make that again” how spoilt am i that i can make him it again, im the one on the low carb diet lol i think i should eat all the next one to myself (not all in one sitting obviously) ..lol it did us a meal each for 2 nights thoroughly enjoyed it very tasty i mixed some broccoli in with the cauliflower the second time 🙂 thank you for the recipe will be making this many more times im sure
💖💖💖
Oh my goodness. Sooooooooo delicious. I made one potato and one cauliflower pie side by side and I found the cauliflower so much tastier.
😍I agree with you Ali! Plus cauliflower is much lower in carbs and much more nutritions 🙂 win win! Thank you for your feedback!!
Can I use Riced cauliflower instead of cauliflower heads?
Do you mean using store-bought frozen riced cauliflower? I think it may also work. You’ll need to steam it and then mash it to make the puree. Please let me know how it goes if you try it.
Omg absolutely amazing
🙂 Thank you so much Christina! I love your photo! Looks so good!!!!! Thank you fo sharing.
I just made the recipe and I am amazed! At first I thought that adding that mich garlic would make it taste really weird, but the roasted garlic just made the whole dish amazing. I’m glad I can add such a yummy recipe in my paleo diet. Thank you for it.
🙂 so happy you liked it! Thanks for your feedback Juliette.
Tried this healthy Shepherds Pie in honor of St Patrick’s Day coming up this weekend. It was a hit with the whole family and that is saying something with an 11 and 5 year old. I did do the egg and cheese and could not tell the topping wasn’t mashed potatoes. Keep up the healthy recipes it’s much appreciated!!
Thank you Lisa! Great to know even your kids like it 🙂 Thank you for your review!!
Followed the recipe plus the cheese and it came out good. My family loved it. Thank you!
Your pie looks amazing Susan! I’m really happy to see your photo and know that you and your family love it. Thank you so much for your feedback 🙂
This was amazing!!! My kids loved it and can’t get enough. Jokes on them that they are eating cauliflower and not mashed potatoes!!! We used bison instead of beef.
😍This is awesome Crystal! Thank you so much for your feedback. I love knowing your kids liked it too!
It was more like a taco pie then it was a shepherds pie because of the chili powder in it. We did add Worcester sauce to it and it gave it a little bit better taste but still not what I would consider a true shepherds pie.
I added some worschestshire and ketchup to the meat mix. This was delicious with or without cheese! My fam couldn’t even tell it was cauliflower! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you so much Amber! 💕
Just made this recipe for my family tonight and it was delicious! I have made Mashed cauliflower before and this the easiest and most delicious! My daughter has just been diagnosed with food related health issues so I am trying to support her as she transitions to Whole Foods. Thank you
Aww, thank you so much for your feedback Kathy! I’m so happy you like it! I hope my recipes makes eating healthy more fun and enjoyable for you and your daughter 💖
Hi Adriana. Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband loved it and so did my 3.5 year old boy and 12-month old girl. My son wanted a second serving and as he was eating it he said “Mommy, you are the best chef in the world!”. 😀 Warmed my heart. But the compliment is really for you, Adriana 😉
Aww, that is so sweet Frances! You just made my day with your message so thank you so much 💖
I want to cook with low-carb in mind but I hate cooking. Your instructions were simple and clear and made me feel encouraged that I could make this meal and that it wouldn’t be too difficult. I’m going to look for more of your tutorials. Thanks so much for your informative video! PS: I appreciate the addition of the nutritional benefits of each of the veggie ingredients.
Thank you so much Sheila! This means a lot to me and makes me so happy!! Hope you make it soon and you love it. Keep me posted and let me know how it goes.
Just made this with some slight alterations. I doubled the amount of zucchini as I had a TON of zucchini. I wouldn’t hesitate to do this again. I did cook the ground beef separately as I wanted to drain and rinse off the extra fat (seems to help my stomach a bit). After adding the veggies back in I couldn’t cook off the extra liquid so I drained what I could easily pour out and that did the trick. While cooking it I felt like I was missing something- I think next time I’d add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce and/or possibly a little ground mustard (or some whole grain mustard). I’ve never had shepherd’s pie before as I despise potato (loving this cauliflower craze) so I have no reference and am solely contemplating the addition of these ingredients based on my love of them in meatloaf. Also, I totally cheated and just used a bag of frozen store-bought mashed cauliflower. I know I missed out on the roasted garlic but I truly love this store-brand bought mash so I went with it. I might have given 4 stars as I felt like the meat needed a little something but between my alterations and lack of shepherd’s pie background I believe a five is fair 🙂
Thank you for your feedback Jenn! I’m happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Hey Adrianna
I made your
Recipe and it turned out great thanks so much . even my hubby enjoyed it .
Thank you so much for your feedback Alex! I love seeing your photo and knowing you both liked it!!
My family is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and they loved this recipe. 4 kids and a husband and everyone was ready for more. I’m going to make ahead to bake the next day, do you think the cauliflower mash would hold up in the fridge to bake the next day? Or should I wait and put it on right before?
Hi Marianne! Thank you for your message, I love knowing your family enjoyed it! You can definitely make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
I’ve made this twice now. The first time I used less garlic thinking the amount called for would be too much. It was a big hit so the 2nd time I used full amount called for in recipe. It was spot on, the best cauliflower mash I’ve ever tasted. I think the roasted garlic is the secret. This is delicious!! Would love some suggestions how to use left over roasted garlic as I’ve never used it before this recipe. BTW I’ve made several of your recipes. All are wonderful. Thank you for helping me enjoy and share delicious, healthy meals and desserts!!!
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for the message and kind words! I love so much knowing you made my recipe and you like it. To me, adding the roasted garlic to the mashed cauliflower is key. When you roast it, it’s not so strong anymore and tastes so good . I even love eating it on it’s own. But I also like to put in my scrambled eggs, salad, and chicken.
Omg 😮 I luved this. It was so delicious 😋 thank you. Trying to eat healthy…
Thank you Anna! Great to know you like it. It’s healthy but tastes delicious. Thanks again for sharing 🙂
This came out great! I added a rue beef gravy to the meet only bc I worried it would come out to dry. But after shredding the zucc it was pretty moist so I don’t think this would have happened .I may not do it again next time I make it. I’m not really worried about carbs so I did roast kobocha squash cubed and put in on top of the meat. my fam had no idea they were eating cauliflower 😂
🙂 I love this Tara! Thank you so much for sharing!
Being British (but living in Canada), I grew up with Shepard’s Pie and I love it! But your healthified recipe looks fantastic and I am definitely going to be trying it, I’m sure my boys and husband will all love it 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, it looks just delicious!
Thank you Tracey 🙂 I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you make it for your family.
This is dinner tonight! We love it! I added one TBS of Worschestire sauce! it was so good!
Thanks so much Kelli! I love seeing your photo 🙂 Keep me posted when you try more of my recipes.
So deliciously, easy to make and healthy! 5 stars!
Thanks so much Christine!
Made this for my family tonight and it was a huge hit! We will be adding this into our regular monthly rotation! I did a few tweaks by using chipotle chili pepper instead of plain chili powder, a bit of cumin, and added some organic corn kernels. So very tasty!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi June! Thank you for sharing your feedback here! I love that you got creative and added other spices to the meat. Next time you make it please share a photo here. I’d love to see your pie! 😘
I made this for Canadian Thanksgiving with family visiting for the weekend, and it was a major hit with everyone! The roasted garlic made the mashed cauliflower extra special, and the shredded veggies in the meat made it lighter (and inspired me to sneak extra servings of veggies into other recipes, no one knew!). Great recipe, very easy to put together!
Thank you so much Katie 💛
This was super yummy and easy to make! Will definatley be making this again!
Thank you Melissa! 🙂
I tried this recipe tonight and both my husband and son (and I) loved it! I thought I had cooked my meat mixture enough, but also had the extra liquid in my casserole dish. I will try cooking it longer next time. My son is getting married in a few months and I have been collecting recipes for him when he seems to particularly like something I’ve made. This Shepherd’s Pie has made the cut! Thank you for continuing to share your “healthified” recipes! 🙂
🙂 Thank you so much for your message and feedback Becky!
I made this Shepherds Pie tonight for dinner and everyone wanted seconds! No one knew that the topping was cauliflower and not potatoes. It’s amazing. I did do the egg and cheese on top and left it under the broiler just to get brown.
I love this Rita, thank you! You’re so far the first one who sent me some feedback and I love it. Thanks again, looks amazing 🙂
Just a quick note that if you cook your ground beef until it dries out more, you won’t get that ‘water’ in your pie. Not sure it this bothers you, but you can do this if it does 🙂
Love your Shepards pie with cauliflower. Please share more healthy dinner recipes.
Hi Adriana! We have a special family favorite Thanksgiving recipe with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, corn flakes, and pecans. (The cereal and pecans are a crunchy topping.) I’d love if you have an adaptation for a healthier version with these flavors. (I did not try making the Shepherd’s pie yet, but boy does it look good!!)
Hi Jessica, is your sweet potato recipe baked in the oven? Maybe omit the brown sugar and corn flakes to make it healthier.
Here it is…what could replace the crunch aspect of the baked corn flakes?
I always cut the sugar and butter when making this, in general!
2 C. mashed sweet potatoes (fresh are the best)
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 stick melted butter or margarine
2 eggs beaten
1 C. milk (1/2 C. if canned potatoes are used)
1 scant teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients well and pour into a greased 7 x 11” dish.
Bake in 400° F oven for 20 minutes.
While the casserole is baking, make the topping:
1/4 Cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup pecans [broken]
1/4 stick melted butter or margarine
MIX WELL
At the 20 minute timer, remove the casserole from the oven.
Spread the topping evenly over the baked casserole.
Return the casserole to oven for an additional 10 minutes at 400° F.
Corn flakes have a unique crunch and it’ll be hard to replace it. I find that sliced almonds also give a good crunch so maybe you can try that. But I bet the meal is just as good without the crunch and I wouldn’t worry about it 🙂
Crumbled cooked bacon might be a nice sub
Great idea! 🙂
That’s a lot of sugar I would omit the sugar in the sweet potatoes and maybe add a little cinnamon
Can’t wait to try this recipe!! Perfect addition for my Fall dinner list.
I enjoy all your recipes. Yes, more dinner ideas would be great.
I love the baking dish you used for this. Can you tell us what brand it is and where to get it? Can’t wait to try this dish; looks like a wonderful fall dinner!
Hi Edie, I bought that baking dish at Ross and there’s I can’t find it online. Here’s a photo of the brand name printed on the bottom.
I usually prefer simple meals, and open to whatever you like to cook.
Always enjoy your videos thanks. I’m more of a savory person so love the dinner recipes 👍
Cottage pie or shepherd’s pie is a type of savory pie. It is made with minced meat, with mashed potato on top. It comes from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The dish is now popular worldwide.
The name “cottage pie” was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain, people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. Originally, a pie made with any kind of meat and mashed potato was called a “cottage pie”.
In modern British English, the dish is usually called “cottage pie” if it is made with beef. If it is made with lamb it is usually called “shepherd’s pie” (because a shepherd looks after sheep).
One of the first dishes that I had when I moved to New England 24 years ago was Shepherd’s Pie. A neighbor shared her grandmother’s recipe with me because she was delighted that I enjoyed it so much. When I saw your version I printed a copy immediately and will make it for a special friend and fellow weaver who loves anything traditional…and healthy. Thank you. (PS – I’m rating this five stars just for the memory of my friend’s Shepherd Pie!)