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This keto shepherd’s pie features a rich and meaty gravy layered with a creamy mashed buttery cauliflower topping. It’s freezer-friendly and only 3 grams net carbs!
Craving more keto comfort food? Try my keto mac and cheese, keto pizza casserole, and keto cheeseburger casserole next.
Few dishes quite encapsulate comfort food like shepherd’s pie, but as you can imagine, traditional shepherd’s pie is the opposite of keto-friendly.
Thankfully, I’ve devised the perfect keto shepherd’s pie recipe. With layers of juicy ground beef, savory gravy, and the the bestcreamy cauliflower mash on top, this recipe leaves NO room for wanting.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Deceptively easy to make. For how many elements go into this dish, you’ll be shocked by how simple it is.
- Layer after layer of flavor. It’s got savory, creamy, and cheesy flavors in every bite.
- Perfect for meal prep. I don’t make shepherd’s pie often, but when I do, I make a double-batch and keep one in the freezer for a meat pie emergency.
- Customizable. There’s a good bit of wiggle room in here, so don’t fret if you don’t have every ingredient listed.
Ingredients needed
- Olive oil. To sauté the meat.
- Garlic cloves and onion. Essential aromatics.
- Ground beef. I used lean ground beef. If you want to use a fattier cut of beef, cook it separately and drain the excess fat. You can also use ground turkey or any type of ground meat.
- Almond flour. It’s optional, but it thickens the filling.
- Crushed tomatoes. To add richness to the gravy. I opt for the canned ones in their natural juices.
- Beef bouillon. A must for any good gravy!
- Worcestershire sauce. Just a pinch to bring out the meaty flavors.
- Bay leaf. For aroma.
- Beef stock. Thins out the filling enough that it becomes a thick gravy.
For the mashed cauliflower topping:
- Cauliflower. A low-carb swap for mashed potatoes. I’ve also been known to use mashed turnips in a pinch, and they turn out just as delicious.
- Heavy cream. For richness. You can use milk, but it won’t be as creamy.
- Butter. I used salted room-temperature butter.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Shredded cheese. Optional, but I like to sprinkle some mozzarella cheese to give it an even creamier topping.
How to make low carb shepherd’s pie
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Brown the beef. Add oil to a skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and ground beef, and cook until no longer pink.
Step 2- Build the gravy. Mix in the flour. Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and beef broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the temperature to medium heat. Cook until thick and gravy-like.
Step 3- Make mashed cauliflower. Add the steamed cauliflower and chopped butter to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese.
Step 4- Assemble and bake. Spread the cauliflower mixture on top of the pie and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Save time. When I’m short on time, I’ll steam frozen cauliflower rice and blend it in a food processor or blender. It cuts the mash time in half.
- Use a cast iron skillet. That way, you can build the meat gravy, then put the cauliflower mash right on top and pop it in the oven.
- Let the filling cool slightly before adding the cauliflower mash. It may seem redundant, but a little time to cool helps the gravy thicken beautifully.
- For a creamier mash, swap the butter for cream cheese or an egg yolk.
- Skip the crust. While I love it, it’s definitely optional and can easily be omitted. Alternatively, you can use any shredded cheese, like cheddar cheese or mozzarella.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered in an airtight container, for up to one week.
To freeze: Place cooled portions in freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to six months. The pie must be thawed completely before reheating it.
To reheat: Microwave in 30-second intervals until warm, or bake at 350F/175C until warm.
Frequently asked questions
Essentially, cottage pie and shepherd’s pie are the same dish. Traditional recipes claim that cottage pie uses ground beef, while shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb.
What to serve with this recipe
- Keto buns
- Keto coleslaw
- Keto rolls
- Keto cornbread
- Or any of my keto side dish recipes
Keto Shepherd’s Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the flour and mix in. Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves, then the beef stock. Bring it to simmer, before reducing it to medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until thick and gravy-like.
- Transfer the filling into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or cast iron skillet.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Steam your cauliflower in a pot until soft and tender. Drain and place in a food processor. Add the butter and blend until combined. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese and blend until smooth.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture on top of the pie. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown and bubbling on the sides. Remove from the oven and sit for 5 minutes, before sprinkling with fresh thyme and serving.
I made this recipe so i could leave in freezer for a quick dinner night, it was delicious! Loved the cauli mash which i tweaked slightly by using cream cheese instead of milk to mix. Will defo add this to my favourite recipe book. Thank you
Your recipes, or at least the ones I have tried, and they are tasty and filling. That said, I was looking for a cottage pie recipe and found your shepherd’s pie. A shepherd’s pie is made from lamb or mutton, yours is made with beef therefore it is a Cottage Pie. Just remember lambs are cared for by a shepherd. Cauliflower mash has been a revelation, thank you.
Loved this. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, but I put the whole small can of tomato sauce in as I didnt have any other use for it, and I added shredded cheddar cheese into the cauliflower topping when I was blending it together. Really nice – thanks for recipe!
I made this as is, other than halving it, due to it just being two of us.
I also thought tomato sauce, not paste since in the actual recipe it says sauce but I don’t think it hurt anything , it was still delicious.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Very tasty. I eat very little beef so I made this with ground chicken and it turned out just as lovely.
Great shepherds pie! I added some cornstarch to help with thickening and doubled (maybe even tripled) the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce for a little more flavor.
Good dish, but way too much liquid. I didn’t have almond flour so I ground up some mixed nuts which seemed to work. I ended up using 1 cup of beef stock and that was even too much. Also, make sure you use tomato paste; the recipe calls for tomato sauce but the directions say paste. Other than that, pretty good. Last thing, this is a little time consuming because you have to let the beef mixture cool so make it ahead of time.