A few weeks ago I saw this recipe pop up in my reader. It got the wheels turning in my head, especially since I was looking for alternatives to chicken. I rarely cook with ground beef anymore, usually subbing ground turkey to lighten up a dish. I knew it would a great dish for a cold snowy day, which was due the next day! When I mentioned this dish to my friend Colleen, she told me she had seen a Food Network chef (whom I happen to hate) make Shepard’s Pie with cauliflower. I figured it was a great idea to try it like that in an effort to lighten up a classic comfort food even more.
Lightened Up Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup milk or cream to “mash” cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
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Steam cauliflower until soft. In a bowl, “mash” with milk or cream and a 1 tbsp of butter until smooth. (Mine never got completely smooth- I don’t have have a a trick for that yet!)
- To make the pie: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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Prepare the filling: Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in ketchup, broth and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well. Continue to simmer gently over medium-low heat until the sauce is thickened slightly, about 10 to 12 minutes.
-
Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and stir until combined. Season filling with salt and pepper to taste. (At this point, I transferred my filling to a casserole dish.) Top with the mashed cauliflower. Dot the potatoes with bits of butter.
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Place dish on the middle rack of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the potatoes have browned. Remove and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
I was really pleased with the results! While this wasn’t exactly a replacement for a standard Shephard’s Pie (which would have been carb-heavy and cream and butter-laden) it was certainly a great stand-in. As you know, I’m all about “healthifying” a dish, so long as you don’t sacrifice taste. The ketchup and Worcestershire gave the meat a nice, subtle flavor. What I liked best about this dish was that it was mostly vegetables! The veg/meat ratio was like 3:1 after you consider the cauli, carrots, corn, and peas! I thoroughly enjoyed the healthy swap and froze the remainder in individual containers for quick, easy, future dinners!
When Lloyd asked what we were eating, and I told him Shepard’s Pie, he was confused…
“This isn’t Shepard’s Pie. Shepard’s Pie has potatoes on top.”
I told to him that yes, it normally does, and proceeded to throw Colleen under the bus for explain the healthy swap.
We are in negative temps this morning too…and I don’t like it! Would love to stay home but I’m certain work won’t close.
Grumpy would probably shoot me if I did the cauliflower on top. I have never been able to make a regular shepherd’s pie that pleases him though. Looks yummy!
Oh, and what fun bringing home all your kitchen goodies!!
i have just commented underneath you, by 2 mins, on jenny/picky p’s blog and ashley/edible’s.
it was the universe telling me to say hi to you
omg and i just went to two peas/pod, i am right under you there. lol
I would probably love this recipe more than the original! I hate white potatoes in basically all forms so throwing mashed potatoes on top would be a deal breaker for me. Looks good!
Wow this sounds light and yummy! The pictures are so stunning. They make me wanna try this recipe right away.
Woooohoooo for the scone pan
haha!
I’m so jealous that you found the muffin top pans @ tj maxx- I always dig all around in the kitchen department to see what I can find. Last time I was there I found ground flax seed of all things! Kind of crazy, but I love the random finds there.
Omg- never thought to sub out the potatos for mashed cauliflower! I actually love mashed cauliflower and will use it as a side dish, but it never dawned on me to do this. Can’t wait to try it! Hope you stay warm today!!
Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This dish looks amazingly delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love lightened up recipes like this. The cauliflower substitution is brilliant!
Great pie! Love the cauliflower…genius. You must love that immersion blender (it’s awesome) and the scone pan…hmm…look forward to seeing what you make with that!
My fiance always says I should recreate a healthy shepards pie but I had no idea where to even start!
OMG looks delicious! Parrish would love this- Shepherds Pie is one of his favorites! Great post Liz!
Wow this looks delicious and definitely more healthy than using mashed potatoes on top! I have the immersion blender and love it! It’s awesome for soups and pureeing stuff. Thanks for sharing!
Such a good idea! And it looks amazing!
I can’t even think of subbing ground turkey for beef. I can sub venison or buffalo, both of which are incredibly low fat, and maintain that red meat flavor. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this idea of cauliflower as the topping and ground turkey or chicken. I also rarely cook with ground beef and make substitutions. I haven’t made this childhood dish in a decade. Thank you for bringing it back to my attention and its healthy alternative.
This looks delicious! I have similar days as the one you had – searching countless stores for a tool and end up $100 in the hole. My new rule is: bring cash. It sucks because I looove buying aesthetic items for my blog… but if I had my purse with me I’d never know when to stop! Sounds like you found some sweet items!
During the height of the low-carb phase folks mashed cauliflower to use as they would mashed potatoes. This is another use for it. Your pie sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Oh I’d love to have this! You had me at cauliflower
Beautiful!
Great way to lighten up Shepard’s Pie. This looks great!
This sounds so good…with no guilt! Love it!
Going in my recipe box!
What a great idea to use mashed cauliflower instead! I’ll have to try this, it sounds yummy!
This looks great! I am going to add it to my fave tab now so I can make it in the future
I love kitchen gadgets, so we could of had a wonderful time shopping together for kitchen stuff!
Oh, what a nice lightened up version of a classic!
You sound just like me. I think my husband considers Sur La Table my second home now and Crate and Barrel is a close runner up. I can’t seem to pick up enough “props” for the blog.
Great way to make a rich classic healthier!
Gotta love C&B! But is was all in the name of the blog, so maybe a “business write-off”?
Love this pie! I recently read another article about “mashed” cauliflower, and I’m eager to give it a go. Nicely done!