Keto shepherd's pie

Keto shepherd’s pie

A traditional savory classic from the English countryside, without the unnecessary carbs. You can't go wrong with our keto version of this cozy casserole. The creamy mashed cauliflower and cheese combo is irresistible... and you know it!
November 2 2018 recipe by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dinner, Meal

Keto shepherd’s pie

A traditional savory classic from the English countryside, without the unnecessary carbs. You can't go wrong with our keto version of this cozy casserole. The creamy mashed cauliflower and cheese combo is irresistible... and you know it!
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

Cauliflower mash
  • 1½ lbs 650 g cauliflower, cut into smaller florets
  • ½ cup 120 ml sour cream
  • 1 1 eggeggs
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • ½ (1½ oz.) ½ (45 g) leek, finely choppedleeks, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) 240 ml (110 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and ground black pepper
Minced lamb
  • 2 lbs 900 g ground lamb or ground pork
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp butter, for frying
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp ½ tbsp tabasco
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp onion powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 5 oz. (2½ cups) 140 g (600 ml) leafy greens (optional)
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Instructions

Instructions are for 4 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Cook the cauliflower florets in lightly salted water until soft. You can also use frozen cauliflower. Drain thoroughly. Mash the cauliflower with a hand mixer or food processor.
  3. Mix in crème fraîche or sour cream, egg, butter, leek and half of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Fry the ground meat in butter. Add the sauces and the spices.
  5. Spread the meat out in an oven-proof dish and cover with the cauliflower mash. Top with the rest of the cheese and maybe some extra butter.
  6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until it gets a nice golden color.
  7. Serve with leafy greens.

Tip

Feel free to make a bigger batch at once. You can divide them into smaller portions, freeze and just grab a portion when you don't have enough time to cook or you want to have a ready-made delicious lunchbox for work.

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57 comments

  1. 1
    Steve
    October 27 2018
    I don’t get your grams to ml conversions? 1g is pretty much equal to 1ml but in this recipe it’s halved?
    Reply: #3
  2. 2
    Mariane
    October 28 2018
    I love this recipe, I have made it a few times and it is delicious!
    Reply: #4
  3. 3
    Reply to comment #1 by Steve
    TRACEE
    November 2 2018
    If you put a solid into something that weighs a liquid in mL like a glass measuring cup for example, it is going to take up more space than if it were a liquid. That is my guess. You're measuring the VOLUME in mL vs the MASS in grams. This is used in this instance because people commonly have measuring utensils in mL but not necessarily in grams. A gram of cheese may not be equal to 100mL of volume.
  4. 4
    Reply to comment #2 by Mariane
    Pat
    November 2 2018
    Just made this for the first time, it was a winner with all the family
  5. 5
    Sip
    November 2 2018
    Two tablespoons of worcestershire sauce: 12gr carbs there. I don't think you need it here.
  6. 6
    Paul
    November 3 2018
    But it’s 4 servings. 3 grams of carb per serving from the sauce. Well worth the flavor boost from the whatsthishere sauce. Unless ones goal is zero carbs, I think this is an acceptable amount of carbs. But we all have different needs.
  7. 7
    Dana
    November 8 2018
    This was SOOOO good! I added a little bit of onion and garlic in with the meat (I used hamburger). Other than that I followed to a 't' and it's a keeper!
  8. 8
    Andrea
    November 10 2018
    this was just OK, for us. We used ground turkey, that may be why it was a little dry.
    Reply: #13
  9. 9
    Gil
    November 12 2018
    Made it tonight...FANTASTIC
  10. 10
    Maggie
    November 14 2018
    Brilliant cold weather comfort food...with all of the full on taste...and low carb...we loved it
  11. 11
    Jane
    December 20 2018
    I make a version of this where I don't mash the cauli, but simply us tender florets to make a full-on chunky cauiflower cheese which I then use as a topping, over a really savoury mince mix. Delicious!
  12. 12
    Shirley Snow
    January 6 2019
    Wow! Excellent, I switched out the Leek for spinach and it was amazing. Loved it! Thanks!
  13. 13
    Reply to comment #8 by Andrea
    Savana
    January 20 2019
    Yes, I find turkey to be a terrible substitute for beef. The flavor is just gross to me. My sister loves it and I can always tell when she subs it as it ruins the taste of the dish.
  14. 14
    Melanie
    January 28 2019
    A big winner. This will always be in my freezer. A great winter warmer.
  15. 15
    Agha
    February 25 2019
    Made this tonight, I mixed pork and turkey since I did not have enough of either, added leftover celery and spinach to the meat, and leftover broccoli to the cauliflower mash, so it was green but still tasted great! Will make again.
  16. 16
    Tim
    March 3 2019
    Used two pounds of beef, because I couldn't find lamb, I usually use half beef and half lamb, which I think is technically a "cottage pie." Added a pound and a half of mushrooms (crimini, shitake and white button) and a large shallot, plus about a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Just a hint of worcestershire and I sacrificed some carbs with a small can of well-drained diced tomatoes. Added beef concentrate, beef broth and thickened it with xanthum gum.

    I made more of a souffle with the cauliflower, 3 eggs, three egg whites, subbed my part cream homemade greek yogurt for the sour cream (it's more like lebneh), 8 ounces cheddar and about a cup of Trader Joe's parm cheese. Added two tablespoons of coconut flour and 1/2 teaspoon of xanthum.

    Baked for 40 minutes at 400F.

    Probably a bit higher carb with the shallot and tomato, but higher protein from the extra eggs and cheese. I bodybuild, so my macros are much higher protein than normal keto.

    Delicious, will increase the coconut flour to four tablespoons and the xanthum to 3/4 tsp.

  17. 17
    Mish
    March 3 2019
    Made this with ground beef which is the correct meat for a cottage pie. If you use lamb then it is a shepherds pie.
  18. 18
    Linda
    March 22 2019
    I absolutely love this recipe! The mince is so tasty with the sauces and the mash is unbelievable with the chopped up leek in it. A new favourite in our house!! Real British flavours which might not be to everyone's taste. I guess that's why the rating is not as high as it deserves...
  19. 19
    Kay
    April 6 2019
    April 6

    Made this tonight for dinner, left out the tabasco sauce cause don't like anything hot. It was absolutely delicious
    Differently a keeper. Thanks for the recipe!

  20. 20
    Res
    April 9 2019
    Made this for my meal prep. It actually tasted like a Shepherd's/cottage pie. I'm not fussed on what it is just as long as it tastes good. I don't like cauliflower but you can't taste it in this recipe. Now I'll be buying more cauliflower.

    Thank you for this recipe. I now have another to add to my Keto meal list.

  21. 21
    Angel
    May 13 2019
    We made this 2 nights ago and it was REALLY good and very filling/satisfying! My husband even liked it and he doesn't eat veggies. We did decide to mix hamburger with the lamb to tone down the gaminess which we were both concerned about and we couldn't tell it had lamb in it at all. I also had it last night as leftovers and it reheats great, just as good as when it was fresh. We will DEFINITELY be making this again.
  22. 22
    Pam
    January 20 2020
    Isnt this a bit high in sugar with worcester sauces added in, as most sauces have hidden sugars ??
    Reply: #23
  23. 23
    Reply to comment #22 by Pam
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 20 2020

    Isnt this a bit high in sugar with worcester sauces added in, as most sauces have hidden sugars ??

    Those carb counts are included in the 10g net carbs for the whole dish. There are recipes available online if you wish to make your own worcestershire sauce.

  24. 24
    purichan
    January 27 2020
    This turned out so well! I recommend using a 9x13 size pan to cook it in. My pan is 2.5” high and the ingredients filled up the pan completely! (I used just an extra half pound of cauliflower and 14/lb of pork. I know this sounds HUGE but remember the cauliflower rice has very few calories.

    I think the only thing I will do differently next time is to add half of an onion to the pork when browning it, it would add a nice touch.

  25. 25
    HeatherB
    February 7 2020
    I enjoyed this a lot and didn't miss the vegetables typically included in the meat mixture. I did think the meat mixture was a bit over seasoned so next time, I might decrease the soy or worcestershire slightly. This will definitely go in my rotation.
  26. 26
    Shirley Devlin
    February 19 2020
    Wow! Really delicious! I used half ground pork and half ground lamb. The combination of the Worcestershire and the tamari was amazing. Actually I used coconut aminos since I didn't have tamari, but no worries!
  27. 27
    Emily
    February 26 2020
    Tip: Let the meat mixture cool before adding on the cauliflower mash.
  28. 28
    Sally
    February 27 2020
    I liked this - the taste was good. And I used whole cauliflower and made it more cauliflower cheese on top which pleased no. 2 son. However, I missed a gravy with the meat, there was a lot of fat so maybe I'll add xanthan gum to thicken a little. We had peas on the side. I know, I know, before anyone says anything :). But definitely a keep and I will be doing again.
  29. 29
    Daniela
    March 3 2020
    One of my favourites on the whole site! So delicious - I could not tell the difference from mashed potatoes.
  30. 30
    Amy Giddins
    March 9 2020
    Can you use Beef Mince for this?
    Reply: #31
  31. 31
    Reply to comment #30 by Amy Giddins
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    March 9 2020

    Can you use Beef Mince for this?

    Yes, that would be fine.

  32. 32
    Anna
    March 11 2020
    When I followed these instructions for the cauliflower mash it turned out way less thick than it should have been and it tasted like all sour cream. I had to add another 12 oz bag of cauliflower to fix it and it still wasn't amazing, but it worked. Anybody know what I could have done wrong here?
  33. 33
    Jane D
    May 20 2020
    This came out really well - very tasty and extremely filling. Mine was 13g carbs per portion and a bit lower on calories, but I didn’t need another meal that day (just coffee), as it was so filling. Made some extra for the freezer too.
  34. 34
    Jess
    June 22 2020
    Anna same happened to me, turned out to be very very sloppy and wet with overwhelming sour cream taste, had to add lots more cauliflower and still was too sloppy
  35. 35
    Ben Riffey
    August 10 2020
    I halved the sour cream, and added 2 oz of softened cream cheese in the cauli mash instead-- it was AWESOME. I'd look up other recipes for inspiration to tweak the cauli mash, frankly. It really is its own thing. Didn't have enough lamb, so I did half lamb/half ground pork, and the texture of the meat was SO much better for this dish than my usually preferred ground turkey. I wouldn't use ground turkey in this, as the flavor/texture of the meat is a strong player in making the dish turn out well.

    This meal has a higher carb count than my usual (I like to stay under 10 per sitting so I can use my carbs through the day), but it turned out so well that I will literally plan the rest of my day around making sure I get a serving for dinner.

    Reply: #36
  36. 36
    Reply to comment #35 by Ben Riffey
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    August 10 2020

    I halved the sour cream, and added 2 oz of softened cream cheese in the cauli mash instead-- it was AWESOME. I'd look up other recipes for inspiration to tweak the cauli mash, frankly. It really is its own thing. Didn't have enough lamb, so I did half lamb/half ground pork, and the texture of the meat was SO much better for this dish than my usually preferred ground turkey. I wouldn't use ground turkey in this, as the flavor/texture of the meat is a strong player in making the dish turn out well.
    This meal has a higher carb count than my usual (I like to stay under 10 per sitting so I can use my carbs through the day), but it turned out so well that I will literally plan the rest of my day around making sure I get a serving for dinner.

    I bet the addition of the cream cheese made it absolutely lush!

  37. 37
    Maureen
    October 6 2020
    Needs to have a pan size in the body of the recipe (along the lines of "2 servings 8x11, 4 service 11x13" and whatever the metric equiv is). Plus I'd rather see the cauliflower roasted (along with a head of garlic, maybe) than boiled.
    Reply: #38
  38. 38
    Reply to comment #37 by Maureen
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    October 6 2020

    Needs to have a pan size in the body of the recipe (along the lines of "2 servings 8x11, 4 service 11x13" and whatever the metric equiv is). Plus I'd rather see the cauliflower roasted (along with a head of garlic, maybe) than boiled.

    Thank you for your feedback Maureen!

  39. 39
    Claudine
    October 8 2020
    Got confused with the steps; they were not clear. Almost missed add in the mixture made in step 3; the recipe does not say when. Is the mixture spread before or after the mash cauliflower is added on the meat?
    Reply: #40
  40. 40
    Reply to comment #39 by Claudine
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    October 8 2020

    Got confused with the steps; they were not clear. Almost missed add in the mixture made in step 3; the recipe does not say when. Is the mixture spread before or after the mash cauliflower is added on the meat?

    The casserole is layered in Step 5. You will layer the meat mixture in a casserole dish, then top with the cauliflower mixture. Finally, top with cheese and extra butter if you need it. I hope this helps!

  41. 41
    Tracey
    November 24 2020
    This is the best shepherd's pie I've ever had, potatoes or not! I love the flavour in the meat seasoning, and the texture on the cauliflower is so fluffy and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
    Reply: #42
  42. 42
    Reply to comment #41 by Tracey
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    November 24 2020

    This is the best shepherd's pie I've ever had, potatoes or not! I love the flavour in the meat seasoning, and the texture on the cauliflower is so fluffy and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!

    Thank you for taking the time to let us know! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.

  43. 43
    Kathleen
    December 18 2020
    This was really good. I used ground beef and omitted the leeks but otherwise followed the recipe, got 6 servings out of it instead of 4 and froze the leftovers, which were still yummy after being reheated in the microwave.
    Reply: #44
  44. 44
    Reply to comment #43 by Kathleen
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    December 19 2020

    This was really good. I used ground beef and omitted the leeks but otherwise followed the recipe, got 6 servings out of it instead of 4 and froze the leftovers, which were still yummy after being reheated in the microwave.

    I also like to use ground beef. So glad you enjoyed it!

  45. 45
    Matey
    January 27 2021
    Nice but. The mash is too 'creamy'. I prefer something with more body and less slushy so experimenting with steamed caullie, thoroughly dried and much less cream and butter

    But most importantly more liquid is needed with the meat to provide a gravy. Maybe try adding some water to the meat at near end of cooking. Maybe stir in a little cornflour or arrrowroot (?) or whatever

    And don't over fry the meat until it becomes dark - very dry and tough if using ground beef

    Reply: #46
  46. 46
    Reply to comment #45 by Matey
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 27 2021

    Nice but. The mash is too 'creamy'. I prefer something with more body and less slushy so experimenting with steamed caullie, thoroughly dried and much less cream and butter
    But most importantly more liquid is needed with the meat to provide a gravy. Maybe try adding some water to the meat at near end of cooking. Maybe stir in a little cornflour or arrrowroot (?) or whatever
    And don't over fry the meat until it becomes dark - very dry and tough if using ground beef

    Thank you for those tips!

  47. 47
    Jacqueline
    February 8 2021
    Agree with Kristin - I used beef and it really was not good. Definitely need more liquid to produce a softer accompaniment to the mash (which we loved). Perhaps adjust to add small quantity of tomato sauce to meat>
    Reply: #48
  48. 48
    Reply to comment #47 by Jacqueline
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    February 8 2021

    Agree with Kristin - I used beef and it really was not good. Definitely need more liquid to produce a softer accompaniment to the mash (which we loved). Perhaps adjust to add small quantity of tomato sauce to meat>

    Thank you for your feedback!

  49. 49
    Denise
    March 1 2021
    Made this tonight. It was amazing! I added some mushrooms along with onion and garlic. Definite keeper! Thanks!!
  50. 50
    Barbara
    May 21 2021
    For a true cottage pie you need minced beef, lightly fry the beef with very finely chopped onion or if you want to be super strict onion powder, add beef stock to just cover the meat and simmer for twenty minutes, drain stock from the meat and retain to use as a gravy. Soy sauce isn’t needed and if you replace Worcester sauce with umami seasoning that reduces the carb count, though not so tasty. Top with cauliflower mash or if you have carb allowance a mix of rough mashed swede and cauliflower to get a bit more texture. I don’t bother with the sour cream in the mash as I like mine a bit more chunky with a melted cheese topping. Yummy 🤤
  51. 51
    Michelle Cook
    June 22 2021
    Is it 10g net carb per serving?
    Reply: #52
  52. 52
    Reply to comment #51 by Michelle Cook
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    June 22 2021

    Is it 10g net carb per serving?

    Yes, this is 10g net carbs per serving. All of our recipes and meal plans list the nutrition information per serving.

  53. 53
    Jill Cusack
    November 18 2021
    Supurb! Thank you.
    My fussy husband loved it!
    👍👏 Jill
    Reply: #54
  54. 54
    Reply to comment #53 by Jill Cusack
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    November 18 2021

    Supurb! Thank you.
    My fussy husband loved it!
    👍👏 Jill

    Great! So glad you enjoyed it!

  55. 55
    Julie B
    May 3 2022
    I liked it but next time, i’m just gonna use the broiler for a couple minutes to melt the cheese. Everything else is already cooked.
  56. 56
    Tracy Attoff
    June 8 2022
    Loved it and yes I have made a couple additions as I do my low carb version. I was surprised there was no onion braising with the lamb but I understood why when I added the leek to the cauliflower. It tied it all together. I did put a spoon of crushed garlic and 2 spoons of hot sauce and 1 tablespoon of thyme and half a cup of low sodium beef broth. I know my numbers will reflect the additions but they were low enough to be worth it. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes..:)
  57. 57
    kristine
    November 13 2022
    I made this with beef and used a little xantham gum to thicken but am not happy that Carb Count etc was not included , thus is what all people starting on keto need to know .

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