Low Carb Shepard's Pie

Welcome to mince week! I'm starting off with one of our staple week day dishes, Shepard's Pie. This is great to make in the weekend and keep to re-heat. It also freezes well and the cauliflower mash makes it an easy low carb version too.  Serve with a green salad or some steamed greens and you're good to go.


500g minced lamb or beef
300g grated vegetables (I usually include chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, zuccini and defrosted frozen peas, but I don't grate the peas...)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp tomato paste
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
1 cup parsley roughly chopped
1/4 cup thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Cauliflower mash
1 head cawliflower
1 cup cream
100gm butter
1 egg
grated cheddar (optional)

Preheat oven to 200C.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan fry off the onions until translucent in a little oil. Then add grated vegetables (omiting mushrooms and peas if you are using them) and fry until softened and reduced. Add minced meat, season and fry until cooked through. Add stock, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil and simmer till the sauce thickens (approx. 25min). Then stir in parsley.
While the filling cooks, steam the cauliflower. Once cooked, put cauliflower into a food processor and blitz with cream and butter till smooth and creamy. Add a tablespoon of the cauliflower mix to the meat. Leave to cool a little and then blitz in the egg.
In an oven proof dish, spoon in the meat and vegetable mix and top with the cauliflower mash. Top with cheddar cheese if you wish and place in oven until top is golden and bubbling and the pie is hot through.