Hey everyone! I haven’t posted for a few days. I’ve had a bad case of cabin fever and a sense of feeling smothered in a way that can only happen in a pandemic. Go figure. My husband has his own office in the house and my son has a nice gaming/school desk set up in his room… AKA, husband and son both have their own spaces for privacy, to express themselves, to retreat, etc.
On the other hand, the only spot I have is sitting at the kitchen counter to write, plan, or “escape.” But every time, EVERY SINGLE TIME, someone walks into the kitchen, they feel the need to engage with me. Interrupt my work, my space, my solitude. Even when I’m wearing headphones, they’ll just start talking to me.
(Yes, I know it’s weird that I’m posting up photos of shepherd’s pie as I rant… just roll with me a bit longer)… So, before the pandemic, my space at the counter was perfect. I had peace and privacy all day and looked forward to my husband and son coming home and sharing their day with me. Now, I want them to share less of their day with me. I just want my own peace and quiet!!!
Okay, I am complaining way too much. As I said, I have a bad case of cabin fever… but not in the cooped up sense, more in the monotony of the days being on repeat and even more so, not having my own space for privacy during the day. So, I can’t stand it anymore. Can’t stand listening to my husband repeat the same thing on the phone to each and every colleague he talks to throughout the day. Ugh, no, no, no.
So, the past few days, instead of blogging, I’ve been preparing the last room in our house, carving out a small space that is just mine. With a door to shut out everyone else. And a space that I can decorate with things that are special to me that I can pull out of storage and appreciate. So, I’m almost there and I cannot wait to have some peace and quiet with the kitchen only used as a kitchen! So, that’s where I’ve been and why I haven’t posted in a couple of days. I just needed a chance to start clearing my head and laying a path forward! And yesterday I finally was able to create a little nook that is all my own and I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!
So, shepherd’s pie! My absolute favorite Sunday dinner. And I have several ways I like to make it. I think a lot of it comes down to the gravy. If you mess up the gravy, the entire dish is ruined. But there are a number of ways to make the gravy! In this recipe, it’s just one way I like to make it. I add a tablespoon of Vegemite/Marmite for an added umami kick, and it’s soooo good.
I like to add a frozen pea and carrot blend at the bottom of the dish. It feels like the most traditional way to make shepherd’s pie. Although, I have certainly mixed that up too. I love corn and mash, so I will occasionally use corn instead. And if I make this dish in the middle of summer, I like to use fresh zucchini and yellow squash. Different, but really yummy!
So obviously the biggest change to tradition in this recipe is swapping out the mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower. I know, I know… totally sacrilegious. But, again, I’ve been working on having a much healthier lifestyle in the New Year to lose some weight, blah, blah, blah (by the way, already over 10 pounds down!). So, I can’t really argue that this is a low carb meal because of the seasonings I use for the gravy. But it certainly is a lower calorie dish and it does cut the carbs than if you used traditional mashed potato.
Now, come back near St. Patty’s Day and I’ll be posting my ultimate shepherd’s pie WITH mashed potatoes! But for now, trust me when I say that this recipe is totally worth trying! It is super savory and you won’t miss skipping the mashed potatoes just this once!
Let me know what y’all think! Enjoy! (And thanks for tolerating my rant!)
Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: British, Irish, Sunday Dinner
Ingredients
Cauliflower Mash
2 – 3 large heads of cauliflower, chopped into large florets
6 garlic cloves
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup fat free shredded cheddar
½ cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
salt & pepper
Beef & Gravy
1 lb ground sirloin
1 sweet onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus about 1 – 2 TBs of fresh thyme leaves for garnish
1 TB olive oil
¼ cup flour
2 cups beef stock
2 TBs tomato paste
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup steak sauce
1 TB Vegemite
2 TBs barbecue sauce
Remaining Ingredients
12 oz frozen peas and carrots
1 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Make the Mash
In a large saucepan, add the cauliflower, garlic cloves, and chicken stock with a large pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower easily breaks up when poked with a fork.
Drain the cauliflower and garlic and add to the food processor. Add the cheddar cheese and yogurt. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Set aside and keep warm.
Make the Beef & Gravy
While the cauliflower is cooking, heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Drizzle in the olive oil. When hot, add the onions and thyme and lightly season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no more pink is left ~ about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the meat and onion mixture. Stir to thoroughly saturate the flour. Slowly add in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, Vegemite, and barbecue sauce. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce lightly simmer until the cauliflower is finished cooking. When ready, remove the thyme sprigs from the sauce.
Assemble the Pie
About 10 to 15 minutes before the cauliflower is finished, preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a baking dish about 9” x 13” x 2”, spread the frozen peas and carrots in the bottom. Top with all of the beef and gravy mix. Spoon over the cauliflower mash and carefully spread over the beef, Sprinkle the grated Parmesan on top of the cauliflower mash. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the top and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Keywords: shepherd’s pie, beef shepherd’s pie, shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash, beef shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash, Sunday dinner
