Laughter is brightest, where food is best.
-Irish Proverb
Is it really already time for St. Patrick’s Day? I feel like New Years Day was yesterday…I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!
St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I look forward to the green beer, pinching friends that forgot to wear green & stuffing my face with all of my favorite Irish dishes!
One of my go-to dishes is Shepherds Pie! There is nothing better than warm beef & veggies smothered by cheesy mashed potatoes!
This year I decided to try my hand at making Shepherds Pie my way…aka quick, simple & a healthier version of the classic. I don’t typically pat myself on the back, but this time I might have too. This Skinny Shepherds Pie is full of flavor, takes less than an hour to make & is HALF the calories of the classic dish! I can’t wait to make it again next Saturday to celebrate!
How to make this simple 45-Minute Skinny Shepherds Pie:
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. If you don’t have them pre-cut already, dice your onion now.
Next, create the “thickening” agent for your shepherds pie. To do this, simply combine 1 tbsp corn starch with 1 cup of beef broth. Stir together and set to the side until it is needed.
Grab a non-stick pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add diced onions and sauté for a few minutes before adding in your lean ground beef. Cook both until your beef is browned & your onions are translucent. Finally, add in minced garlic & cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Next add tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme & veg-all into your frying pan. Stir all ingredients together until well combined.
To finish the “bottom layer” of your skinny shepherds pie, add in your corn starch/beef broth mixture. Stir all ingredients together and allow to thicken for 3-4 minutes on low heat.
I whipped up a batch of my Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (minus the nutritional yeast) for my shepherds pie “topper”. Using cauliflower mash instead of classic mashed potatoes helped cut half the carbs & calories out of the dish without losing an ounce of flavor!
**While the nutritional yeast would taste just as good with this dish, I was craving super cheesy mash so I added in 1 cup of cheddar cheese!**
You can make homemade cauliflower mash or pre-made, whichever you prefer, just make sure that you accommodate time for this when preparing your meal.
Next, add beef mixture into an oven safe dish, such as a medium cast iron skillet.
Top with cheesy cauliflower mashed potatoes. Make sure that your mash is completely covering the top of the dish so that your beef mixture doesn’t bubble over.
Optional: I used a fork to cut a fun design in my cauliflower mash. It gave the shepherds pie a unique look when it was finished cooking.
Pop your Skinny Shepherds Pie into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, serve & enjoy!
This Skinny Shepherds Pie is sure to be a St. Patricks day hit in your house this year!
It not only gives you all the comfort food feelings that you know and love, but it does it with half the calories of the classic dish & can be made in 45 minutes!
ENJOY!
Quick and easy low carb, high protein Shepherds Pie!
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cup cauliflower mashed potatoes
- 2 cup veg-all (or mixed veggies)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup 2% cheddar cheese *optional*
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp pepper
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Into a small bowl, add beef broth and corn starch. Mix and set aside until needed.
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Using a large non-stick frying pan, sauté diced onions on medium-high heat.
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When onions have been cooking for a few minutes, add in your lean ground beef. Cook until onions are translucent & beef is thoroughly cooked. Finally, add in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add Veg-All , thyme, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce & tomato paste into pan and warm with beef mixture for 3-4 minutes.
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Next add in your beef broth/corn starch mixture. Stir everything together and allow to thicken for a few minutes.
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Warm your cauliflower mash & add in cheese if desired. **
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When your beef mixture is thick, move it into an oven safe baking dish. Top with cauliflower mash.
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Spread your mash until evenly covers your beef mixture. Add a fun texture design for fun.
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Bake Shepherds Pie in oven for 20 minutes.
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When Shepherds Pie is cooked, remove from oven, serve & enjoy!
**If using pre-made cauliflower mash wait to heat until beef is cooked, if not, make cauliflower mash before starting your Skinny Shepherds Pie. This may add time an extra 20 minutes to the recipe time.**