• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Contact
Check out my new cookbook

The Toasted Pine Nut

fun. flavorful. feel-good recipes.

  • Check out my cookbook!
  • Recipes
    • Dessert
      • Cookies
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Pies & Crumbles
      • Candy
      • No Bake
    • Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Main Dishes
      • Appetizers
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Drinks
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dips
      • Dessert
    • Diet
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Egg Free
      • Kid Friendly
      • Low Carb
      • Nut Free
    • Meat
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Beef & Pork
      • Meatless
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Oven
      • Grill
      • Stovetop
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Recipe Filter
  • Shop
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Pantry Items
    • Kid Favorites
    • Photography
  • Cookbook
  • Videos
Home Recipes Main Dishes
5 from 1 review

Skinny Shepherd’s Pie

37
by: Lindsay Grimes
May 2, 2015 (Updated: March 26, 2020)
Jump to Recipe
Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Skinny Shepherd's Pie
You’ll love this Skinny Shepherd’s Pie!! The meat is so flavorful and the top layer is a cauliflower mash to keep it low carb and delicious!!

Let me start by saying this isn’t the prettiest recipe I’ve ever made, but man, it was tasty!! I’ve never had shepherd’s pie before. I didn’t even know what it was until my friend (hi Katherine!) offered to make it for me after Nolan was born. It kind of sounded magical. Like, everything I love but all mixed together in one dish.

Skinny Shepherd's Pie

So, I’ve probably sat down to write this post at least 10 times, written a few words here, then was interrupted. It should be titled “The Post That Took Five days To Write.” But now, NOW I am making progress. I hope you love this recipe as much as I did. It’s was a welcomed change of pace for us, and let me tell you.

We ate it up like no one was watching. You know that moment where you eat  your meal and then think to yourself, “I could either have another serving now (immediate satisfaction), or save it for lunch tomorrow and relive all the glory.” Well, we chose immediate satisfaction.

Skinny Shepherd's Pie

This is like delicious mash, and meat, and flavor, and fun. For the most part I’m one of those people that likes my food separate, you know? Those paper plates with the dividers are kind of heaven for me because nothing touches each other. There is something incredible though when you have a dish with distinctive components yet make the perfect blend when put together. Nixing the crust and subbing cauli mash for mashed potatoes lowers the carbs without foregoing the flavor.

Plus, I love dinners that are one dish. Though you could totally make a green side dish like this one. It’s perfect and I can’t wait to put this on the regular rotation of meals. So here’s what you do:

Skinny Shepherd's Pie

Cut the cauliflower into florets and boil them for 8-10 minutes. While the cauliflower is boiling, sauté the onion and garlic in the ghee over medium heat.
When the onions start to soften, add the carrots. Continue to sauté until the onions get browned and translucent. Add the meat and chop up in the pan until no longer pink. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, and BBQ sauce. Remove from heat and set the meat aside once the sauce incorporates into the dish and reduces a bit.
Skinny Shepherd's Pie
When the cauliflower is done boiling, drain it and place it in the food processor with ghee, salt, garlic cloves, and pepper (to taste). In a casserole or pie dish, place the meat and spread evenly throughout the bottom.
Add the cauli mash on top and top with some chopped chives. Place it in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, broil on high for 2 minutes.
Skinny Shepherd's Pie

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Skinny Shepherd’s Pie

You’ll love this Skinny Shepherd’s Pie!! The meat is so flavorful and the top layer is a cauliflower mash to keep it low carb and delicious!!

Recipe by:Lindsay Grimes
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
Prep: 15Cook: 22Total: 37
Print recipe Rate recipe Pin Save recipe

Ingredients

Cauli Mash

  • 1 cauliflower, cut in florets
  • 3 tablespoon ghee (butter or coconut oil works)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 – 2 cloves garlic
  • pepper to taste

Meat

  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced and coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Cut the cauliflower into florets and boil them for 8-10 minutes.
  3. While the cauliflower is boiling, sauté the onion and garlic in the ghee over medium heat.
  4. When the onions start to soften, add the carrots.
  5. Continue to sauté until the onions are browned and translucent.
  6. Add the meat and chop using your spatula until no longer pink.
  7. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, and BBQ sauce.
  8. Once the sauce incorporates into the dish and reduces a bit, remove from heat.
  9. When the cauliflower is done boiling, drain it and place it in the food processor with ghee, salt, garlic cloves, and pepper (to taste).
  10. In a casserole or pie dish, spread the meat evenly throughout the bottom.
  11. Add the cauli mash on top the meat and sprinkle with chopped chives.
  12. Place it in the oven for 20 minutes.
  13. Then, broil on high for 2 minutes.

Tips

  • Per serving: Calories 392; Fat 23.1g (Sat 12.6g); Protein 35.6g; Carb 9.6g (net carbs 8g); Fiber 1.6g; Sodium 763mg

Nutrition Info:

  • Serving Size: 4
© The Toasted Pine Nut

Did you make this?

I love seeing what you made! Tag me on social @thetoastedpinenut

Rate recipe Tag me on Instagram

Enjoy! xo

The BEST Shepherd's Pie out there, my friends!! The meat is so flavorful and the top layer is a cauliflower mash to keep it low carb and delicious!! thetoastedpinenut.com #thetoastedpinenut @shepherdspie #low carb #lowcarbdinner #glutenfree #glutenfreedinner #dairyfree #dairyfreedinner #paleo #paleodinner #weeknightmeal #familymeal #easydinner #easyrecipe

330 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Save
  • Email
overhead image of a gluten free sprinkle cookie with a bite taken out on a white counter

Never miss a recipe!

Join our pine nut family and get recipes delivered right to your inbox.

Join now!
15 no bake desserts

You May Also Like...

  • This is a vertical image looking at a white pie dish with sliced pecan pie in it from the left side. The pie dish is to the left side of the image on a light grey surface with a small bowl of whipped cream with a spoon in it is in the bottom right corner of the image. To the right of the pie dish are a stack of two plates with a slice of pecan pie on it. To the top of the image are small white plates and a glass jar of milk is in the top left corner of it.
    Sweet Caramelized Gluten Free Pecan Pie
  • This is an overhead image of an apple pie in a white pie dish with a cooked pie crust and raw apples coated with cinnamon in it.
    Gluten Free Apple Pie
  • 20-Min Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe it would mean SO MUCH to me if you give it a star rating and leave a comment about it. Not only do I love basking in the glory of your recipe love, but (perhaps more importantly 😋) it helps other readers find my recipes online. Thanks so much for your feedback!!

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. AvatarJulie says

    Posted on 6/22/18 at 11:31 pm

    This is one of my favorite recipes! I’m wondering, would it work to prep the cauli mash and meat ahead of time and then put it together the next day to bake?

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay

Nice to Meet You!

I’m Lindsay - cookbook author, blogger and chocolate lover! If gluten-free desserts are your jam, you’re in the right place! I live in south Jersey with my family and new puppy Roxie! Some of my favorite things are oat milk lattes, sunny days and warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Read more...

Recipe Key

GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free P Paleo Browse All

Most Popular

This is a horizontal image of a hand with deep pink nail polish holding a chocolate quinoa crisp in between their thumb and pointer finger. More chocolate quinoa crisps are blurred in the background.

5-Minute Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

overhead image of a muffin tin filled with 12 raw eggs sprinkled with pepper

Perfect Oven-Baked Eggs in a Muffin Tin

This is a side view of a chocolate almond butter bar with a bite taken out of it. The bar sits on a white piece of parchment paper and is sprinkled with salt. More bars are blurred in the background.

No Bake Almond Butter Bars

Lemon & Avocado Kale Salad

Freebie alert!

Get My Free No Bake Desserts eBook!

Explore

More Main Dishes

This is an overhead view of a cast iron skillet with chickpeas and mushrooms in a marsala sauce. A wood spoon is scooping up some of the chickpeas and leaning against the skillet. The chickpeas are topped with parsley leaves.

Chickpea Mushroom Marsala

This is a side view of a stack of quesadilla sliced. The quesadilla has chickpeas, jackfruit, and little pieces of cilantro. The stack is topped with a queso. The stack of quesadilla pieces are on a white plate on a white surface with a white background.

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea + Jackfruit Quesadillas

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with hot pink beetroot pasta topped with sautéed greens and a nutty mixture on top. A fork dips into the bowl and leans against the right side of the dish. Another bowl with pasta is to the top right corner of the image. A small bowl with nutty gremolata is to the top left corner of the image.

Almond Beetroot Pasta + Nutty Gremolata

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with pumpkin soup on a white counter. The soup is topped with sage leaves, pecans, and quinoa. A spoon is dipping into the soup to the left side of the bowl. Another bowl of soup is to the top left of the image.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Browse All
15 No bake desserts

Download my FREE No Bake Dessert Ebook!

As seen on:

Food Network
Shape
Men's Health
NBC
Kitchn
Glamour
  • Reader Faves: Gluten-Free Desserts
    • Gluten free macarons
    • Banana mug cake
    • Almond butter bars
    • Peanut butter Cheerio bars
    • Chia seed cookies
    • More gluten-free desserts
  • Top Chocolate Desserts
    • Chocolate quinoa crisps
    • Microwave baked oats
    • Hot chocolate bombs
    • Chocolate banana bread
    • Peanut butter brownies
    • All chocolate recipes
  • DIY & How To
    • Dried orange garland
    • How to melt chocolate chips
    • DIY face oil
    • Oven-baked eggs in a muffin tin
    • How to make taco seasoning
    • How to make oat milk in 5 minutes
  • Explore Resources
    • FAQ
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Cookbook
    • Shop Favorites
    • Web Stories
    • Meet Lindsay
Follow

@thetoastedpinenut

Accessibility

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Contact

© 2025 The Toasted Pine Nut
|
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Support by Foodie Digital
Back to Top
330 shares