Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Savory ground lamb and vegetables in a thick, herby gravy under a golden, cheese-topped cauliflower mash — the cozy classic without the potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
1 generous scoop (about 1½ cups)- Net carbs
- 7.7g
- Calories
- 602kcal
- Protein
- 33g
- Fat
- 48g
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 3.2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Cottage pie (beef): Made with ground beef instead of lamb, this is the cottage pie many families grew up on — milder, and easy to find at any grocery store.
- Brown the beef exactly as you would the lamb, to 160°F (71°C), and spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
Dairy-free: The mash is whipped with olive oil and an extra egg yolk instead of butter and cream cheese, and the cheddar is left off. It still browns beautifully.
- Purée the cauliflower with the olive oil and salt, then pulse in both yolks. Skip the cheddar and brush the ridged top with a little olive oil so it turns golden in the oven.
- Lamb filling
- Cauliflower mash topping
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lamb filling
- Cauliflower mash topping
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lamb filling
- Cauliflower mash topping
-
1½ oz cream cheeseleave out -
½ cup shredded sharp cheddarleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $27.95 for 6 servings ($4.66 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Steam the cauliflower florets over boiling water for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
-
Meanwhile, brown the lamb in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, for 8–10 minutes, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
-
Add the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook 6–7 minutes, until soft and the mushroom liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
-
Add the Worcestershire, broth, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a thick gravy that clings to the meat. Spread into a 2½–3-quart (2.5–3 L) baking dish.
-
Drain the cauliflower well and let it steam-dry in the colander for 3 minutes. Purée in a food processor with the butter, cream cheese and salt until smooth, then pulse in the egg yolk.
-
Spread the mash over the filling right to the edges of the dish to seal it in, rough up the surface with a fork and sprinkle with cheddar.
-
Bake 20–25 minutes, until the filling bubbles at the edges and the top is golden; broil 1–2 minutes for extra color. Let rest 10 minutes before serving, topped with chives.
Tips for success
-
Water is the enemy of a good topping. Steam-dry the cauliflower (or squeeze it in a clean towel) so the mash holds its ridges instead of weeping into the filling. - Swap the lamb for ground beef and you have cottage pie — the method and timing stay the same.
- The egg yolk helps the mash brown and set like piped potato. For a simple side-dish version, see creamy cauliflower mash.
Nice to have, not needed
- A food processor gives the smoothest, most potato-like topping — a potato masher makes a rustic one.
- Piping the mash with a large star tip looks showy — fork ridges brown just as well.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Reheat portions covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, or microwave 2–3 minutes, until hot in the center.
Prep tip: Assemble in foil pans and freeze unbaked; bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for about 1 hour, covered for the first half, until hot in the center.
Refrigerate covered up to 4 days, or freeze (baked or unbaked) up to 3 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) until hot in the center.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCottage pie (beef)
ProteinMade with ground beef instead of lamb, this is the cottage pie many families grew up on — milder, and easy to find at any grocery store.
- ground lamb → ground beef (80/20)
7.7 g net · 559 kcal · 34 g protein · 43 g fat · ≈$3.95 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Dairy-free
DietThe mash is whipped with olive oil and an extra egg yolk instead of butter and cream cheese, and the cheddar is left off. It still browns beautifully.
- butter → extra-virgin olive oil
- + 1 large extra egg yolk
- no cream cheese
- no shredded sharp cheddar
7.1 g net · 557 kcal · 31 g protein · 44 g fat · ≈$4.56 per serving (−0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
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