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Shepherd’s Pie

Mar 16, 2018   George Bryant  3 Comments   This post contains affiliate links

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Shepherd's pie

Psst . . . St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow!! Scroll to the end of this post to find out how to get two exclusive St. Patrick’s Day Instant Pot recipes delivered straight to your inbox—completely free.

This is it. Look no further, because you’ve found it. What is “it” exactly? It’s the epitome of amazing Irish comfort food: Shepherd’s Pie. There’s absolutely nothing like the hot, silky, herbed texture of ground beef and vegetables underneath the creamy texture of parsnips and cauliflower. You don’t even need a fork to eat this—just a spoon and a bowl. And when it’s chilly outside (even if “chilly” means 60 degrees where you live), Shepherd’s Pie is just . . . perfect. Wrap yourself in a wool sweater, close your eyes, and smell.

Did I mention that this is like, ridiculously easy to prep and cook? It’s pretty much foolproof: puree cauliflower and parsnips and bake over a saute of vegetables, beef, and broth. That’s pretty much it. Plus, this recipe serves 8 people. It’s party food, it’s movie night food—and it’s definitely St. Patrick’s Day food. But if you’re not having a party, definitely have some freezer bags or Tupperware on hand because you’re gonna have leftovers.

A few notes. Traditionally, this recipe is served with mashed potatoes on top, which you can absolutely do, but for this recipe I’ve created a mash of parsnips and cauliflower—it’s more nutritious than plain mashed potatoes, and even more tasty (in my opinion).

As far as sides go—who needs ’em! Seriously, this is the perfect one-dish meal for a night in, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, you name it. Drink pairings? It pairs very well with a deep-flavored red wine (like a heavy, earthy cabernet). If you’re looking for delicious low-alcohol, low-sugar wine, I highly recommend checking out Dry Farm Wines. They’ve been my go-to for wine for years.

You can even change the flavor of the Shepherd’s pie completely. If you want it to be more earthy and rustic, try substituting a cup of red wine for the bone or beef broth in the original recipe. You can also try using leeks instead of celery, and turnips in place of carrots, which will add to the complex, deep flavor. You can change up the herb mixture, too. I love rosemary and parsley, but feel free to swap one or both out for thyme, sage, or a favorite herb. There are tons of possibilities for changing the flavors in Shepherd’s Pie, it’s so simple and versatile in that way. Just make sure you’re fairly generous with the freshly cracked black pepper—it will add just the right amount of pop to all of those smooth, creamy flavors.

shepherd's pie

If you do want to dress up your Shepherd’s Pie a little, you could serve it with a simple side vegetable: peas, steamed carrots, leeks, or finely shredded and sauteed cabbage or kale. Here are a few of my original tried-and-true sides that would pair well:

Dill Roasted Carrots
Lemon Brussel Sprouts
Lemon Pepper Broccoli

I also highly recommend serving Shepherd’s Pie with some toasted paleo bread. This dish is so delicious, and you’re going to want to sop up every bit of it. Last, if you are looking for a topping, try a little bit of tomato sauce or even some mustard. Tomato sauce will give your pie a kick of sweetness, and mustard will give the dish a touch of heat, if you’re looking for it.

If you have a tip that I haven’t mentioned here—let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you’re looking for a way to save on time with this one, look no further than the Instant Pot. Did I mention that this recipe adapts to Instant Pot cooking like they were made for each other? Seriously, it’s so easy. Sign up below to get Instant Pot recipes for Shepherd’s Pie and Corned Beef and Cabbage delivered straight to your inbox!

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Civilized Caveman Shepherd's Pie

Prep 20 mins

Cook 1 hour, 40 mins

Total 1 hour, 60 mins

Author George Bryant

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

Beef Mixture:

  • 1 tbsp bacon grease or olive oil
  • 1 lb grass fed ground beef
  • 3 carrots (1 cup), diced
  • 3 stalks celery (1 cup), diced
  • 1 small yellow onion (1 cup) finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup bone or beef broth
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Parsnip Mixture:

  • 1 lb (1 1⁄2 cups) parsnips, peeled & trimmed *you can use all parsnips, but will be very sweet!
  • 1 1⁄2 cups cauliflower florets * used to cut the sweetness. (You can also use white potato.)
  • 1/2 ­3⁄4 cup cashew milk (or milk of choice)
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Finely chopped rosemary & parsley, to garnish

Instructions

For the parsnips:

  1. Place parsnips & cauliflower in a steamer basket over water and steam for 20 minutes or until fork tender.

  2. Add to the bottom of a high powered blender or food processor, pour in 1⁄2 cup milk, blend, add more milk if needed, and puree until completely smooth.

  3. Add salt & pepper to taste.

For the beef mixture & pie:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. Heat bacon grease or oil in a large cast iron skillet or oven safe frying pan over

    medium­/high heat (*9-­10 inches).

  3. Add carrots and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Add onion and continue to saute until

    softened. About 3­-5 minutes.

  4. Add ground beef to the pan, breaking up into small pieces, and saute with other veggies

    until the beef is brown. Stir in garlic until fragrant. About 1 minute.

  1. Pour in beef broth, loosening any browned bits on the pan, sprinkle in salt and pepper, stir, then simmer until the liquid has reduced by a little over half. Stir in rosemary & parsley.

  2. Smooth parsnip mixture over the top of the beef mixture.

  3. Place pan on a large cookie sheet (in case it bubbles over) and bake until bubbling and

    lightly browned. About 15-­20 mins.

  4. Remove from oven, sprinkle w/ chopped herbs, and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Irish/English

 

St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway!

So, St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and if you love corned beef or shepherd’s pie as much as I do, you know they’re reason enough for celebrating. Recently, I’ve become a big fan of using the Instant Pot to cook them, and I’d love to share both recipes with you. Just enter your email address below to get them in your inbox . . . instantly! (See what I did there?)

Get Two FREE St. Patrick's Day Recipes!

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***Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs.***

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Category: Beef, Meats, Recipes

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About George Bryant

George Bryant is a professional Husband, Bonus Dad, new Dad to Branson - a family man ahead of everything else. He is also the New York Times Best-Selling author of The Paleo Kitchen and creator of the wildly popular Paleo food blog “Civilized Caveman”.

After spending the first 20-something years of his life in a constant battle with his weight, and then nearly losing both his legs while on deployment as a US Marine, George has learned the tools to win at life through his own experiences and battles with Anxiety and PTSD.

George desires to show people that food is merely the surface of how their life can improve, and the real journey begins once you dig deep and discover the power that has always been inside each of us.

The Civilized Caveman Lifestyle Community is where George joins men and women to overcome any obstacle and crush every goal they set, seeing their dreams come true just like he did with his family.

«Every Step Forward You Take in Life is a Possibility Every Step Forward You Take in Life is a Possibility
German Apple Pancake german apple pancake»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Clint Lenard says

    March 28, 2018 at 10:42 am

    This sounds and looks great, but are parsnips easy to find? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them before, much less eaten them.

    Reply
    • George Bryant says

      March 30, 2018 at 10:16 pm

      Oh for sure, they are everywhere

      Reply

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George Bryant is a professional Husband, Bonus Dad, new Dad to Branson – a family man ahead of everything else. He is also the New York Times Best-Selling author of The Paleo Kitchen and creator of the wildly popular Paleo food blog "Civilized Caveman". Read More…

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