Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil/ Buttter/ Coconut Oil

4 carrots, peeled and diced

1 to 1-1/2 zucchini, peeled and diced

5 oz. mushrooms, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs lean ground beef (you could use ground turkey too)

2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 to 3 tbsp coconut milk

Cut cauliflower into large chunks, place in a medium size pot and boil for 15-20 minutes until tender. Once its tender remove from heat, DRAIN* and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat your fat of choice (EVOO/butter/coconut oil) in large sauté pan. I actually use my dutch oven just to have more room for everything. Saute the onion, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. You may have to add more fat. Mushrooms really soak it up. Add in your garlic and salt & pepper (you can add more or less depending on how much you like garlic) and saute about 5 more minutes.

Then add in beef, breaking up with a spatula and cooking until most of the pink is gone. (It will cook more in the oven so a little pink is fine). Sometimes I add a little more salt & pepper. I like to season as I add things.

Next, scoop out the meat and veggies with a slotted spoon (leaving the grease behind) into an oven safe 13×9 pan. Mix in the tomato paste and oregano.

Add your well drained cauliflower to a food processor along with 2 TBSP of butter or EVOO and blend until smooth. Add salt & pepper and garlic powder to taste. If they are not blending well or you feel they need a little liquid, I add coconut milk 1 TBSP at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Spread the cauliflower mixture over your meat and veggies and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

*the key to good cauli mashed “potatoes” is draining the cauliflower well so you don’t have a water-y consistency. I leave mine sitting in a strainer while I prepare the rest of this meal so they have plenty of time to drain. Usually I’ll press/mash them into the strainer with a big spoon too just to get out any extra water.