Not Your Grandma's Shepherd's Pie

Not Your Grandma's Shepherd's Pie simply cleans up a comfort food classic with additional nutrient packed veggies and eliminates the dairy. Yes, you could use sweet potatoes in place of the reds, but I knew Russ would be more inclined to try the dish if I kept it as close to the original that he knows and loves as possible. This updated classic definitely does not skimp on the flavor.

Although this recipe does require some multi-tasking to save preparation time, it really is quite simple to make. You'll be cooking the potatoes, vegetables, and ground beef all at the same time, so gather two large skillets and one large pot for boiling the potatoes. Make sure one of the skillets is oven safe, or you can transfer the Shepherd's Pie to a large casserole dish.

Begin by chopping the vegetables and potatoes. (Note: I always chop and freeze my broccoli stems when making steamed broccoli, and that is what I used for this recipe, but fresh will work just fine.) Heat two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet, and add broccoli stems and carrots. Sauté until tender, about seven to eight minutes.

Add one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to a second large skillet and brown the ground beef while the vegetables are cooking. Break the beef apart into small bits with a spatula while it is cooking. When cooked through, drain and set aside.

While the meat and vegetables are cooking, place the quartered potatoes in a large pot of water and cook over high heat until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the onion and minced garlic to the broccoli and carrots, and sauté until onions are translucent, about four minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the meat mixture (including the ground beef), and stir well to combine. Turn to simmer and cover with a lid.

Add three tablespoons ghee and six teaspoons almond milk (unsweetened) to the cooked potatoes. Mix with a hand mixer until the potatoes are smooth. If they are too thick, add a few more teaspoons of almond milk. Add in salt, pepper, garlic, and sage, and mix about ten more seconds to blend in the spices.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the lid from the meat mixture, and turn off the heat. Stir well, then smooth with the back of a spoon or spatula. Carefully spoon the mashed potatoes on top, and lightly smooth with the back of a spoon. At this point, you can either bake in the oven for about thirty minutes, and serve hot with a green salad. Or, you can place the covered skillet in the refrigerator, and bake the next day. If you wait to bake the Shepard's Pie, you will need to increase the cooking time to forty-five minutes.

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Not Your Grandma's Shepherd's Pie

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Not Your Grandma's Shepherd's Pie simply cleans up a comfort food classic with additional nutrient packed veggies and eliminates the dairy. This updated classic definitely does not skimp on the flavor.

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Ingredients

For the Meat Mixture

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 2 cups broccoli stems, chopped
• 2 cups frozen spinach, drained
• 3 ounces sun dried tomatoes, not in oil
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided

For the Potato Topping:

• 10-12 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 6 teaspoons almond milk
• ¾ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried sage

Instructions

1. Begin by chopping the vegetables and potatoes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet, and add broccoli stems and carrots. Sauté until tender, about 7-8 minutes.
3. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to a second large skillet and brown the ground beef while the vegetables are cooking. Break the beef apart into small bits with a spatula while it is cooking. When cooked through, drain and set aside.
4. While the meat and vegetables are cooking, place the quartered potatoes in a large pot of water and cook over high heat until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and return to the pot.
5. Add the onion and minced garlic to the broccoli and carrots, and sauté until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the meat mixture (including the ground beef), and stir well to combine. Turn to simmer and cover with a lid.
6. Add 3 tablespoons ghee and 6 teaspoons almond milk (unsweetened) to the cooked potatoes. Mix with a hand mixture until the potatoes are smooth. If they are too thick, add a few more teaspoons of almond milk. Add in salt, pepper, garlic, and sage, and mix about 10 more seconds to blend in the spices.
7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
8. Remove the lid from the meat mixture, and turn off the heat. Stir well, then smooth with the back of a spoon or spatula. Carefully spoon the mashed potatoes on top, and lightly smooth with the back of a spoon.
9. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

• You can use this recipe as part of your weekend meal prep by preparing it through the second to last step. After placing the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture, simply replace the lid, and keep refrigerated until the next evening. Don't forget to increase the baking time to 45 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 573Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 63mgSodium 572mgCarbohydrates 73gFiber 12gSugar 15gProtein 28g

Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.

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