Paleo Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Lamb

This paleo shepherd’s pie with ground lamb is a healthy dairy free recipe where mashed potatoes and cauliflower top a delicious ground lamb gravy that is baked until bubbly.

You don’t have to wait until St. Patrick’s day to make a bomb shepherd’s pie. Though if you are looking for St Patrick’s day recipes, check out my dairy-free Irish Cream Liqueur, Irish Stew, or my potato pancakes.

Though, if you are like me, you eat shepherd’s pie on the regular. This ground lamb shepherd’s pie is a particular favorite of mine because the seasoning is on point and the potato cauliflower mash is smooth and delicious!

Table of Contents

• Why this recipe works
• Recipe Ingredients
• Additions/ Substitutions
• Step by step instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Other healthy shepherd’s pie recipes you’ll love:

Why this recipe works

• It tastes like a classic shepherd’s pie, but is made with healthier ingredients! It actually reminds me of my favorite shepherd’s pie made with lamb that I had in Ireland from The Front Door Sonny’s Bar and Restaurant in Galway, Ireland.
• It is naturally dairy free, gluten free, and grain free. It also works for those following a Paleo or Whole30 compliant diet.
• It is a great way to cook ground lamb, if you didn’t know what to do with it.
• It is versatile and can be customized to your tastes or dietary needs.
• It’s a wonderful dinner option that makes great leftovers.

Recipe Ingredients

• potatoes– gold potatoes have a great taste in this type of recipe.
• cauliflower– this mixes into the potatoes to make the mash.
• coconut cream– this adds creaminess to the potatoes. Make sure to like the taste of your coconut cream. Savoy has the best “non coconut” flavor that I’ve found.
• almond milk– this is also used to add creaminess to the potatoes.
• carrots– these are added to the gravy.
• ground lamb– this makes the base of the gravy sauce.
• green beans– these are also added to the gravy.
• tapioca flour– this is used to thicken the gravy.
• tomato paste– this is used to add flavor to the gravy.
• blackstrap molasses– this is used to add flavor to the gravy.
• chili powder– this is used to add flavor to the gravy.
• strained tomatoes– this makes the sauce of the gravy.
• chicken stock– this makes the sauce of the gravy.
• egg– this tops the whole shepherd’s pie for a nice shine.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Additions/ Substitutions

• Instead of coconut cream, you can use any non dairy creamer or plant based heavy whipping cream.
• Instead of almond milk, you can use any non dairy milk.
• Instead of ground lamb, you can use ground beef.
• Instead of green beans, you can use peas ( though these aren’t Paleo or Whole30)
• Instead of tapioca flour, you can use arrowroot flour.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Boil the cauliflower and potatoes, then make the lamb gravy while it boils.

Sauté the carrots, onions, and garlic and then add ground lamb along with thyme and rosemary.

Then, add diced green beans and tapioca flour. Along with tomato paste, blackstrap molasses, chili powder, and strained tomatoes. Add chicken stock and boil until the sauce turns into a gravy.

Pour into a baking dish.

Step 2: Put the boiled potatoes and cauliflower into a bowl.

Then, add the garlic powder, coconut cream, olive oil, and almond milk to the mash as you mix the boiled cauliflower and potatoes together.  

Put on top of the lamb gravy in the baking dish.

Step 3: Spread the cauliflower potato mash on top of the dish, add the egg on top and evenly spread it.

Step 4: Bake until bubbly.

Recipe FAQs

Other healthy shepherd’s pie recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Lamb

Dominique

A healthy, grain-free recipe made with a ground lamb gravy with carrots and green beans, topped in a potato/cauliflower mash.

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Irish

Servings 6

Calories 549 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Mashed potato topping ingredients:

• ▢ 6-8 medium potatoes cut into 1 inch slices
• ▢ ½ of a head of cauliflower cut into smaller florets
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 2 Tbs canned coconut cream (Savoy tastes great, and has no preservatives)
• ▢ 1 Tbs olive oil
• ▢ 1/3 cup almond milk
• ▢ 1 tsp dried parsley

Shepherd’s pie filling ingredients:

• ▢ 1 Tbs olive oil
• ▢ 3-4 carrots sliced (this was 2 cups for me)
• ▢ 1 onion diced (this was 1 cup for me)
• ▢ 3 cloves of garlic diced
• ▢ 1 lb ground lamb
• ▢ 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1 cup diced green beans (this was about 30 green beans for me)
• ▢ 2 Tbs tapioca flour
• ▢ 2 Tbs tomato paste (Cento is Paleo)
• ▢ 2 Tbs blackstrap molasses
• ▢ ½ tsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 cup strained tomatoes (Pomi is my favorite)
• ▢ 1 cup chicken stock or bone broth
• ▢ 1 egg beaten

Instructions

 

• Boil the sliced potatoes, and the cauliflower florets in water for 20-25 minutes, until you can easily stab the potatoes with a knife. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the Shepherd’s pie filling:

• Put 1 Tbs of olive oil and 2 cups of sliced carrots into a large pot, mix, and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté the carrots until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 cup of diced onions and the diced garlic, mix and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
• Reduce the head to medium, add the ground lamb to the pot and mix breaking it up into smaller pieces. Top the ground lamb with 1/2 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of dried thyme, and ½ tsp dried rosemary. Mix and cook until the meat is browned, about 7 minutes.
• Add the diced green beans to the pan and mix.
• Add 2 Tbs of tapioca flour to the meat and mix well. Then add the 2 Tbs of tomato paste, 2 Tbs of blackstrap molasses, and ½ tsp of chili powder to the meat and mix. Add 1 cup of strained tomatoes, mix, and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of chicken stock or bone broth and simmer until the sauce reduces to a gravy, about 7 minutes.
• Pour the shepherd’s pie filling into a 9 in x 13 in glass dish.

Make the mashed potato topping:

• Put all of the boiled potatoes and cauliflower into a large bowl, top with 1/3 cup almond milk, 2 Tbs coconut cream, 1 Tbs olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ salt, ½ pepper and mix.
• Scoop the mashed potatoes onto the filling in the pan, evenly distributing it and then smooth it out with a spatula.
• Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl, brush the top of the mashed potatoes with the whisked egg.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Notes

• Instead of coconut cream, you can use any non dairy creamer or plant based heavy whipping cream.
• Instead of almond milk, you can use any non dairy milk.
• Instead of ground lamb, you can use ground beef.
• Instead of green beans, you can use peas ( though these aren’t Paleo or Whole30)
• Instead of tapioca flour, you can use arrowroot flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 22gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 862mgPotassium: 1725mgFiber: 9gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 5492IUVitamin C: 76mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!