Savory Paleo Shepherd's Pie
The bold flavor from the bacon and fish sauce are balanced by the mashed cauliflower. It is an ideal make-ahead freezer meal or potluck dish.
The bold flavor from the bacon and fish sauce are balanced by the mashed cauliflower. It is an ideal make-ahead freezer meal or potluck dish.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1.5 pounds uncured pork bacon ends and pieces
- 1.5 cups diced carrots
- 1.5 cups diced celery
- 1.5 cups diced zucchini
- 1.5 pounds organic grass fed ground beef or bison
- 1 cup free range chicken broth
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut flour
- i cup homemade tomato sauce
- himalayan pink salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons gluten free fish sauce (check your label)
- 2 medium heads cauliflower
- Carbohydrate 5.119445 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.7409835 g
- Fiber 1.23700498964787 g
- Protein 0.616889 g
- Saturated Fat 0.3822084 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (209g)
- Sodium 30.4883 mg
- Sugar 3.88244001035213 g
- Trans Fat 0.1224809 g
- Calories 45 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Sauté diced onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until soft (but not caramelized) and then set aside in a bowl.
- Rough chop raw bacon ends and pieces, lengthwise and across (you can do this inone big lump of bacon-y goodness). Add bacon pieces to pan and sauté until cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Drain (and keep for future meals!) bacon fat and return bacon pieces, onions, and garlic to the pan.
- Add carrots, celery, and zucchini to the mixture and sauté the entire thing for about 10 minutes (until the added veggies become soft).
- Add ground beef or bison to the pan and sauté until brown, just a few minutes (you can also opt to brown the ground beef/bison separately before draining and adding)
- Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and fish sauce. Add chicken broth, simmer until mostly evaporated
- Sprinkle coconut flour over mixture and stir.
- Add tomato sauce, reduce heat, simmer and stir for 2-3 more minutes.
- Pour ground beef mixture into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Place cauliflower in food processor and puree with remaining olive oil and salt (to taste) until smooth. Spread mashed cauliflower over beef and veggie base
- Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes
Why Is My Filling Pooling with Liquid?
Why does the skillet suddenly look like a soup halfway through browning the meat and vegetables? Excess moisture is the primary culprit behind a soggy casserole, typically stemming from unrendered water inside vegetables like zucchini and celery as cellular walls break down under heat. Simmering the chicken broth until it is mostly evaporated before adding the thickener ensures the starches can actually hydrate and bind the remaining pan juices.
How Do I Prevent Gluey Cauliflower Mash?
Can pureed brassicas turn into wallpaper paste if handled incorrectly? Unlike starchy potatoes that tolerate vigorous mechanical action, cauliflower contains high water percentages and lacks structural gluten matrices, meaning over-processing in a food processor ruptures cells and releases excess free liquid. Pulse the florets gently with extra virgin olive oil and salt until just smooth rather than liquefied.
What Temperature Ensures Even Heating?
How does heat penetrate a dense 9 x 13-inch baking dish without burning the edges? Operating at 350 degrees Fahrenheit allows the exterior protein layers to warm gradually while thermal energy reaches the center. Baking for 30 to 40 minutes provides enough dwell time for the underlying beef and bacon fats to bubble through the vegetable mirepoix without scorching.
