A Keto Shepherds Pie to die for – sumptuous, comfort food that is simple yet hearty. A great way to get extra vegetables into your keto diet and easily doubled or tripled to make ahead for the week.
Before you scroll to the recipe, below I’ve tried to answer any questions you may have, including storage tips, sourcing ingredients and substitutions
If you make this recipe please leave a review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Keto Shepherds Pie Summary
- Ingredient tips
- Recipe tips
- Substitutions
- Storage tips
- How many carbs in Keto Shepherds Pie?
I’ve had this recipe on the back burner for years. Every now and then, I just want that ultimate, rich comfort that a hearty meal can provide.
Especially once the cold weather sets in, the slow cooker comes out and so does this Chasseur Casserole Dish from Kitchenware.com.au.
For the first few weeks, of Chasseur ownership, I showed every visitor my new baby 😆
My brother has even asked if I can leave it to him in my will!
It’s the sort of pan that your grandma had, and that her grandma gave her. Honestly, I’m a little obsessed with it. It even got its own photo shoot when I first received it..no joke!
But there’s good reason for my obsession. The quality is second to none, but this style of pan gets amazing browning like no other.
Have a look at the flavour building after sautéing the mushrooms and onions in the Keto Shepherds Pie. All those little brown bits = FLAVOUR building up.
It works just the same for browning any meat before slow cooking or even braising in the oven. Put the lid on and enjoy the flavour building slowly over hours.
Ingredients for Keto Shepherds Pie
This is a versatile recipe that you can really make your own. Below are the standard ingredients I use, but its like spaghetti bolognaise – keep experimenting, try new things, use whats in the fridge and keep building it!
You will need:
- Oil or butter
- Celery
- Onion
- Beef or lamb mince
- Mushrooms
- broccoli
- garlic, rosemary, oregano, sage, chilli
- red wine
- tomato paste
- soy sauce or tamari
- worcestshire sauce
- cauliflower
- cream
The list may look a little long, but they are all pretty basic things for most kitchens!
Below are some tips on easy substitutions if you’re short on something in particular or want to mix it up.
Substitutions and Ingredient tips
Celery and Onion: Normally with carrot, this is the base of ‘Mirepoix’, and the flavour base to so many recipes you probably love. Don’t skip it. If you need to swap some things out, you could use leek, shallots or even red onion.
Mince meat: I like using beef mince for this recipe, but lamb works just as well. You can make it vegetarian by using many of the plant based minces available – just check those carbs as they can be sneaky in the plant based meat substitutes!
I also made a vegetarian version of Keto Shepherds Pie by doubling the mushrooms and cutting half of them really finely, and also finely dicing an eggplant and sautéing it with lots of butter.
The herbs: Fresh is best, but honestly I rarely use fresh so measurements are for dried. One day I’ll have a huge herb garden so I can always have fresh. In the meantime, I just make sure I’m replacing them regularly and buying smaller quantities so they don’t go stale.
Red Wine: I was actually not drinking at all when I first developed this recipe. While red wine adds some great acidity, you can replace it with red wine vinegar, some chicken stock or by doubling the tomato paste.
Taste for acid at the end – if it’s salty enough but is still missing ‘something’, its most likely acid so a dash of vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even balsamic vinegar can help.
Tamari / Soy Sauce: used sparingly in this recipe, helps add some great saltiness and complexity of flavour. Tamari is fermented and usually gluten free so a bit nicer on bellies. Its a little milder in taste too. You could substitute for 1/2 the amount of fish sauce to get the salt and umami flavours.
Worcestshire Sauce: This is a sweeter sauce and adds a nice balance. You could substitute for some keto sweetener to get the carbs down, or taste at the end and decide if it needs any sweetness at all. A sneaky one I often add to my sauces: some sugar free BBQ sauce!
Tips for making Keto Shepherds Pie
This is a relatively simple dish, that will vary a little bit depending on your ingredients, pan and method. Here’s some tips I would suggest:
- A good quality cast iron pan will get those crispy brown bits on the bottom = flavour!!
- This recipe is easily doubled for a big pan, to prepare meals for the week or feed a hungry crowd.
- If the cauliflower mash doesn’t extend all the way to the edges, don’t worry! I find it nice to have a gap around the edges, where the meat gets lovely, crispy and golden in the oven during the final bake. Otherwise use a smaller pan of around 20 – 25cm to get it extending to the edges.
- Depending on the fat content of your meat, adjust the amount of oil or butter accordingly. I used a little too much in these photographs (3 tbsp) without realising my meat was high fat, so would reduce to 2 tbsp total in future.
- Serve with your favourite keto bread to soak up that delicious sauce in the bottom of the pan afterwards.
Storage tips
Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for 4 – 5 days. Great to make ahead for weekday lunches!
Freezer: Store in individual portions in a reusable container. Let defrost completely before microwaving for around 3 minutes.
How many carbs in Keto Shepherds Pie?
As you will see in the nutrition panel below, this Keto Shepherds Pie has 20 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber per serve, so 14 grams net carbs.
This is on the higher side, but as it is your main meal and usually served simply with a side of salad leaves or broccolini, it is easy to fit this into an otherwise Keto low carb day.
You could reduce the carbs further by leaving out the Worcestshire sauce and tomato paste, but I believe these two are key to the flavour profile and the depth of the sauce.
SAVE KETO SHEPHERDS PIE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER
Keto Shepherds Pie
This tasty, hearty Keto Shepherds Pie will have you craving winter. Double it up to prepare for lunches or feed a crowd easily. So satisfying and rich.
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp butter
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/2 brown onion
- 500 grams beef mince, or lamb
- 200 grams mushrooms
- 1/2 head broccoli
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, optional
- 3 tbsp red wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp tamari, or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Mash
- 500 grams cauliflower
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cream , or sour cream
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C and locate a 25 - 30cm oven proof casserole dish with lid.
- Prepare your vegetables: finely dice the onion and celery. Slice the mushrooms to your liking. Roughly chop the broccoli. Crush the garlic.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to the casserole dish and put over medium heat. Add the celery and onion, cooking for 4 - 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter and the sliced mushrooms. Continue cooking for 5 - 7 minutes until golden and caramelised.
- Without cleaning the pan, add the mince meat and continue cooking, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula.
- Once there are no visible pink bits in the meat, add the crushed garlic and herbs. Cook for 30 - 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and broccoli and stir through. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Put the lid on the pan and place in the hot oven for 15 minutes while preparing the mash.
- To prepare the mash, microwave the florets for 9 - 10 minutes in a microwave proof bowl with lid until very tender.
- Blend the mash with remaining ingredients except the cheese until silky smooth.
- Remove the pan from the oven and spread the mash cauliflower over.
- Sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges.
- Let stand for a few minutes before serving with a fresh side salad, or some freshly steamed broccolini.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 582Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 734mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g
If you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to rate and review it or share on social media! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not sure how to start Keto?
Here’s some resources to help you!
- What is Keto?
- What Can I eat on Keto?
- How Much Should I Eat on Keto?
- What To Expect On Keto
- Ketogenic 21 Day Meal Plans
- Preparing for the Ketogenic Diet EBook
- Understanding Net Carbs and Total Carbs
Shannon
Monday 18th of October 2021
Wow! This was so yummy! 😋 Both hubby and I enjoyed it very much and was much nicer than traditional recipes. 😁 I doubled the ingredients and easily got 8-10 meals out of it. 😉 Would definitely recommend! 🥰
Rachel
Monday 25th of October 2021
I'm so glad you loved this recipe Shannon! You are right, doubling it is a super easy way to load up the fridge or freezer with a delicious Keto meal.
Kitchenmadness
Friday 16th of April 2021
Excellent recipe, we loved the flavor and the tenderness of the lamb cooking.
Rachel
Friday 16th of April 2021
Thanks so much, Im glad you loved the recipe!
Carolyn
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
This was DELICIOUS!! An absolute winner for our family - my husband said he could eat it 5 days a week 😄
Monday 15th of February 2021
I made this exactly as the recipe and I was seriously impressed! The Cauli mash was excellent and both myself and hubby thoroughly enjoyed this meal. I will be making it again!