Craving comfort food? Enjoy the classic comfort food recipe with this Keto Shepherd’s Pie! Each serving contains only 4g net carbs.
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Shepherd’s Pie is classic comfort food. Originating from England, it’s typically made with lamb or mutton, but in the U.S. it’s usually made with beef. It’s also typically made with a thick (and carb-heavy) layer of creamy mashed potatoes, but in the keto world, those potatoes are substituted with creamy mashed cauliflower instead.
As a result of substituting cauliflower for potatoes, each serving of this Shepherd’s Pie contains only 4g net carbs!
Why You’ll Love Keto Shepherd’s Pie
- It has all the wonderful flavors of the original with only 4g net carbs per serving.
- It only takes about 40 minutes to make, so it’s a great meal to whip up when you’re short on time.
- It’s a hearty and warming meal, perfect for fall and winter!
Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Keto Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredient quantities for this keto casserole are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cooking spray
- Cauliflower rice
- Heavy whipping cream
- Butter
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Olive oil
- Ground beef (80/20)
- Fresh tomato – if you have concerns about this ingredient being keto, see the “Are Tomatoes, Carrots, and Peas Keto?” section below
- Carrots – if you have concerns about this ingredient being keto, see the “Are Tomatoes, Carrots, and Peas Keto?” section below
- Peas – if you have concerns about this ingredient being keto, see the “Are Tomatoes, Carrots, and Peas Keto?” section below
- Onion
- Garlic
- Beef or chicken broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- Xanthan gum – see the “What is Xanthan Gum?” section below for how this ingredient contributes to this
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried thyme
- Paprika
How to Make This Easy Keto Casserole Recipe {Quick Overview}
This is just a quick overview of some of the steps involved in making the shepherd’s pie. For the recipe in detail, including exact measurements used at each step, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post.
You’ll start by making the topping, which involves pulsing cooked cauliflower rice with heavy whipping cream, butter, Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and dried thyme in a food processor.
TIP: Resist the urge to eat the topping straight out of the food processor. 😉 It’s SO good! You can definitely make it on its own for a delicious side dish.
Next you’ll make the filling, starting with cooking the ground beef and vegetables.
Make a broth with the chicken or beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and xanthan gum. Add to skillet.
After the mixture thickens, transfer it to an 8″x8″ casserole dish. Spread on the topping, then bake for five minutes or until the topping browns slightly. (You’re basically just warming up the topping and melting the cheese at this step.)
What is Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan gum is a keto kitchen staple because it’s perfect for thickening soups, sauces, and drinks. While it can be omitted from this recipe, the filling will be runnier and not quite the same. One bag of xanthan gum will last a long time, so it’s worth the (small) investment.
Are Tomatoes, Carrots, and Peas Keto?
I’ve posted a few recipes, like my Keto Chicken Fried Rice, that contain a small amount of ingredients you don’t typically see in keto recipes, like peas or carrots. Whenever I do, I get the occasional comment that the recipe “isn’t keto.”
Keto is a metabolic process brought on by the absence of carbs (glucose), so for that reason, eating a very small amount of ingredients like tomatoes, carrots, and peas is completely fine for the vast majority of people as long as you keep your overall carb intake low enough to induce ketosis.
More Keto Casserole Recipes
Love casseroles? Check out these easy keto casserole recipes:
- Keto Meatball Casserole
- Keto Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Cheesy Keto Ground Beef Casserole with Tomatoes [Ready in 25 Minutes!]
Nutrition Facts for Keto Shepherd’s Pie
Each serving (six servings) contains:
- 255 calories
- 17g fat
- 20g protein
- 4g net carbs
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I hope you love this low carb Shepherd’s Pie recipe! If you liked this post, I would so appreciate you giving it a share by using the social sharing icons. THANK YOU!
Keto Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
Topping
- 2 cups (16 oz) cauliflower rice
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 F.
- Spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
For Topping
- Cook cauliflower rice in microwave on HIGH for 3-5 minutes, or until cauliflower rice is tender. Transfer cauliflower rice to a food processor or blender container. Add heavy whipping cream, butter, Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Pulse mixture until very smooth; set aside.
For Filling
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break up clumps. Add tomato, carrots, peas, onion, and garlic. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine broth, Worcestershire sauce, and xanthan gum in a measuring cup. When vegetables are tender, add broth mixture to skillet. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer filling mixture to prepared 8- x 8-inch pan. Spread topping evenly over filling. Sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake at 500° for 5 minutes or until topping browns slightly.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition facts are included as a courtesy only. They are accurate to the best of our knowledge based on the ingredients and brands used, but their accuracy is not guaranteed. If applicable, sugar alcohols have already been removed from the total carb count.
This looks delicious, and thank you (from a Brit) for making the distinction between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie! This is an authentic recipe (other than not having mashed potatoes) – I struggle with cauliflower rice, so would probably try mashed swede (rutabaga in the US?) or – randomly – a topping of a British staple – good old cauliflower cheese!!
Hi Jane, You are so welcome! Thank you for your kind comments. Great idea to use rutabaga – I’ll have to try that! According to my calculations, that will only increase the net carbs per serving by 1.7g per serving, so it’s definitely a suitable replacement. Cauliflower cheese sounds delicious and is such an easy recipe to “keto-fy” – I’ll have to try that as well. 🙂