Shepherd's Pie with Healthier Mashed Potatoes (that actually taste good) will fool even the most die-hard mashed potato lover!
One of husband’s and my favorite dinnertime games is playing GTI (guess the ingredients), where whoever has cooked the meal makes the other one try and guess all the ingredients in the dish.
It’s fun you should try it.
Anyway, a component of the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potatoes I recently made is his #1 all-time favorite food ever — mashed potatoes. That said, I added a little somethin’ somthin’ to them and wanted to see if he could sniff it out. Here’s how it went.
Ok, let’s see…potatoes?
Yes.
Butter?
Yep.
Salt? Pepper? Milk?
Right.
I think that’s it then?! Maybe sour cream?!
BAHAHAHA, NO, I WIN YOU LOSE — I MADE YOU HEALTHY MASHED POTATOES AND YOU LIKED THEM!
Ahem, sorry! The secret ingredient I added — which the mashed potato connoisseur himself could not even detect — is cauliflower! I am so jazzed over this lower-carb mashed potato recipe, which tastes just like the real thing.
Now, I’ve made mashed cauliflower before trying to trick my brain into believing it was mashed potatoes, but no amount of whipping, butter, salt, nor pepper can help me get past the slightly wet and grainy texture.
Sure it’s low-carb and healthier than mashed potatoes – but at what cost?
The recipe I use to slather on top of the St. Patrick’s Day-inspired supper of Shepherd’s Pie doesn’t eliminate the potatoes, rather it cuts them in half.
Half potatoes, half cauliflower, with a little bit of milk, butter, salt, and pepper. So easy. So satisfying!
Start by making the Healthier Mashed Potatoes (that actually taste good).
Wash then chop 2 large potatoes into 2″ cubes (peels on or off is up to you) then place them inside a steamer basket in a large pot and steam for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer basket you can boil the potatoes.
After 5 minutes add 1 small head chopped cauliflower on top then steam for 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes and cauliflower are very tender.
Place the steamed veggies in a large food processor with a whipping blade, which is an unsharp blade used to mix up cake batters and mashed potatoes.
Alternatively you could use the regular blade, or a handheld mixer. Point being — we need something to whip the cauliflower into a smooth mixture, vs using a handheld masher to simply mash the florets.
Add warm milk, butter, salt and pepper…
Then let ‘er rip!
Scrape down the sides a couple times, and just keep going until your mixture is nice and smooth.
Ok, set the Healthier Mashed Potatoes to the side for a bit while you work on the Shepherd’s Pie filling you’re going to slather them on top of.
Start by browning ground beef with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Tip: Save any unused chopped onions in a Ziplock freezer bag so you can sprinkle some into a pot, pan, or skillet anytime you need. I always do this with my leftover onions and it is SUCH a time saver!
Drain the meat if there’s a lot of fat in the pan, then sprinkle in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Next add tomato paste, gluten free Tamari (or soy sauce if not GF) and worcestershire sauce.
- Tip #2 – Freeze leftover tomato sauce sectioned off in plastic baggies so you can snap one off when you need it, vs always buying a new can.
Next add 1 can chicken or beef broth.
Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, 5-6 minutes. Lastly, add frozen vegetables then stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the healthier mashed potatoes.
Since we save some cals by using half cauliflower, I feel it’s only necessary to dot the top with a little more butter, salt, and pepper.
Into the oven for 30 minutes.
Heck yes!
Let the Shepherd’s Pie cool for 5 minutes, then dish it on up.
You will want seconds, thirds and fourths of this dish. It is comforting, creamy and hearty, but light too. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Healthier Mashed Potatoes
- 2 large potatoes, ~1-1/2lbs, peeled then chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 1 small head cauliflower, chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons butter, divided
- salt and pepper
For the Shepherd's Pie filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 15 oz can chicken broth
- 2 cups frozen vegetable medley
Directions
For the Healthier Mashed Potatoes:
- Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large soup pot then drop a steamer basket into the pot. Add potatoes, place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium, and then steam potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower florets on top of the potatoes, place the lid back on top, then steam for another 10 minutes or until cauliflower and potatoes are very tender. Transfer to a large food processor fitted with the whipping blade.
- Meanwhile, warm milk and 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan then add to food processor with salt and pepper. Process until vegetables very smooth then set aside.
For the Shepherd's Pie:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat then drain and return to the skillet. Sprinkle in flour then stir to coat and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Tamari, and chicken broth to the skillet then bring to a simmer. Lower heat then continue to simmer until sauce has thickened, 5-6 minutes. Add frozen vegetables then more salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour mixture into a large, oven-proof casserole dish then top with healthier mashed potatoes and dot the top with remaining Tablespoon butter, salt, and pepper. Place casserole dish on top of a baking sheet (in case the sauce overflows) then bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I’m always amazed! You’re doing a great job showing us lots of tips. I never knew what to do with the rest of that whole can of tomato paste and now I know!! Thanks!
Also, the mashed cauliflower to mimick mashed potatoes is something I first saw in my South Beach Diet book and it is a favorite of my family, too! I enjoy the beautifully photographed recipes and try many of them! Thanks!
This looks delicious! How do you get your plastic baggies to section off like that to freeze your tomato juice? And then do you just cut one off when you want to use it?
I do that too! Though my bf and dad are strange and like chunkier mash, so I’ll blend up the cauliflower with garlic and soy milk, and mash it into the potatoes with a hand masher :) Add salt and pepper and viola! They don’t even miss the marge/butter!
Haha, love the leftover potato on Ben’s face. :)
Love the idea of going half and half on the mashed potatoes and cauliflower! When my dad was diagnosed with diabetes (I was in middle school) my mom started making it with all cauliflower, and it always felt like I was eating baby food.
This, on the other hand, sounds like it’s yummy :-)
I absolutely LOVE cauliflower, but I am the only one in my family. Always looking for ideas to sneak it into a meal, and the mashed potatoes dish sounds perfect for me to try!
I made the potato cauliflower dish, AND my kids ate it! Thank you!!! I also made a cauliflower pureed soup, with small chunks of potatoes, that I couldn’t get the kids to eat. I loved it though.. added onion and carrots pureed too, with garlic, nutmeg, a little butter, sea salt, white pepper and fresh basil.
your husband is one lucky man
This may be the dumbest question, but how do you get your tomato sauce to section off like that? What a great idea!
I just used my fingertips to section it off!
Ok, I am not getting it at all. Brain fart here. How do you get the bag to stay sectioned off? So you fill the bag with sauce, freeze it a little and then section off? Does it stay sectioned off easily? Please explain in more detail!
I love your idea to freeze tomato paste in baggies like that. I always throw the extra out. You are so clever. I love the idea of freezing leftover onions chopped too.
I’m not a big Shepard’s pie or mashed potato lover, but I’m willing to bet my husband would love this meal! And he’d never suspect cauliflower!
One question – where do you find sectioned-off plastic bags? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before…
It’s just a regular bag, but i used my fingertips to section off the paste!
Your so smart, i always end up throwing the left overs away.
Such a genius idea to not waste the leftover tomato paste, I’ll definitely be doing that trick from now on! And thanks for the idea for healthier mashed potatoes, I’m going to try these on my boys (including the big one! ;)) soon and see if they can taste the difference!
This looks incredibly delicious!!
Not only do I heart shepard’s pie, but I made one last year with a cauliflower crust…. but ALL cauliflower! Love your halfsies!
I am so inspired! Mashed potatoes are my most favorite food on planet Earth! :) :) :) :)
Thank you! I will have to try this.
Yum! Shepherd’s pie is my all time favorite comfort food, no question, and I love any and all cauliflower, so I can only imagine how much I’d enjoy this meal! Also, thanks for the tip about the tomato paste–that’s brilliant!