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Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

This delicious lamb-based dish can be served up in a large dish for a hearty meal, or divided into eight individual pots or ramekins for small servings. It’s comfort food for your soul and your body.

Health Benefits of Lamb

I was surprised to learn that lamb is an excellent source of omega-3 fats. I typically associate omega-3s with fish, nuts and seeds, but it turns out lamb is right there with them.

Of course, the lamb’s diet plays a role in how nutritious its meat will be. Grass-fed lamb has been shown to have 25% more omega-3s than conventionally fed animals.

The tricky part is that you have to find “100% grass fed” on the label. Manufacturers can claim grass fed even if the animals only spend a small portion of their time grazing, so check your labels carefully.

Another benefit to grass-fed lambs is that they tend to be leaner. Studies have shown that grass-fed lambs have 15% lower fat content.

Additionally, lamb is a very low calorie food, and it’s an excellent source of vitamin b12. It’s also a good source of protein, selenium, vitamin b3, zinc and phosphorus.

In sum, it’s a healthy source of protein that offers a lot of nutritional bang for your buck.

Alternatives to Lamb

If you’d prefer not to use lamb, or have trouble finding it, you could try this recipe with ground beef, turkey or chicken. (Although technically the dish would now be called cottage pie. Shepherd’s pie is strongly associated with lamb or mutton.)

Ground beef is probably your best bet, although any of them could work. They also have the advantage of being less expensive, so consider swapping them in if you’re watching your wallet.

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

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• Author: Louise Hendon
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 90 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entree, Dinner
• Cuisine: British

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Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
• 1.5 lb ground lamb (675 g)
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 large sprig rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 cups (240 ml) beef stock
• 1 head of cauliflower (600 g)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over high heat and brown the ground lamb. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Then fry the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until partially softened and caramelized.
3. Return the lamb to the pan and add the rosemary and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover partially with a lid, allowing the mixture to simmer very gently for 90 minutes, checking in to stir occasionally.
4. In the meantime, in a separate pan, bring cauliflower florets to a boil in salted water and cook until tender. Remove from the heat, drain well and mash.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in Dijon mustard for extra flavor. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
6. Once the lamb mixture has cooked down and all the moisture has evaporated, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then transfer it either into one large deep dish, or spoon into individual pots or ramekins for a lighter meal, compressing down to compact the mixture. Top with the warm cauliflower mash serve immediately.

Notes

All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts. 

Nutrition

• Calories: 598
• Sugar: 6 g
• Fat: 47 g
• Carbohydrates: 13 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 32 g