Low Carb Shepherds Pie
Growing up, my mom always made a big pan of Shepherds Pie when the weather got cold. She would make a huge batch of homemade mashed potatoes, lots of cheese, butter, sour cream, oh the total works. Then, she would brown ground meat with some veggies, and then add a rebellious touch, some Guinness. Oh man, shepherds pie that has been simmered with beer is divine. However, today, on the PIP blog, we are making something fresh, fast and very healthy, our low carb Shepherds Pie! It's just as comforting as mom's recipe, but in half the time, and a lot less calories.
I know you've heard of cauliflower mash, but have you had a cauli- kohlrabi mash? There's a ton of easy-to-add veggies in this week's box, and we are combining cauliflower and kohlrabi to make the low-carb topping for the pie. Kohlrabi are the bulbs with long stems and leaves, if you were curious! They taste like a potato, turnip, and a brussles sprout, all combined, super delicious. To cook them, you first have to cut them. Remove the top and bottom, cut all of the skin off the edges, like we did recently for butternut squash, and then cut the middle part into small chunks. The middle should only be white, so if you still have shades of green around the edges, keep trimming. The edges are fibrous and not that delicious when cooked, so be sure to remove enough of the outer skin before cutting the pieces to cook.
We are adding a ton of perfectly imperfect veggies to this dish, why not sneak them in where you can, right? We added PIP carrots, zucchini, and onions to our ground turkey filling. Use whatever protein you have in the freezer, it'll be great. Also, if you don't feel like using tomato paste, and you have an open jar of marinara in your fridge, feel free to add that. Use what you have! Low Carb Shepherds Pie Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2-3 Perfectly Imperfect kohlrabi, edges removed and centers cut into small chunks 1/2 head Perfectly Imperfect cauliflower, cut into florets 1/2 Perfectly Imperfect zucchini, diced 1-2 Perfectly Imperfect carrots, diced 1/2 Perfectly Imperfect onion, diced 1lb ground meat (I used turkey) 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 1 Tablespoon garlic powder 1 Tablespoon oregano 1/3 cup parmesan cheese salt & pepper to taste
Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425. In a pot, add diced kohlrabi, cauliflower and cover with water. Boil for 10-12 minutes, until both veggies are tender and translucent. Strain. 2. In a skillet, brown ground meat, and add the zucchini, carrots, and onions. Saute for 5-10 more minutes, until veggies are softened. Add tomato paste, garlic powder and oregano. Combine all ingredients and simmer on low until the filling mixture is thick. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Turn the heat off and set aside. 3. Now we make the topping. You can puree the cooked kohlrabi and cauliflower, but I like a chunky texture- more like potatoes. I mash them together in a bowl by hand- with a masher or a fork, whatever works. These veggies are so soft, they will break apart instantly. After you have a mashed texture you like, add in parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. 4. Add filling mixture to a baking dish, smooth it out, and then top with our chunky cauli kohlrabi mash. Sprinkle with more parmesan if your heart desires. Bake for 20 minutes, until filling is bubbly, and topping is browned at the edges. Serve with a side salad, and enjoy!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! We love to see what you come up with in the kitchen each week, so be sure to tag us in your foodie photos, @perfectlyimperfectproduce, on instagram! Thanks for another great week.
