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!
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