A few years ago, JT suggested he take on making lunches and dinners on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have to admit, it really takes the pressure off. Being responsible for creating a menu plan every WEEK, AND making lunches and dinners every DAY is a lot, so I really appreciate that he does two days. JT likes to be original and will research recipes and put his take on them. This one was a real winner, Shepherd’s Pie, using lamb and Cauliflower Mash instead of beef and potatoes. The cauliflower mash lends a wonderful sweetness to the dish and the lamb gives it a wonderful earthy flavour.
Updated Shepherd’s Pie
A Kitcheninspirations original recipe
Makes one 21 cm x 11 cm (~8.25″ x 4.5″) loaf pan or 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets and roasted with olive oil until very soft
- 15 g butter
- 30 g grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 egg
- 30 mL olive oil
- 50 g sweet onion, finely chopped
- 300 g ground lamb
- 100 g mixed vegetables, carrots, corn, peas 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 30 mL beef broth or more, depending on how moist the lamb is
- 5 mL Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
- Purée the cauliflower with the butter, and Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg and purée until entirely incorporated. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Sweat the onions in the olive oil until translucent, add the ground lamb and cook until no longer pink. Add the mixed vegetables and mix into the lamb well.
- Combine the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and mix into the lamb and vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need a bit more broth if your lamb is dry. Our lam was moist enough so we just used what the recipe calls for.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (makes it easier to lift out to cut and serve) and add the lamb mixture first, pressing down firmly. Top with the cauliflower mixture, being careful not to leave any holes, and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with some additional grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake the shepherd’s pie for 30-40 minutes or until it is warmed through, vegetables are soft and the top is golden.
Notes:
- The pie may be refrigerated or frozen after Step 5 or baked right away as per Step 6.
- To make life easier, purchase frozen diced veg instead of fresh, it will also reduce the baking time.
- The Parmesan and the egg firm up the roasted cauliflower mash and give it extra body.
- I thought this might need a sauce, but it really doesn’t.
It’s still cold here at the moment and I would LOVE a big slice of this pie. Good on JT for taking on that job, I can’t imagine Mr NQN would ever volunteer for that.
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How nice to have that help! This sounds like an interesting shepherd’s pie. I love the ide of cauliflower.
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What a delicious sounding version of a very rich dish. I would love this! It does take up a lot of time meal planning indeed.
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Eva, JT’s shepherds pie looks really good. Shepherd’s pie is so very comforting, love everything about it.
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Oh I hadn’t had Shepherd’s pie for ages, and this looks tasty! While I love the traditional potato mash layer, rich and hearty, I love the use of cauliflower here, too.
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I like Shepherd’s pie, but only the meat part, not the mash…so I definitely would enjoy this lower carbs version.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
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Way to go, JT!!! Your twist on shepherds pie looks amazing!!!
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