Low Carb Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Rutabaga - Grazed & Enthused (2024)

Meat Layer

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork or lamb
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup bone broth
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

Peas & Carrots Layer

• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 10 ounce frozen peas
• pinch sea salt

Mashed Rutabaga Layer

• 2 ½ pounds rutabaga, peeled and halved
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• cracked black pepper

Meat Layer

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until tender. Add pine nuts and toast for 2 minutes until golden. Stir in ground beef, pork or lamb and break up with a wooden spoon until finely minced. Season with cinnamon, cumin, allspice and black pepper to taste as well as an additional ¾ teaspoon sea salt. Add broth and aminos and simmer for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Peas & Carrots Layer

Reheat cast iron skillet over medium heat and add carrots. Saute for 3 minutes until crisp-tender then stir in peas and pinch sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the peas are warm and tender.

Mashed Rutabaga Layer

Steam, boil or use your Instant Pot to cook the rutabagas until tender. For the Instant Pot (my preferred method), cook with 1 cup water in high pressure for 15 to 17 minutes depending on size of rutabagas. Add cooked rutabagas to a high-powered blender and blend, using the tamper to keep the mixture going. Blend in ghee, sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Arrange the Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9×13 inch glass casserole, layer the meat first with the peas and carrots next and finally the mashed rutabaga smoothed on top. Bake for 20 minutes on the 2^nd highest oven rack. Broil for 5 minutes to give the rutabaga a bit of a crust.Sliceinto 6 squares and serve warm.