Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Forget traditional, potato-laden shepherd’s pie and try our cauli mash pie instead! It’s just as satisfying but altogether lighter, making it the perfect year-round alternative. Serve with a side of crisp green salad leaves for a fresh burst of crunch.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 450g beef mince
• 200g canned diced tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1⁄4 cup beef stock or water
• 1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen peas

CAULIFLOWER MASH

• 300g cauliflower florets
• 20g butter
• 1⁄4 cup thick cream
• 1⁄2 cup grated cheddar salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bay leaf and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the beef mince to the pan and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes, until the meat is browned (avoid stirring the mince too much, as you want it to build up some colour).
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tamari and stock or water to the pan, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the peas.
5. Meanwhile, to make the cauliflower mash, steam the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add the butter, cream and half the cheddar, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
7. Transfer the beef mixture to a baking dish and spoon over the cauliflower mash. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.