I loveeeeeee shepherd’s pie. It’s one of my favorite things to eat in the cooler weather. So how excited was I to discover that pre-made mashed cauliflower exists in the freezer aisle?! This Skillet Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Cauliflower is a lower-carb, veggie-packed, one-pot, quick and easy version of shepherd’s pie. It’s the ultimate comfort food and the whole family will love it. And you only need FOUR INGREDIENTS!
My usual version of shepherd’s pie is just like this recipe, but with homemade mashed potatoes instead of cauliflower, and it’s baked in a casserole dish. Sometimes I use homemade mashed sweet potatoes. For this version, I wanted to simplify things by using as many pre-made and pre-prepped ingredients as possible (literally the only thing you have to chop is an onion!). I also wanted to use as few dishes as possible- a cast iron skillet solved that problem! This recipe could NOT be easier to make. Just brown some ground beef (or turkey, if you prefer), with an onion, salt, and pepper, toss on some frozen mixed veggies (no need to defrost), and spread prepared mashed cauliflower on top. Throw some melted butter on there if you’re in a butter mood. Then bake, and viola! A perfect weeknight meal.
I used Alexia Mashed Cauliflower with Sea Salt for this recipe. And wow, I have to say… delicious. If you read my blog frequently, you know that I usually make my food from scratch. I rarely venture down the frozen foods section of my grocery store. But this gluten-free, non-GMO project verified product is definitely an exception. It’s made with organic dairy ingredients, and you just pop it in the microwave for just a few minutes and boom! You have a complete side dish that doesn’t require any additional ingredients to prep. It comes ready to cook right out of the box. It was all I could do to save all the cauliflower for the pie and not eat it directly out of the box with a spoon. This is some seriously good stuff, folks. The whole Alexia frozen premium vegetables line is a great way to incorporate starch alternatives into your meals. I’m going to try the riced vegetable pilaf next with some pan-seared salmon. YUM!
You an find Alexia Premium Vegetable Sides at Giant, Kroger, Meijer, and other grocery stores. Be sure to check out alexiafoods.com for more inspiration! And if you have some time and energy to make your own mashed cauliflower, go on with your bad self. You could even try a potato/cauliflower mashed mix, like this rosemary infused one.
I used a frozen peas/carrots/corn mix for my shepherd’s pie. If you are really watching carbs, you may want to use something like green beans, or other low-carb veggies instead.
The best part about this? We had leftovers! This meal is super hearty. If you want to stretch this a bit further, cook up some extra ground beef and buy extra frozen veggies/mashed cauliflower, and make an extra one for your freezer. Use a freezer safe baking dish for this one (I usually use a glass baking dish with a lid for freezer meals like this). For a more classic take on shepherd’s pie, try this easy shepherd’s pie recipe made with mashed potatoes. Here’s the printable recipe for skillet shepherd’s pie with mashed cauliflower! Enjoy :-)
