Mashed Cauliflower Cottage Pie

This mashed cauliflower cottage pie is low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, super easy, and full of great traditional flavors. Mashed cauliflower replaces the mashed potatoes, but I promise you won't miss them. It's the perfect healthy comfort meal.

This mashed cauliflower cottage pie is the perfect meal if you want traditional comfort food, but without all the carbs. It's the perfect Irish St. Patrick's Day meal if you're trying to keep things a little lighter. You can even make it Whole30, Paleo, or Keto--just omit the corn!

We make the filling in a cast-iron pan so we can pop it right into the oven, so there's minimal cleanup involved (the perfect Spring cleaning recipe!), plus who doesn't love a hearty cast-iron meal?

Looking for other healthy comfort meals? Try our cauliflower and baked potato soup, crustless chicken pot pie skillet, or greek yogurt beef stroganoff.

Key Ingredients

• Ground beef
• Cauliflower
• Butter
• Onion
• Dijon mustard
• Coconut aminos- you can use soy sauce instead if you're not gluten free.
• Tomato paste
• Arrowroot powder/flour/starch- you can substitute regular flour if you're not gluten free.
• Beef broth
• Frozen vegetable medley- we use a bag of corn, carrots, and peas. You can use whatever combination of frozen vegetables you prefer. If you're following a Paleo, Whole30, or Keto diet, omit the corn.
• Other ingredients: olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper

See recipe card for amounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Add cauliflower florets to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the cauliflower. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water, put over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook the cauliflower until it's tender and easy to pierce with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: Once the cauliflower is done, drain the water and add the cauliflower back to the pan. Use a blender, immersion blender or potato masher to mash the cauliflower until it's smooth like mashed potatoes. Add butter, salt, and pepper and stir until the butter melts. Set the mashed cauliflower aside.

Step 3: Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 4: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softening slightly. Then add the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 5: Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the dijon mustard, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, until the tomato paste is fully incorporated into the beef.

Step 6: Add the arrowroot powder (or flour) to the pan. Mix until everything is combined, then add the beef broth and frozen vegetables. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the beef broth has thickened to a gravy-like consistency.

Step 7: Remove the pan from the heat. Top with the mashed cauliflower, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly browned on the top (if yours isn't browning, you can put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes).

Substitutions

• If you're not following a gluten-free diet, you can use all-purpose flour instead of arrowroot flour. Use 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for every 1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour.
• You can use soy sauce instead of coconut aminos if you're not gluten free.
• If you follow a Keto, Whole30, or Paleo diet, omit the corn in the vegetable medley.
• Use your favorite kind of vegetables instead of corn, peas, and carrots. For example, green beans would also be great.
• Use traditional mashed potatoes instead of mashed cauliflower.
• If you're not dairy free, add some parmesan cheese to the mashed cauliflower for extra flavor.
• Make it shepherd's pie instead of cottage pie (use lamb instead of ground beef).

Mashed Cauliflower Cottage Pie Recipe

Recipe by Mollie

This mashed cauliflower cottage pie is low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, super easy, and full of great traditional flavors. Mashed cauliflower replaces the mashed potatoes, but I promise you won't miss them. It's the perfect healthy comfort meal.

Course: DinnerCuisine: IrishDifficulty: Easy

5 from 1 vote

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Servings

6

servings

Cook time

1

hour 

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

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Ingredients

• For the mashed cauliflower:

• 1 large head 1 cauliflower (or two small heads), cut into florets

• 4 tablespoons 4 unsalted butter

• ½ teaspoon ½ salt

• ½ teaspoon ½ black pepper

• For the cottage pie filling:

• 1 tablespoon 1 olive oil

• ½ ½ sweet onion, diced

• 1 pound 1 ground beef

• ½ teaspoon ½ garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon ½ onion powder

• 1 teaspoon 1 dried parsley

• 1 teaspoon 1 dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon 1 dried thyme

• ½ teaspoon ½ salt

• ½ teaspoon ½ black pepper

• 2 tablespoons 2 tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons 2 coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not gluten free)

• 1 tablespoon 1 dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon 1 arrowroot flour (or 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour if not gluten free)

• 1 cup 1 beef broth

• 1 cup 1 mixed frozen vegetables (we use corn, peas, and carrots)

Directions

• Add cauliflower florets to a medium or large saucepan and add enough water to cover the cauliflower. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water, put over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook the cauliflower until it's tender and easy to pierce with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.
• Once the cauliflower is done, drain the water and add the cauliflower back to the pan. Use a blender, immersion blender or potato masher to mash the cauliflower until it's smooth like mashed potatoes. Add butter, salt, and pepper and stir until the butter melts. Set the mashed cauliflower aside.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softening slightly. Then add the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
• Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the dijon mustard, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, until the tomato paste is fully incorporated into the beef.
• Add the arrowroot powder (or flour) to the pan. Mix until everything is combined, then add the beef broth and frozen vegetables. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the beef broth has thickened to a gravy-like consistency.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Top with the mashed cauliflower, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly browned on the top (if yours isn't browning, you can put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes).

Notes

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