This recipe came to life during a recent Whole30 challenge that I participated in at work. For years I have been making a shepherd’s pie recipe from The Paris Cafe Cookbook. The recipe that I love comes from the legendary Parisian Café Fouquet. In their recipe, beef is cooked down with shallots and fresh herbs, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and finally a layer of freshly grated gruyere. This creates a flavorful and super cheesy shepherd’s pie that is to die for. If you aren't limiting dairy in your diet, I highly recommend making their version of shepherd's pie. If you want some serious comfort food that is Whole30 compliant, keep reading.
I love a good shepherd’s pie so I decided to use my favorite recipe from Fouquet as a jumping off point for developing a kick ass Shepherd’s Pie that is Whole30 compliant! This shepherd’s pie recipe starts with organic ground turkey that is cooked down in a dutch oven with shallots, parsnip, carrots and fresh herbs. The cooked meat and vegetables are flavored with beef stock and tomato paste before being topped with a garlic cauliflower mash. This hearty main course is wonderful served with a fresh green salad and tangy balsamic dressing.
Making the Bouquet Garni:
A bouquet garni is used in many French dishes and adds incredible depth to the flavors of your food. It is typically a combination of fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. This bundle of herbs is traditionally tied together and used to flavor soups and stews. For this recipe I used only the bay leaves and thyme but you could definitely add parsley to the mix. I really love these spice bags from amazon but you can also use a piece if kitchen twine to tie the herbs together for this recipe.
Cooking the Turkey and Vegetables:
You’ll start by warming a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add in your turkey and brown until the turkey is fully cooked. Next, you’ll add in the chopped parsnips, carrots and shallot. Season with tomato paste and ½ teaspoon Papa Joe’s Salt or combination of salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the shallot becomes translucent. Next you will add in the beef broth and bouquet garni. Make sure that the bouquet garni is completely covered by the broth. Cover and leave the meat and vegetables to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, remove the bouquet garni from the turkey and vegetables.
Making the Cauliflower Mash:
While the turkey and vegetables are simmering, you’ll make your cauliflower mash. You’ll begin by chopping a large head of cauliflower into florets. Steam the cauliflower for 6-7 minutes until it is tender. In your food processor or blender, puree steamed cauliflower with ¼ cup of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of avocado mayonnaise, ¼ clove of garlic and ½ teaspoon Papa Joe’s Salt or combination of salt and pepper.
Assembling and Baking the Shepherd’s Pie:
In an 8 square baking pan, evenly spread the turkey and vegetables over the bottom of the pan. Top with the cauliflower mash and spread evenly to cover the meat. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until the whole dish is warmed through. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or chives.
I think you're going to love this Whole30 spin on a classic French shepherd’s pie. It’s full of flavor, filling and actually quite easy to make. This is a great main course for a cozy dinner and also packs up well to be reheated for lunch at work.
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Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
For the Turkey and Vegetables
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1 medium shallot
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon Papa Joe's Salt or combination of salt and pepper
- 2 cups beef broth can also use chicken broth
For the Bouquet Garni
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For the Cauliflower Mash
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons avocado mayonnaise
- ¼ clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Papa Joe's Salt or combination of salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Bouquet Garni
- Add thyme and bay leaves to a small spice bag or tie herbs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Reserve until ready to use.
For the Turkey and Vegetables
- Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add turkey to pan and brown until the turkey is fully cooked. 5-6 minutes.Add the chopped parsnips, carrots and shallot. Mix in tomato paste and ½ teaspoon Papa Joe’s Salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the shallot becomes translucent. Add beef broth and bouquet garni. Make sure that the bouquet garni is completely covered by the broth.
- Cover and leave the meat and vegetables to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Once most of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are tender, remove the bouquet garni from the turkey and vegetables.
For the Cauliflower Mash
- Chop a large head of cauliflower into large florets. Steam the cauliflower for 6-7 minutes until it is tender. In your food processor or blender, puree steamed cauliflower with coconut milk, avocado mayonnaise, garlic and Papa Joe’s Salt.
Baking the Shepherd's Pie
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spread turkey and vegetables evenly over the bottom of your baking pan. Cover with cauliflower mash. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the entire pie is warmed through. Serve with a fresh green salad and your favorite dressing. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
KITCHEN TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS THAT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
AFFILIATE DISCRETION:
This post contains affiliate links to products that I use for baking and cooking. If you click on these links, and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers. I only link to products that I use, love, and think you may like as well.
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