Shepherd’s Pie (AIP, Paleo)

Hi Friends!

Where did October go? This week has been so busy I literally haven’t even changed my calendar from September to October yet! At this point I will just go straight to November! Back to school always means a lot of work and this year has seemed to hit me extra hard. I am barely keeping up with the paperwork. That being said, I have met most of my deadlines and I am hoping things will calm down a little bit now.

The weather here sure is chilly and we even got our first little skiff of snow. As we speak, my husband is putting my winter tires on my vehicle because you just never know when the roads are going to become like a tundra or the freezing rain will hit. I am hoping it will hold off at least until November 1st. Fingers crossed- right?!

When I think of autumn I always think of soups, stews and comfort food. Shepherd’s pie is definitely a comfort food in my books. I have been wanting to make my own AIP version of the shepherd’s pie my husband use to make me when we first started dating. I started playing around with some ingredients this summer and I think I finally got it right.

This is the perfect comfort food meal for the whole family. I love the idea of having this on Sunday night and then eating it as left overs for the beginning of the week. This meal also works great as a freezer meal. Simply prepare and freeze and then defrost overnight in the fridge and bake at 350 for an hour. I also like to freeze it in individual portions for days when I don’t want to cook or when I am feeling slightly under the weather. A full freezer is your best friend when you are following AIP.

A few notes about substitutions: -Ground beef can be swapped for any ground meat of choice. I think lamb would taste really good! -In place of shredded carrots you can simply peel and chop your carrots, especially if you like a more traditional pie. -Onion and garlic can be left out -I used white sweet potatoes but you can use any color you like. Parsnip, turnip or cauliflower mash would work as well. -If you don’t have bone broth you can use water.

Alright, I think that covers everything. I hope this Shepherd’s pie warms you up on a cold day and reminds you of Home Sweet Home!

XO Meagen Ashley

5 from 1 vote

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Shepherd’s Pie

This AIP and Paleo Traditional Shepherd's Pie recipe is the ultimate comfort food.

Course dinner, Main Course, Main Dish, recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword aip comfort food, aip shepherd pie, aip shepherd’s pie, paleo shepherd pie, paleo shepherds pie

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Meat Mixture Base

• 1.5 pounds ground beef grass fed preferably
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1.5 cups peeled carrots shredded or chopped into discs
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup bone broth or water
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp clove
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Sweet Potato Topping

• 2 pounds white sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into quarters
• 1 Tbsp lard or oil of choice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 Tbsp of dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Meat Mixture Base

1. Prepare all of the vegetables including the sweet potatoes. Heat avocado oil over medium heat in a large pan. Saute the garlic and onion for 3 minutes. Add in the celery, carrots, apple cider vinegar, spices and bone broth. Cook for 8 minutes and then set aside.

2. Brown the ground beef and season with salt. Then mix the cooked vegetables in with the cooked beef.

Sweet Potato Topping

1. While the beef is cooking bring the chopped sweet potatoes to a boil over high heat. Cook until fork tender.

2. Drain the sweet potatoes and using an electric mixer blend the sweet potatoes with thyme, lard and salt until smooth.

Assemble together

1. Spoon the meat and vegetable mixture into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Then top the mixture with the sweet potato topping by spooning it on top and then smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.

2. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until slightly golden and bubbling.

Recipe Notes

Store in a glass dish in the fridge for up to 4 days.