This Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie is easy enough for a weeknight meal but such a comforting classic. While I was recipe testing it, my husband declared it his favorite recipe of my. And that’s no small statement! I hope you dive in and find a new family favorite as well!
Why We Love This Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie
First, I love that it is a quick and easy meal to make. This dinner comes together in 40 minutes, making it approachable for a weeknight dinner. Need an even faster dinner? Check out my 30-minute meals section here!
Second, this Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie is also Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. A great cozy classic but in an allergen-friendly format.
Third, this dish is budget-friendly! I love that it uses ingredients I can find at my local Walmart. Plus, it’s kid-friendly too! My boys love this basically inverted mashed potatoes with hearty gravy and veggies.
Finally, this dish freezes well, making it great for meal prep. We always make a double batch of this one! Enjoy the leftovers for lunches or stick them in the freezer for a quick meal another night.
Ingredients
- Ground beef – Use whatever quality and fat content works for you and your family. I usually use an 85/15 ground beef, but the excess grease is drained off and other ground beefs will work just as well.
- Onion – Either a yellow, white, or sweet onion will all work equally well in this recipe.
- Salt – Regular white table salt.
- Pepper – Ground black pepper.
- Beef broth – I usually just use a Whole30 compatible beef broth that is affordable, like this one from Walmart. But beef bone broth would also be excellent in this.
- Potato or arrowroot starch – This acts as a thickener, like cornstarch but a Paleo, grain-free option. I don’t recommend using tapioca flour or starch in this recipe, as it will make the gravy tacky. You can learn more about the differences between Paleo flours here.
- Onion powder – Granulated onion or onion powder both work well.
- Coconut aminos – On Whole30, soy is prohibited, as is soy sauce. However, coconut aminos are a great replacement for soy sauce and add a great depth of flavor. We can find coconut aminos at Walmart or Trader Joe’s. Coconut aminos are optional in the gravy for a more full flavor, but only if you already have them on hand!
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – These are my potatoes of choice for mashed potatoes due to their flavor and starch content. I usually don’t peel them – even using the ricer, the peels will just separate out. I also think this recipe turns out well with russets, my second choice. But, if you use russets, be sure to peel them first! Russet skin is tough and not great in mashed potatoes.
- Chicken broth or bone broth – Seek the hack in this blog post as to why cooking mashed potatoes in broth instead of water is ideal and an awesome flavor boost. If you are on a Whole30, make sure you double check and use a compatible broth, particularly with no added forms of sugar. VEGAN option – Use an equal amount of vegetable broth instead!
- Ghee or vegan butter – Ghee is clarified butter and has the milk solids removed from it, so it’s allowed on Whole30. However, if you have a true dairy allergy, use dairy-free butter like Miyokos.
- Salt – I just use table salt here.
- Coconut milk (canned, full-fat) – I love coconut milk because it is thick, rich, and a fantastic dairy-free swap for cream. My favorite brand is Thai Kitchen. But, you can use another dairy-free milk of choice as needed.
How to Make Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie
- Combine broth and potatoes in a large pot on the stove over high heat. Broth will not fully cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook covered for 10 minutes or until tender.
- While potatoes are cooking, heat a separate large skillet (oven-safe if you have one!) over medium heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion, sprinkling with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk together all the gravy ingredients. Once meat is cooked, add the gravy mixture and the frozen veggies (no need to thaw first!). Cook until gravy thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once potatoes are tender, strain broth from potatoes, saving the broth. Add ghee, salt, and coconut milk to the potatoes. While potatoes are still hot, mash the potatoes with a standard wire masher. You can mix them with a mixer, but be super cautious not to over-mix, or they will get gummy! Evaluate the texture of the potatoes – if they are the perfect mashed potato consistency, stop here. If they are still a little dry, add a little bit of the saved broth until desired consistency. Finally, stir in the egg until well combined.
- Turn the oven on to broil (high).
- If your pan is oven-safe, spread the mashed potatoes carefully over the top of the ground beef mixture inside the pan. If your pan is NOT oven-safe, transfer the meat to a 9×9 baking dish and then spread the mashed potatoes over top.
- Broil for 5 minutes until top is lightly browned and developed a harder crust on top. Remove from oven and serve warm.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie
An easy, cozy meat and potatoes budget-friendly dish that is a Whole30, Paleo remake of a classic!
Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, gluten-free, kid-friendly, main dish, paleo, whole30
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups frozen peas + carrots no need to thaw
Mashed Potatoes
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut roughly into small 1" chunks about 6 medium
- 2 cups chicken broth or bone broth
- 2 tablespoons ghee or Vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or other non-dairy unsweetened milk
- 1 large egg see notes for egg-free
Gravy
- 2 cups beef broth or bone broth
- 1/4 cup potato or arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos optional, only if have on hand
- 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, salt, and pepper
Instructions
- Combine broth and potatoes in a large pot on the stove over high heat. Broth will not fully cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook covered for 10 minutes or until tender.
- While potatoes are cooking, heat a separate large skillet (oven-safe if you have one!) over medium heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion, sprinkling with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk together all the gravy ingredients. Once meat is cooked, add the gravy mixture and the frozen veggies (no need to thaw first!). Cook until gravy thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once potatoes are tender, strain broth from potatoes, saving the broth. Add ghee, salt, and coconut milk to the potatoes. While potatoes are still hot, mash the potatoes with a standard wire masher. You can mix them with a mixer, but be super cautious not to over-mix, or they will get gummy! Evaluate the texture of the potatoes – if they are the perfect mashed potato consistency, stop here. If they are still a little dry, add a little bit of the saved broth until desired consistency. Finally, stir in the egg until well combined.
- Turn the oven on to broil (high).
- If your pan is oven-safe, spread the mashed potatoes carefully over the top of the ground beef mixture inside the pan. If your pan is NOT oven-safe, transfer the meat to a 9×9 baking dish and then spread the mashed potatoes over top.
- Broil for 5 minutes until top is lightly browned and developed a harder crust on top. Remove from oven and serve warm.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
EGG-FREE – The egg in the mashed potato just helps it cook up to a nice crust. If you need egg-free, just leave the egg out and follow the rest of the recipe as writen.
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