Keto Cottage Pie

This keto cottage pie recipe has got to be one of my best of all low carb recipes! Not only is it low carb, but it’s packed with protein, and is not made with potato! For quite a while, I have been wanting to create a Shepard’s Pie recipe (aka cottage pie), but seeing as it is topped with mashed potato…. that’s like a no-no. A single russet potato has like 30 g of carbs….

I have been learning so much about Keto ingredients from the 1,000 Keto Recipes cookbook. The book explains a lot about macronutrients and I have been learning how to recognize Keto ingredients. There are some recipes that we just wouldn’t try, or shouldn’t make because it would be a little more expensive for our preferences. But the biggest thing that I have learned- which might sound like a ‘well, duh’ thing to you- is how important BEEF is for the diet. Yes, protein is super important and I usually opt for protein items such as chicken, turkey and pork- they’re cheap and have quite a lot of protein. But beef is like the ultimate answer. It is packed with protein and an amount of fat that ground turkey doesn’t have.

While beef is the more expensive protein, I realize after making this the first time that beef would have added a richer flavor, more fatty because of the grease. Food for thought.

Check out my other low carb recipes!

Keto Cottage Pie Recipe

Ingredients for the Pie

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp Worcesterire sauce
• 1-2 tbsp corn starch
• 2 cups of mixed frozen veggies
• Thyme
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for the Vegetable Mash Topping

• 1 Parsnip, diced
• 4 cups Cauliflower, cut into florets
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 tbs butter 
• 5 cups of water, or 4 cups water and 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup milk

Instructions for the Pie

• Brown the ground meat with salt, pepper, garlic and onion
• Once cooked thoroughly, move the meat to the outskirts of the pan
• Add the Worcesterire sauce, tomato paste, corn starch and broth to make a a roux 
• Slowly incorporate the meat with he roux
• Add the frozen veggies and mix well
• Transfer to a cast iron skillet or casserole dish 
• Top with vegetable mash
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, broil for 5-10 minutes to toast the vegetable mash

Instructions for the Vegetable Mash Topping

• Combine 5 cups of water with diced parsnip and cauliflower florets. Boil until parsnip and cauliflower are soft enough to be mashed.
• Drain pot and set aside
• Melt 2 tbs butter in pot
• Add parsnip and cauliflower and mash with a potato masher
• Slowly add milk and more butter
• Finish with using an immersion blender to create the same whipped fluffiness of mashed potatoes
• Add salt and pepper for seasoning

Final Notes about Keto Cottage PIe

If you don’t want to use ground beef because of a tight grocery budget, beef is one of the most expensive meats at our grocery store, then consider making a substitute with chicken, pork, or turkey. You can still receive a lot of protein and fat without breaking the budget. Below is an overview of the the macros. I have found that PORK is THE CHEAPEST meat option!

Additionally, if you ever need to swap out flour for a low carb alternative, or a gluten free recipe, corn starch is a great way to go. For every 1 measurement of flour, replace it with 1/2 the measurement for corn starch.

Example: 2 tbsp of flour = 1 tbsp of corn starch.

Ground Beef Nutrition Facts- 4 oz., raw

• Fat 20g
• Carbs 0g
• Protein 31 g

Ground Turkey Nutrition Facts- 4 oz., raw

• Fat 7.1g
• Carbs 0g
• Protein: 21 g

Ground Pork Nutrition Facts- 3.5 oz., raw

• Protein: 25.7 g
• Carbs: 0 g
• Fat: 20.8 g