Cottage Pie With Mashed Cauliflower

This beefy Cottage Pie With Mashed Cauliflower is a one dish meal packed with flavor and comfort in every bite. It's topped with a creamy cauliflower mash that pulls the dish together and turns it into a lower carb version of comfort food.

Cottage Pie With Mashed Cauliflower

Each time I post a recipe for this type of pie, people seem to love to discuss the differences between cottage pie and shepherd's pie.  Beef is typically used in cottage pie and ground lamb in shepherd's pie.  In my kitchen cooking is about fun and family and not getting too terribly troubled by such things. I usually make them both with ground beef since ground lamb is more pricey and not as readily available. This Cajun spice in this beefy cottage pie is a nice twist on flavors adding a bit of heat but, it's not overwhelming.

Lower Carb Mashed Cauliflower Seals the Deal

While I certainly don't think that mashed cauliflower tastes just like mashed potatoes but, it's pretty darn close. I whip them using my hand mixer which leaves a bit of texture that we really enjoy.

• If you're a stickler for texture quality and prefer them to be completely smooth, you'll need to puree the cooked cauliflower using a food processor.
• The dairy products in this dish can be substituted with lighter versions too, with great results.
• I often assemble the entire cottage pie in advance then cover with plastic wrap and chill until I'm ready to bake it.
• When assembling in advance, bring to room temperature prior to baking by allowing it to sit on the counter for 20 minutes. If there's no time, increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes and bake until heated through and it's golden on top.

One other thing I love about this dish is; it's a one dish meal incorporating meat, vegetables with a creamy mashed cauliflower topping hitting all the flavor points we love. Other lower carb options to try is my Cheddar Cauliflower Soup with Bacon and Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizza from Sugar Free Mom.

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Cottage Pie With Mashed Cauliflower

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef-cottage-pie, cottage-pie-mashed-cauliflower, easy-ground-beef-recipes

Servings: 10 servings

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• olive oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic minced
• 3 lb lean ground beef
• 1 15 oz can pureed tomatoes
• ⅔ cup chili sauce i.e. Heinz
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning more or less to taste
• 1 ½ tsp salt more or less to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup frozen carrots and peas
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Mashed Cauliflower:
• 2 lb cauliflower florets
• 1 8 oz container onion & chive cream cheese softened
• 5 Tbsp butter divided
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and diced peppers in a few drizzles of olive oil. Cook until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic and beef, cooking until no pink remains in beef. Drain any excess fat from the pan
• To the pan add tomatoes, chili sauce, Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and frozen carrots and peas. Mix well, taste and adjust salt, if needed. Pour into prepared dish and sprinkle with cheese.
• Meanwhile, cook cauliflower florets in salted water until fork tender. Around 12-15 minutes. Drain well return to pot or to a mixing bowl.
• To the cooked cauliflower add cream cheese, 4 Tbsp butter and garlic salt. Whip using an electric mixer until creamy. Some chunky pieces will remain.
• Spread cauliflower over filling, dot with remaining 1 Tbsp butter.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Broil, for a few minutes at the very end of baking to brown.
• Rest on the counter for 5 minutes, then serve.

Notes

You may use light cream cheese, shredded cheese and light butter with excellent results for this dish.

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