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Paleo AIP Shepherd’s Pie is a simple sauté of ground lamb or beef and veggies, topped with fabulous Mashed Parsnips and baked until the edges are crispy brown. While it’s baking you can relax, maybe get the kitchen tidied up, and then serve this wholesome, satisfying Irish casserole!
Our family loves casseroles, and as the family cook, I love that they’re a bit like meal prep: made ahead of time, so dinner’s ready when the baking is complete.
This recipe includes a meal prep option! So if you wish, make it ahead of time, and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to bake it!
Paleo AIP Shepherd’s Pie is also Gluten-free, VAD, nightshade-free and Whole30.
Ingredients in Paleo AIP Shepherd’s Pie
- ground beef or lamb
- onion; for VAD, sub with green beans
- celery
- carrots; omit for VAD, or replace with parsnips
- herbs: dried ginger, thyme, parsley; for VAD, sub thyme and parsley with mint and dill
- sea salt
- 1 recipe Mashed Parsnips
How to make Shepherd’s Pie
- Make Mashed Parsnips.
- Cook up ground beef or lamb, then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Use the same pan to sauté veggies and herbs. Stir meat back in.
- Layer into casserole dish: first meat and veggies. Then top with Mashed Parsnips.
- Bake until bubbly hot!
How to meal prep this recipe
- Assemble casserole as usual.
- Cover well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking. (Baking time will be slightly longer if the casserole is baked cold from the fridge; it’s recommended to let is sit at room temp for 2 hours before baking.
To freeze meal prep
- Cover assembled Shepherd’s Pie really well, so no air can get into the casserole.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost overnight in the fridge, then out on the counter for 4 hours before baking.
How to reheat leftovers
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Rub a small amount of fat on a clean plate or casserole dish. Put the number of servings you need to reheat on the dish. Bake at low temperature for about 15 minutes, until heated through.
Paleo AIP Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- pot for boiling parnsips
- beaters, masher or food processor for puréeing parsnips
- saute pan
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Mashed Parsnips
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 onion diced; for VAD, sub with green beans
- ½ head celery diced
- 2 carrots chopped; omit for VAD, or replace with parsnips
- ½ teaspoons each: dried ginger, thyme, parsley; for VAD, sub thyme and parsley with mint and dill
- 1-½ teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare Mashed Parsnips recipe. (Don't make the topping from the recipe, unless you'd like that garnish on the casserole. Only complete through mashing the parsnips, Step 1 after the heading "Mashed Parsnips continued...") While parsnips are cooking, begin meat filling below.
- In large sauté pan, add beef or lamb + 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cook over medium heat, breaking up meat with a spatula, until pink is gone, about 8 minutes. Cook another minute. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl. Set aside.
- If there's a lot of rendered fat, as is often the case with lamb, pour some of it off, and retain for another use. Keep about 2 Tablespoons rendered meat fat in the pan. If needed (with lean beef), add 1 to 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or other preferred fat as needed for next step: Add onion (or green beans for VAD) and celery to pan, with remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt. Sauté over medium heat 5 minutes. Add carrot (or parsnip) + herbs and ginger; reduce heat to medium low, and sauté 10 more minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Add meat back to pan, sautéing it into the veggies. Remove from heat. Transfer to casserole dish and spread out evenly. Use the back of the spatula or a spoon to flatten and press slightly, so meat filling is compressed a bit.
- Top with completed Mashed Parsnips recipe. Smooth top surface. Optionally, use the tines of fork to create traditional Shepherd's Pie markings on the top surface. Bake in preheated oven about 40 minutes, until piping hot, crispy brown around the edges and perhaps bubbling out a bit at one corner.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes, serve!
Nutrition
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More great AIP dinner recipes
- Easiest Paleo Beef Short Ribs
- Paleo AIP Hamburger Macaroni Pasta
- Coconut Ground Beef Curry
- Roasted Loaded Cauliflower Sheet Pan Dinner
- Pasta with Italian Sausage Casserole
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