This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Alexia.
I loveeeeeee shepherd’s pie. It’s one of my favorite things to eat in the cooler weather. So how excited was I to discover that pre-made mashed cauliflower exists in the freezer aisle?! This Skillet Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Cauliflower is a lower-carb, veggie-packed, one-pot, quick and easy version of shepherd’s pie. It’s the ultimate comfort food and the whole family will love it. And you only need FOUR INGREDIENTS!
My usual version of shepherd’s pie is just like this recipe, but with homemade mashed potatoes instead of cauliflower, and it’s baked in a casserole dish. Sometimes I use homemade mashed sweet potatoes. For this version, I wanted to simplify things by using as many pre-made and pre-prepped ingredients as possible (literally the only thing you have to chop is an onion!). I also wanted to use as few dishes as possible- a cast iron skillet solved that problem!
This recipe could NOT be easier to make. Just brown some ground beef (or turkey, if you prefer), with an onion, salt, and pepper, toss on some frozen mixed veggies (no need to defrost), and spread prepared mashed cauliflower on top. Throw some melted butter on there if you’re in a butter mood. Then bake, and viola! A perfect weeknight meal.
I used Alexia Mashed Cauliflower with Sea Salt for this recipe. And wow, I have to say… delicious. If you read my blog frequently, you know that I usually make my food from scratch. I rarely venture down the frozen foods section of my grocery store. But this gluten-free, non-GMO project verified product is definitely an exception. It’s made with organic dairy ingredients, and you just pop it in the microwave for just a few minutes and boom! You have a complete side dish that doesn’t require any additional ingredients to prep. It comes ready to cook right out of the box.
It was all I could do to save all the cauliflower for the pie and not eat it directly out of the box with a spoon. This is some seriously good stuff, folks.
The whole Alexia frozen premium vegetables line is a great way to incorporate starch alternatives into your meals. I’m going to try the riced vegetable pilaf next with some pan-seared salmon. YUM!
You an find Alexia Premium Vegetable Sides at Giant, Kroger, Meijer, and other grocery stores. Be sure to check out alexiafoods.com for more inspiration!
And if you have some time and energy to make your own mashed cauliflower, go on with your bad self. You could even try a potato/cauliflower mashed mix, like this rosemary infused one.
I used a frozen peas/carrots/corn mix for my shepherd’s pie. If you are really watching carbs, you may want to use something like green beans, or other low-carb veggies instead.
The best part about this? We had leftovers! This meal is super hearty. If you want to stretch this a bit further, cook up some extra ground beef and buy extra frozen veggies/mashed cauliflower, and make an extra one for your freezer. Use a freezer safe baking dish for this one (I usually use a glass baking dish with a lid for freezer meals like this).
For a more classic take on shepherd’s pie, try this easy shepherd’s pie recipe made with mashed potatoes.
Here’s the printable recipe for skillet shepherd’s pie with mashed cauliflower! Enjoy :-)
Skillet Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Cauliflower
Equipment
- Offset Spatula
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 16 oz. mixed frozen vegetables
- 2-3 cups prepared mashed cauliflower frozen or homemade
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brown the beef with the onions and salt and pepper to taste in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven safe skillet) over medium-high heat.
- Turn off heat. Add frozen vegetables on top (no need to defrost).
- Use an offset spatula to spread the mashed cauliflower on top of the vegetables. Drizzle melted butter on top.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. Broil for another 5-10 if not browned sufficiently.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
marion
this is a lovely Cottage Pie recipe, made with mince meat – to be cooked,, and vegies added,, — but have you made True Shepherds Pie, using ground “cooked” meat and no vegies added, just tomato and worcestershire sauce to bind the meats,, then vegies served as a side,, you only need a mincer ?! ,,it is truly a delicious, very easy dish,, which only needs heating through with the mashed potato on top nicely browned under grill,,
Elizabeth Lindemann
That sounds delicious – can’t wait to try that!
Kim
Hi! I made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved it! I added a small can of tomato sauce to the hamburger and some minced garlic. At the end of the 20 minutes, I topped it with shredded cheddar cheese. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding cheddar cheese… yum!
Lea
This is quick, easy, and delicious. My husband still can’t believe it’s good for him. I will caution other readers – not all mashed, frozen cauliflower is created equal… I haven’t been able to find the Alexia brand yet, but we have Green Giant and Bird’s Eye. Bird’s Eye is sooooooo sooooooo much better (both in taste and texture, in my opinion). Just figured I’d mention it in case you try Green Giant and then think the recipe isn’t good. Or vice versa – tastes vary, so some may like Green Giant better.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Elizabeth
SO happy you and your husband liked it! Thanks very much for the tips on different brands. Super helpful.
Sofia
This looks delicious! I am going to try this recipe out tonight. Do you happen to know the nutrition breakdown of this meal, like carbs, etc?
Elizabeth
Hope you liked the recipe! I’m in the process of updating my recipes to have nutrition information. I went ahead and added it to this one based on your comment (so, thanks!). Keep in mind that I do my best to provide accurate nutrition information for my recipes, but I am not a nutritionist. The provided nutrition information is my best estimate. It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use this calculator to figure it out. Hope that’s helpful!