Shepherd’s Pie without Potatoes

This will look like the traditional recipe when it comes out of the oven, but the topping is made from pureed turnips and cauliflower flavored with butter!

Steam the vegetables for the topping while you make the filling.

Meat Filling Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, 1/2 inch diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 4 celery stalks, 1/2 inch diced
  • 1 cup green beans, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 small turnip, 1/2 inch diced, OR 1 small rutabaga, 1/2 inch diced and cooked 30 minutes*
  • 1 pound ground beef, turkey, lamb or other meat
  • 1 roma tomato, diced (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram (optional)
  • ocean sea salt and pepper, to taste

*Turnip and rutabaga take longer to cook than other vegetables so it is important to pre-cook them.

All dried spices and herbs must be organic or certified organic from the health store, since most commercial
products are irradiated (zapped with radiation) which change and damage the body’s cells if consumed.

Meat Filling Preparation

  1. In a large skillet with lid, heat the water over medium flame. Add the ground beef and cook until it is getting crumbly, breaking it up more with your spoon.
  2. Add all of the diced vegetables and stir well to combine.
  3. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, adding a little water as needed. There should be just enough water so there’s some liquid bubbling, but the vegetables should not be swimming.
  4. Add marjoram, sea salt and pepper to taste, and pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish with sides that are high, or a large pie dish.

Topping Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 medium turnips, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • ocean sea salt and pepper to taste
  • paprika, to taste

Topping Preparation

Cook the cauliflower and turnips until very soft. Puree them in a blender or food processor, with 2-3 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Final Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spoon the cauliflower mixture over the top of the beef mixture, gently spreading it to cover all the way to the edges of the dish.
  3. Sprinkle the top with a few dashes of paprika and place the pan on a baking sheet (to catch any drips so as not to mess up the oven).
  4. Put it into a preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or just until you can see it getting bubbly and the edges of the topping are a bit browned. Every oven is different so it is a good idea to check it after 10 minutes!

This is a great Winter dish, and it really is quite easy once you have diced and chopped the vegetables. It is lovely with some chopped parsley on top for garnish.