As a former vegetarian, Shepherd’s Pie is not a meal that I’m intimately familiar with. It’s one of my husband’s favorite dishes, but until this month I had only ever made the fake-meat version.
In this recipe I’ve replaced the fake meat with turkey, substituted cauliflower for potatoes and broccoli for peas. It’s fully Paleo, over 2/3 vegetables, and it’s incredibly simple to make. And it tastes fantastic!
My friend Libby Louer from libbylouer.com is sharing her Sheppard’s Pie recipe for the crock pot. What a time saver!
This dish originated in northern England, Ireland, or Scandinavia some time in the 1700s. At the time it was known as Cottage Pie, referring to the homes where people of low incomes lived. The meal combined leftover meat with the very affordable staple, potatoes.
In more recent times, Cottage Pie is associated with ground beef, while Shepherds pie refers to the same meal made with lamb. I couldn’t find any specific name that referred to this dish made with potatoes, but there are over a dozen international varieties including pastelon de papa (Puerto Rico), hachis Parmentier (France), Siniyet Batata (Lebanon), and Shepherdless Pie (U. S. – vegetarian).
Crock Pot Turkey Sheppard’s Pie Paleo/GAPS
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 c. broccoli, diced
- 1 c. chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 c. carrots, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small jar of tomato paste (Organic tomato paste)
- 1/2 head of cauliflower
- 1 tsp sea salt (salt and spices)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
*Time saving tip: Instead of dicing your broccoli & carrots, put them in the food processor for 30 seconds.
Equipment
- Crock pot (where to buy)
- Food processor (where to buy)
Instructions
- Spread a layer of chopped onions across the bottom of the crock pot
- Add the ground turkey, spreading evenly to cover the onions
- Sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper evenly over the turkey
- Layer the broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and tomatoes one by one
- Add the tomato paste, spreading it across for good coverage
- Break the cauliflower into florets
- Put in the food processor and chop for 30 – 60 seconds until it becomes the consistency of cauliflower rice
- Spread across the top of the pie
- Turn the crockpot on high and cook for between 5 – 5 1/2 hours
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5.5 hours
