Paleo Comfort Food: Shepherds Pie
COMFORT FOOD is the word on the street during the Holiday months. Yet, all the simple carbs, sugar, and “filler” foods often leave me feeling sluggish, guilty, and run down. Too much of a “good” thing is not always a good thing!
So, I’ve been experimenting with my own versions of some of these “winter” staples.
One of my husband’s favorite comfort foods any time of year is shepherds pie, which is very nearly paleo, except for one major item: the taters!
And you CAN’T have shepherd’s pie without those creamy, delicious mashed potatoes!
I thought about trying sweet potatoes, but they are so rich and would differ quite a bit from the taste he loves, so I tried it this time with celery root boiled and mashed just like potatoes.
It was delicious! AND I felt good about eating it and serving it to the family, knowing that it was being processed by our bodies more efficiently as well as adding vitamin c, and a much needed dose of iron and calcium to the meal.
All together with the beef and veggies, you almost wouldn’t know the difference. It gave the pie a nice celery flavor, which I didn’t mind, but most importantly, I got the thumbs up from the hubbs!
Paleo Shepherds Pie With Celery Root
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium to large celery root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 can of tomato sauce
1 bag of frozen organic veggies, thawed (for less prep time)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
Granulated garlic
Granulated onion
Sea salt
1 tbs olive oil
2-4 TBS butter, coconut oil, or ghee
1/2 cup of milk (coconut or hemp is nice)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Peel the celery root and chop into chunks. Bring water to boil and add celery root pieces. Boil until a knife or fork easily slides through a test piece. While the root cooks, heat olive oil on the stove and add the garlic and onion. Cook till onion is translucent (5 minutes). Add the beef and cook through. Add the can of tomato sauce and simmer till it cooks down a bit and thickens up (about 7 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.
Making the mash: Strain celery root pieces and return to warm pot. Add your butter, coconut oil, or ghee and begin mashing (I use an electric hand mixer). Gradually add the milk until desired texture is reached. Add granulated garlic, onion, and sea salt to taste. (A little lemon pepper is nice too!)
Assembly: In your pyrex baking dish, first pour in the meat base, then the veggie mix, then spread your celery root mash on top.
Bake till the sides are bubbly and it is heated through (25-30 minutes).
**If you are “paleo light,” as we are, sprinkle some raw milk cheddar cheese on top also!
