Cauliflower Cottage Pie: the creamy, flavorful recipe for a keto Cottage Pie

Just because you’re on the keto diet, doesn’t mean that you cannot indulge in the comfort foods you used to love. This Cauliflower Cottage Pie is a great example of that. It’s basically the keto version of the classic cottage pie, using mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.

It’s the perfect warming dish you need for the approaching cold season. Not only that, but the cauliflower topping comes in three colors, so it brightens up the dinner table. With ground beef and a plethora of vegetables, this will be a satisfying dish that you’ll want to make every week!

Cauliflower Cottage Pie Ingredients

Olive oil – this is used to cook the vegetables and ground beef. You can also use butter or lard.

Ground beef – feel free to use ground lamb, turkey, or chicken. See below for vegetarian options.

Vegetables – use any low-carb vegetables. We added onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.

Cauliflower – the topping is made with cauliflower mash instead of potato. If you don’t follow a keto diet, you can use potato, sweet potato, or mashed pumpkin.

Stock – use beef or vegetable stock.

How To Make Cauliflower Cottage Pie

Cook the ground beef in olive oil until browned. Add the remaining veggies and continue to sauté until cooked. In the meanwhile, steam the cauliflower until just cooked.

Divide the cauliflower into three parts and blend them separately with spinach and pumpkin. Pipe this mixture onto the ground beef mixture and bake until golden.

Tips

You can also cook the cauliflower in the microwave. Place the cauliflower pieces in a bowl, cover, and microwave for about 3-4 minutes until softened.

You can add peas, but it will increase the carbohydrate content a bit.

Make it vegan and vegetarian by using chopped mushrooms instead of ground beef, and swapping the beef stock for vegetable stock.

Add cheese to the topping: mozzarella, parmesan, or cheddar will all work.

To make this ahead of time, make the cauliflower mash and the beef mixture separately and store them in the fridge (in an airtight container). Assemble and bake right before serving.

What To Serve With Keto Cottage Pie

This dish is already packed with nutritious veggies and is basically a meal on its own. Serve with a side salad, or if you’re not following the keto diet, you can serve it with fresh dinner rolls.

How To Store Cauliflower Cottage Pie

Leftover Keto Cottage Pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

It can also be frozen for up 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat before eating.

Instructions

Sprinkle pan with oil. Add ground beef, salt, and pepper and cook until brown.

Add the onion, sweet potato, celery, carrots, and garlic.

Add jalapeño, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne, mix it, and stir.

Add red pepper, diced tomatoes, beef stock, and stew for 10-15 min.

Transfer meat mixture to a baking dish.

In the meanwhile, steam white cauliflower for 5 min.

Blend 1/3 of the cauliflower with pumpkin puree. Blend another 1/3 of the cauliflower with spinach puree and blend the remaining 1/3 cauliflower on its own.

Fill a piping bag with each of the mixtures and pip it onto the ground meat mixture.

Bake at 200°C/400°F for 20-30 min.

Notes

If you don’t follow a low-carb or keto diet, you can swap the cauliflower topping for a traditional mashed potato topping. Simply boil a few potatoes and mash with butter and cream. Season to taste and pipe onto the ground beef mixture.