🍴 Serves: 4-6
🔪 Prep Time: 30 mins
🔥 Cook Time: 1 hr
⚖️ Net Carbs: 9.5g per serving (based on 6 servings)
💪 Protein: 28g per serving (based on 6 servings)
✅ No added sugar and no seed oils
A hack of a classic comfort food dish, but low in carbs! A rich, slow-simmered beef and mushroom filling topped with silky cauliflower mash and baked until golden. Classic comfort, without the post-carb crash.
Ingredients
Cottage Pie Filling
- 1 tbsp beef tallow
- Knob of butter
- 500g beef mince
- 1 onion
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- 1 large carrot
- 3 celery sticks
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 punnet chestnut mushrooms
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 300ml red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 litres beef bone broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
Cauliflower Mash
- 2 medium cauliflowers
- Palmful grated Parmesan
- 50g butter
- 1–2 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt and pepper
Let's Begin!
Step 1 - Build the Filling
Finely dice the onion. Dice the carrot and celery. Finely chop the mushrooms, mince the garlic and chop the thyme.
Heat beef tallow in a wide pan over high heat. Add the beef mince and mushrooms and cook until deeply browned and lightly charred, add in a good knob of butter. Deglaze with the red wine and set aside.
Step 2 - Develop the Base
In a separate pan, heat beef tallow with a knob of butter over gentle heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and sweet.
Increase the heat slightly and add the carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until lightly golden.
Add the garlic and stir briefly, then add the tomato purée and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 3 - Simmer
Return the beef mixture to the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce and beef bone broth. Cover and simmer gently until the mixture reaches a rich, spoonable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step 4 - While it simmers, make the mash topping
Cut the cauliflower into large florets. Place in a colander over a pan of boiling water, cover and steam for 10-15 minutes until very soft.
Transfer to a tray and crush roughly with a potato masher. Place in batches into a clean kitchen cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
Add the dry cauliflower to a bowl with butter, cream cheese, Parmesan, salt, pepper and egg yolk. Blend until smooth but still thick and mash-like.
Step 5 - Assemble
Transfer the filling to an ovenproof dish. Spread the cauliflower mash evenly over the top.
Brush lightly with an extra egg yolk and finish with a final sprinkle of Parmesan.
Step 6 - Bake
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes until golden, bubbling and lightly crisp on top
Step 6 - Serve
Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Rich, comforting and deeply satisfying with simple greens on the side.
Chef’s Tip!
Making the mash while the filling simmers keeps the workflow smooth and the flavours perfectly timed. This pie tastes even better the next day! 👨🍳
