Lighter Shepherd's Pie
A lighter take on classic shepherd's pie, featuring a savory lean meat and vegetable filling topped with creamy cauliflower and potato mash for comforting flavor without the heaviness.
Written and tested by
Matt McCabe · Recipe developer
Cal
488
Protein
53g
Carbs
45g
Fat
11g
Per serving · 1 of 5
Macros calculated from label data on the actual ingredients I used, cross-checked against USDA FoodData Central. Update the totals if your brands run different from mine.
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Prep
20 minutes
Cook
40 minutes
Total
60 minutes
Method
For the filling
- 01Weigh a large pot and record the weight
- 02In the pot, brown the chicken for 5 minutes and break up any clumps
- 03Then add the onion and salt and cook for another 5 minutes
- 04Add in the tomato paste, garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried thyme and cook for 2 minutes
- 05Add in the frozen carrots and peas and corn starch and cook for another 2 minutes
- 06Add in the 2 cups of bone broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes
- 07Remove from heat and allow to cool
For the topping
- 01Weigh a small pot and record the weight
- 02Add in the water, salt, and potatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes
- 03Add in the frozen cauliflower, bring to a boil, then simmer another 5 minutes
- 04Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes
- 05Now you can mash by hand or use a blender, either way combine all the contents of the pot with the cottage cheese and blend or mash.
- 06Put back into the pot and cool fully
To assemble
- 01Arrange 5 empty prep containers ready to fill
- 02Weigh the large pot of filling and subtract the original pot weight. Then divide that by 5 to get the weight of filling per container. Put that amount into the bottom of each container.
- 03Weigh the small pot of mash and subtract the original pot weight. Then divide that by 5 to get the weight of mash per container. Put that amount on top of the filling in each container.
Notes from the kitchen
Macros assume 94% lean ground chicken breast at raw weight. Brand and trim vary — recalculate against your label if your ground chicken runs leaner or fattier. Food safety: cook ground chicken to 165°F. Refrigerate within 2 hours, store 3-4 days, reheat to 165°F before eating.
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