Guilt Free Ground Chicken Shepherd's Pie

We had this meal last night for dinner, and my whole family ate it up! It’s chock full of vegetables and yummy ingredients with none of the guilt! One of Brodie’s favorite meals is shepherd’s pie, and since we only have access to ground chicken here, I wanted to offer my spin on it with ground chicken flavors. It was the perfect blend of herby deliciousness and creamy mashed cauliflower on top (that’s right, NO potatoes!). Although, if you’re feeling mashed potatoes, you can totally use them instead of the cauliflower (but trust me when i say, these mashed cauliflower are some of my girls’ favorite sides!).

Guilt Free Ground Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

40 minutes - serves 6-8

500 g ground chicken (or turkey)

1 tbs olive oil or ghee

2 onions, diced

2 carrots, diced (same size as the onions)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1.5 cups water

1 tsp beef concentrate (one beef boullion cube)

10 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried Rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

2 tbs arrowroot powder (or cornflour/cornstarch)

salt & pepper to taste

1.5 cups of shredded cheese

Mashed Cauliflower:

1 large head of cauliflower florets (or 2 small)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup cream cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the broiler on your oven.

2. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Saute onions and carrots with a sprinkle of salt for 5-6 minutes until carrots soften. Add garlic and herbs, stirring for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Meanwhile, add the cauliflower florets to a pot of boiling water and cook until soft (about 10 minutes). Drain the water, and add to your blender/mixee. Blend with remaining Mashed Cauliflower ingredients and set aside.

4. Add ground meat and break up into small pieces, cooking until chicken is cooked through. Add the water and beef concentrate, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer.

5. In a separate small bowl, add 3 tbs of water and stir the arrowroot powder until combined and lumps are gone. Pour the mixture into the meat sauce and stir, simmering until the sauce thickens.

6. In a 9x13 (or dutch oven like I used), pour the meat mixture into the pan. Top with the mashed cauliflower (or mashed potato if that’s what you’re using), and sprinkle the cheese on top.

7. Broil for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

8. Serve warm with some sauted green beans or a salad!

Looking for more ground chicken recipes? Check out my Chicken Feta Spinach Burgers!