Beef And Cauliflower Cottage Pie Recipe

cottage pie on plate
cottage pie on plate - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

While shepherd's pie is made with lamb and cottage pie is made with beef, both of these traditional British casseroles are typically topped with mashed potatoes. Here, however, recipe developer Tess Le Moing opts to use mashed cauliflower instead. She's not just using this vegetable as a substitute because it's more keto-friendly than potatoes, though, but because she loves its light and airy texture.

"The first time I tried cauliflower mash, I was blown away," says Le Moing. "If no one had told me, I would have thought it was the lightest mashed potatoes I've ever had." She loves how easy mashed cauliflower is to spread on top of the meat — much more so than mashed potatoes, she tells us — and calls the texture "super light and fluffy, like eating a cloud." What's more, using cauliflower as a potato substitute allows the cook to "sneak in even more veggies into this classic dish" without anyone being the wiser.

Read more: Tips You Need When Cooking With Ground Beef

Gather The Ingredients For This Beef And Cauliflower Cottage Pie

ingredients for cottage pie
ingredients for cottage pie - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

The meat of this recipe (in a literal sense) is ground beef, while the topping is composed of mashed cauliflower. Additional ingredients you'll need for the filling include olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, flour, ketchup, rosemary, salt, black pepper, beef broth, stout beer, soy sauce, and frozen peas. For the topping, you'll also need butter, garlic powder, and Irish aged cheddar.

Step 1: Warm The Cooking Oil

oil in frying pan
oil in frying pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Saute The Vegetables

onion carrot celery cooking in pan
onion carrot celery cooking in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Brown The Beef

beef and vegetables in pan
beef and vegetables in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink.

Step 4: Add Flour, Ketchup, And Seasonings

beef with ketchup and seasonings
beef with ketchup and seasonings - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Stir in flour, ketchup, rosemary, ? teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Step 5: Mix In The Liquids

beef with sauce in pan
beef with sauce in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Stir in broth, beer, and soy sauce, scraping up any brown bits from the pan with the wooden spoon.

Step 6: Simmer The Filling

beef with sauce in pan
beef with sauce in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick but still saucy, about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Add The Peas

beef with peas in pan
beef with peas in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Remove from heat, stir in the frozen peas, and season with salt to taste.

Step 8: Put The Pie Filling In A Pan

cottage pie beef filling in pan
cottage pie beef filling in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Spoon beef mixture into a casserole dish.

Step 9: Boil The Cauliflower

cauliflower florets in pot
cauliflower florets in pot - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add cauliflower florets and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until very soft.

Step 10: Drain The Cooked Cauliflower

cauliflower florets in strainer
cauliflower florets in strainer - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Drain and let sit in the strainer for 5 minutes to release any extra water.

Step 11: Puree The Cauliflower With Butter And Seasonings

cauliflower florets in food processor
cauliflower florets in food processor - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Transfer cauliflower to a food processor or blender with butter, garlic powder, and remaining ? teaspoon salt. Pulse to break up larger chunks of cauliflower.

Step 12: Make It Cheesy

cheese in food processor
cheese in food processor - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add cheddar.

Step 13: Blend The Cauliflower And Cheese Until Smooth

pureed cauliflower in food processor
pureed cauliflower in food processor - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Pulse until fully incorporated and smooth.

Step 14: Cover The Cottage Pie With Mashed Cauliflower

cottage pie in baking dish
cottage pie in baking dish - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Spoon dollops of mashed cauliflower evenly over the beef filling and smooth into an even layer.

Step 15: Give The Topping Some Texture

cottage pie in baking dish
cottage pie in baking dish - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Using a fork, rake the surface of the mashed cauliflower to make ridges.

Step 16: Broil Until Golden

cottage pie in baking dish
cottage pie in baking dish - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Adjust an oven rack about 5 inches below the broiler and broil casserole until topping is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 17: Cool And Enjoy

cottage pie in baking dish with wine
cottage pie in baking dish with wine - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

What Ingredient Swaps Can I Make In This Beef And Cauliflower Cottage Pie Recipe?

cottage pie in pan
cottage pie in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

This cottage pie recipe is something you can easily customize to your tastes. For starters, Le Moing suggests swapping out the soy sauce for Worcestershire, explaining, "I always have soy sauce in my fridge more than Worcestershire, so that's why I use it in this recipe." She also enjoys ground turkey in place of the beef in this cottage pie, calling it "a leaner and lighter option that can work well in the dish." As for the beer, Le Moing realizes that not everyone wants to cook with alcohol, so she notes that "you can use either non-alcoholic beer or just beef broth." The Irish cheddar, meanwhile, can be swapped out for a different cheddar, Gruyére, Parmesan, or another cheese. You can also substitute dried rosemary for fresh, although Le Moing advises reducing the amount to ? teaspoon if you do so.

When it comes to the vegetables, you can get as creative as you wish by swapping or adding at will. Le Moing notes that "chopped mushrooms can enhance the umami flavor and add a meaty texture," while "small diced and roasted butternut squash can provide a slightly sweet and creamy texture." Other vegetables she recommends using include frozen corn and green beans.

What Can I Do With Leftover Beef And Cauliflower Cottage Pie?

cottage pie in pan
cottage pie in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

If you have leftovers of this cottage pie, Le Moing says you can just cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate it. The casserole will be good for up to 4 days, and whenever you'd like another helping, all you need to do is dish it up on a plate and microwave it for 2 minutes. You can also portion out individual servings to be frozen for later use, although if you're reheating them straight from the freezer, you should make sure that the storage container is microwave-safe and plan on the process taking longer than 2 minutes.

If you're a meal prepper, you might also want to freeze an entire cottage pie, but if you do so, Le Moing offers a tip that will help it retains its flavor. "If you want to freeze this," she says, "add 1 extra cup of beef broth to the filling, because the freezer dehydrates food."

Beef And Cauliflower Cottage Pie Recipe

cottage pie serving on plate
cottage pie serving on plate - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Prep Time: 30mCook Time: 45mYield: 6 servingsIngredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ? cup finely diced onion

  • ? cup finely diced carrot

  • ? cup finely diced celery

  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon ketchup

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided

  • ? teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 cup beef broth

  • 1 cup stout beer

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • ? cup frozen peas

  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 ? pounds), cut into florets

  • ? cup water

  • 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted

  • ? teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 7 ounces Irish aged cheddar

Directions

  1. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.

  2. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink.

  4. Stir in flour, ketchup, rosemary, ? teaspoon salt, and pepper.

  5. Stir in broth, beer, and soy sauce, scraping up any brown bits from the pan with the wooden spoon.

  6. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick but still saucy, about 10 minutes.

  7. Remove from heat, stir in the frozen peas, and season with salt to taste.

  8. Spoon beef mixture into a casserole dish.

  9. Add cauliflower florets and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until very soft.

  10. Drain and let sit in the strainer for 5 minutes to release any extra water.

  11. Transfer cauliflower to a food processor or blender with butter, garlic powder, and remaining ? teaspoon salt. Pulse to break up larger chunks of cauliflower.

  12. Add cheddar.

  13. Pulse until fully incorporated and smooth.

  14. Spoon dollops of mashed cauliflower evenly over the beef filling and smooth into an even layer.

  15. Using a fork, rake the surface of the mashed cauliflower to make ridges.

  16. Adjust an oven rack about 5 inches below the broiler and broil casserole until topping is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

  17. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.