This is another recipe that I made twice over the holiday season. I mainly made it twice because I kind of screwed it up the first time. I forgot the olives, so I had to put them on top right before I baked it. I also forgot the olives in the narrative AND in the recipe when I typed it up here, so I clearly have a mental block around these olives. Honestly, my mistake wasn’t all that big of a deal. I just wanted to make it again because it was good, and to get better pictures, which were kind of a fail, but whatever. It still tastes good.
You are all familiar with shepherd’s pie, I assume. Ground lamb or beef mixed with veggies and gravy and topped with mashed potatoes and baked. A whole bunch of goodness, most of which you sadly can’t have on keto. I thought about adapting a regular shepherd’s pie recipe, and I might do that eventually, but it occurred to me that I could have a lot more fun with it if I gave it a bit of a Tex-Mex twist. That’s why I call it cowboy pie instead of shepherd’s pie, because there’s a lot more cowboys than shepherds in Texas.
You’ll want to start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then heating a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a pound and a half of 85% lean ground beef. Sprinkle the beef with two tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon of cumin, a tablespoon of oregano, two teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, and as much black pepper as you’d like. Brown the beef, stirring to break it up and mix up the spices.
Once the beef is browned, add a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles, and a cup of your salsa of choice. I like mine hot, so that’s what I use, but if you prefer a milder level of spice, feel free to use something else. I prefer the smoother salsas for this one rather than the chunkier ones, because the diced tomatoes give it plenty of chunk already. Throw in a drained four-ounce can of black olives, then turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer while you prepare the topping.
Cook a 16-ounce package of cauliflower florets according to the package directions, then drain them and put them into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of heavy cream, a tablespoon of ranch dressing mix–the dry powder, not the dressing itself–and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Mix that up until it’s smooth. You’ll probably need to scrape down the sides at least once.
By the time you’re done with that, the extra liquid will have simmered off of your beef, and you’ll be ready to assemble it. Pour the beef into a 9×13 baking dish and top it carefully with the mashed cauliflower. I like to dollop it evenly over the top and then spread it out with a rubber spoonula. I use this exact one because it’s nice and flexible and helps get more of the mashed cauliflower out of my food processor.
Once the mashed cauliflower is covering the top of the beef, sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until it melts. This makes six servings, and it’s super filling despite not being all that many calories.
Keto Cowboy Pie
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
For the Beef Filling
- 1.5 lbs 85% lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 cup red salsa see notes above
- 1 4-ounce can sliced black olives
For the Mashed Cauliflower Topping
- 1 16-ounce package frozen cauliflower florets
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp ranch dressing mix powder
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
For the Beef Filling
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, stirring to break up the meat into crumbles.
- When the beef is browned, add the diced tomatoes, salsa, and olives, and turn down the heat to medium-low. Simmer the filling while you make the topping. Both should finish at about the same time.
For the Mashed Cauliflower Topping
- Cook the cauliflower according to package directions. Drain it and put it in a food processor with the butter, cream, ranch powder, and parmesan cheese. Process it until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add salt and white pepper to taste.
Assembly and Baking
- Pour the beef mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and spread it evenly. Using a rubber spoonula, scrape the mashed cauliflower mixture out of the food processor and gently spread it over the filling. Sprinkle the casserole with the cheddar cheese and bake it at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted but before it begins to brown. Slice into six equal squares to serve.
- Macros per serving: 419 calories, 8 grams net carbs, 24 grams protein, 31 grams fat.
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