Healthy, Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie

Summary: Until my vacation in the Chesapeake Bay last week, I would have assumed that shepherd's pie was a gluten-free dish by default.  Apparently not.  That experience alone, however, did not inspire me to post this recipe.  What put me over the edge was when I searched for a recipe the ratio of meat to veggies was insane; most recipes treated vegetables like a seasoning or even a garnish.  So, I had to post a healthier, more balanced version of the beloved shepherd's pie recipe so that everyone could enjoy this dish more often.

Make this dairy-free byomitting the sour cream and substituting in Rice Milk and a dairy-free version of Smart Balance margarine.

Ingredients

• Potatoes - lots
• 1/2 to 3/4 lb Ground Meat (beef, lamb, etc.)
• 1/4 c. sour cream (optional)
• 1/2 c. cream or milk (substitute rice milk if needed and add a tablespoon of Smart Balance butter if you like)
• 1 med/lg onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb Carrots
• 1/2 lb Peas (fresh or frozen)
• 6-8 oz mushrooms, chopped (baby bella, button, etc)
• Worcestershire sauce Beef broth (optional)
• Corn Starch (optional)
• Oregano
• Goya Adoba seasoning
• Fresh ground pepper
• Paprika (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil a large pot of water with a few dashes of salt for potatoes
2. Peel and dice the potatoes (1 sq. inch pieces)
3. Heat large skillet on high heat
4. Once hot, add ground beef and stir to break up while browning Season with Goya Adobo
5. Once beef is half browned, add chopped onion and stir to mix in and cook evenly
6. Add oregano (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
7. Add a little more Adobo seasoning
8. Add carrots and stir in to cook evenly
9. Add peas and stir in to cook evenly
10. Add mushrooms and several splashes of Worchestershire sauce and stir to incorporate
11. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes stirring a few times
12. Add beef broth and stir Mix tablespoon of beef broth with 1/2 to 2/3 teaspoons of corn starch and slowly add to skillet while stirring to incorporate evenly
13. Reduce heat to medium and stir for a couple of minutes to thicken evenly
14. Turn off heat for skillet Strain potatoes and return to empty pot
15. To potatoes, add Goya Adobo, sour cream, cream, and ground pepper then smash or whip
16. On a large baking dish, empty the skillet of meat and veggies and smooth evenly
17. Evenly spread the potatoes over the meat and veg. mixture
18. Sprinkle paprika over the potatoes, just enough to give a little color
19. Broil on high on the rack second from the top for 15 minutes, but pull out before potatoes start to brown
20. Serve hot in wide, shallow bowls or plate

I welcome your comment below if you like this recipe, tried it, or have suggestions for improvements.  

Contributed by:  Dayce Schrieber

My allergy-free recipes on my blog EverydayIcook.com