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Shepherd’s Pie Gets a Low-Carb Makeover

Some comfort foods just can’t be replaced – but they can be reimagined. That’s what we did with this low-carb version of Shepherd’s Pie, swapping the traditional potato topping for turnips while keeping all the savory goodness underneath.

Shepherd’s Pie has always been a favorite for my wife and me, so transforming it for our new way of eating was a natural choice. The result? A dish that keeps the comfort food feeling while fitting our healthier lifestyle.

Like many of our kitchen experiments, this one came with some discoveries. The turnip topping needed a bit of tweaking – a touch of xanthan gum to thicken it up and some garlic salt to enhance the flavor made all the difference. And of course, no Shepherd’s Pie is complete without cheese in our house – a generous topping of Colby Monterey Jack takes this comfort food classic to the next level. We’ve always preferred our Shepherd’s Pie with cheese, and this low-carb version is no exception. The melty cheese adds that extra layer of indulgence that makes you forget you’re eating something healthier.

As with any family meal, the reviews were mixed. Two of our girls and my wife gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up, declaring it ‘a keeper.’ My son? Let’s just say he was less enthusiastic about the turnip substitution. But that’s part of our family’s food journey.

We have a rule in our house: you eat what’s fixed, or you don’t eat. However, we’ve found that our ‘no thank you bites’ policy works well for new dishes like this. It’s simple – take a few substantial bites, give it an honest try, and if it’s still not your thing, there’s always the option of making a PB&J. This approach has actually helped our kids become more open to trying new versions of familiar foods over time.

Every meal is an opportunity for improvement in our kitchen. After everyone tries a new recipe, I collect feedback. My wife suggested swapping the celery for peas in the next version – a change we’ll likely try. Sometimes these adjustments are based on pure instinct, but they’re always driven by what works for our family.

Is this version exactly like the traditional potato-topped Shepherd’s Pie? No. Is it healthier while still satisfying that comfort food craving? Absolutely. And in our journey toward better eating, that’s exactly what we’re aiming for.

Description A hearty, comforting shepherd’s pie that swaps traditional potatoes for turnips, making it perfect for low-carb lifestyles while keeping all the flavors your family loves.

Ingredients For the Turnip Topping:

  • 3 lbs turnips, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Garlic salt to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
  • 2 cups Colby Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

For the Filling:

  • 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced (or 1 cup peas)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced small
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

  • Large pot for boiling turnips
  • Large skillet or sauté pan
  • 9×13 baking dish
  • Potato masher or hand mixer
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Preparation Time

  • Prep: 30 minutes
  • Cook: 45 minutes
  • Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6-8 servings

Instructions For the Turnip Topping:

  1. Peel and cut turnips into 1-inch cubes
  2. Boil turnips in salted water until very tender, about 20-25 minutes
  3. Drain well and return to pot
  4. Add cream, butter, garlic powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper
  5. Sprinkle xanthan gum over mixture
  6. Mash until smooth and creamy

For the Filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat
  3. Add onion, celery (or peas), and carrots; cook until softened (about 5 minutes)
  4. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more
  5. Add ground beef, breaking it up while cooking until browned
  6. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute
  7. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary
  8. Simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 5-10 minutes
  9. Season with salt and pepper

Assembly:

  1. Transfer meat mixture to 9×13 baking dish
  2. Spread turnip mash evenly over meat
  3. Create texture on top with fork if desired
  4. Top with shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese
  5. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbling and cheese is melted and golden

Notes

  • If mixture seems too liquid, you can stir in 1-2 tbsp of coconut flour to thicken
  • Leftovers keep well in refrigerator for 3-4 days
  • Can be assembled ahead and baked later
  • Turnips release more water than potatoes, so make sure to drain them very well
  • Feel free to experiment with peas instead of celery for a different twist
  • The xanthan gum helps achieve a thicker, more potato-like consistency in the turnip topping
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Empty Kitchen, Fresh Start: How Moving Forced Us to Ditch Processed Foods

Sometimes the most powerful changes come from having no choice at all. When we moved to Wyoming, our kitchen started as empty as our preconceptions about cooking. No familiar boxes of stroganoff, no pre-made meals, no processed comfort foods – just empty cabinets and a decision to make.

I could have easily filled those cabinets with the same processed foods we’d relied on in Utah. You know the ones – just add water, stir, and dinner’s ready in 45 minutes. But standing in that empty kitchen, I saw an opportunity. Instead of slowly trying to phase out processed foods (which, let’s be honest, probably wouldn’t have happened), we could start fresh. Right here. Right now.

Was it an easy decision to make? Not exactly. Our family had been heavy users of processed foods – ‘it wasn’t even comical,’ as I recently told a friend. Our typical weekly meal prep used to involve shopping for pre-made or nearly-pre-made meals, collecting boxes where you just dump contents in a bowl, add some milk or water, and call it dinner.

Now? Our meals look completely different. Take our recent transformation of a family favorite – Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole. The old version would have involved several processed ingredients. The new version? Fresh cauliflower instead of tater tots, real chicken, crispy bacon, and a carefully crafted ranch sauce. Yes, it takes longer than opening a box and adding water. But the flavors? Incomparable.

The biggest challenge hasn’t been the cooking itself (thanks to AI helping me transform recipes), but rather convincing the kids that these healthier versions are better than their processed counterparts. It’s a work in progress, but we’re getting there.

A typical dinner now starts with a recipe from my digital recipe box – but the process actually begins days before. Every Saturday, I plan our entire week’s menu, Monday through Sunday. This isn’t just about knowing what to cook; it’s about removing the daily decision-making and eliminating the temptation of processed foods.

Once the week’s menu is set, Monday becomes ordering day. I divide my shopping list between Walmart, Smith’s Food & Drug, and occasionally Amazon, scheduling pickup times for local stores and deliveries for shelf-stable items. This isn’t just convenient – it’s strategic. By avoiding physical stores, I eliminate impulse purchases of processed foods that might catch my eye on the shelves. No more wandering down the boxed dinner aisle and thinking ‘well, maybe just one for a busy night.’

Instead of boiling pre-made noodles for beef stroganoff, I’m searing fresh beef, crafting the sauce from scratch, and serving it over vegetable noodles. Yes, the 45-minute box meal has become a labor of love that takes longer, but the planning system makes it manageable. When dinner time arrives, there’s no question about what we’re eating or whether we have the ingredients – it’s all been planned and procured with purpose.

This advance planning has given me an unexpected gift: time. Those daily minutes (or sometimes hours) once spent staring into the pantry or refrigerator, trying to piece together dinner or running to the store for last-minute ingredients? They’re now freed up for other pursuits. I find myself with more time for writing, keeping up with household tasks, playing games with the family, or working on projects that had been otherwise pushed to the back burner in our previous life. It’s ironic that taking more time to cook has actually given me more time to live.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Sometimes having no choice is the best choice of all. Starting with an empty kitchen meant we couldn’t fall back on old habits. There were no familiar boxes calling our names from the pantry, no processed shortcuts tempting us during meal prep.

Would we have successfully transitioned away from processed foods if we’d tried to do it gradually in our old kitchen? Honestly, probably not. The convenience of those boxes, the familiar tastes, the easy routines – they’re hard to break away from when they’re right there in your cabinet.

But an empty kitchen? That’s an opportunity. An opportunity to fill it with purpose, with whole foods, with new traditions. Sure, dinner takes longer to prepare now. Yes, there are still nights when I miss the simplicity of adding water to a box. But watching my family eat real, whole foods, knowing exactly what went into every meal? That’s worth every extra minute.

Sometimes the best changes in life come from having no choice but to leap forward. Our empty Wyoming kitchen turned out to be more than just empty space – it was an empty canvas, ready for a whole new way of feeding our family.

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