Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef or lamb
¼ - ½ cup beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup shredded cheese

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
In a large pot, steam or boil cauliflower until tender.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes.
Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until browned. Add beef broth as necessary to keep the mixture wet. Add the tomato paste, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the cauliflower topping.
To make the topping, drain the cooked cauliflower. Mash or puree with a stick blender until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cauliflower mixture and smooth with a spoon. Cover with shredded cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings; count each as 3 proteins, 2 fats and 1 restricted vegetable
Recipe courtesy of www.ovenloveblog.com