Grilled Chicken Shepherd's Pie with Low Carb Cauliflower Colcannon

That's a mighty big name for this recipe and the recipe is somewhat detailed, but it is worth every ounce of effort.  Especially if you love shepherd's pie and are on a low carb eating plan.

I have to show you my newest kitchen gadget that I bought at the class this past week.  It chops garlic and make pretty quick work of 4 cloves!  I love it!  It is so easy and you pop it right into the dishwasher (top shelf for cleanup).  It looks like a cute little robot.

Since the sneak peek photo has some of you anxious for the recipe, I'll not spend a lot of time on an intro, other than this is a low carb version of a recipe I received in an authentic Irish cooking class this past week.  It was a fun class with several tasty dishes, but hands down this one was my favorite.  So much so that I had to alter it for low carb.  The dish we sampled was made with smoked chicken thighs and the smoky flavor came through the dish.  I had grilled chicken breasts in the fridge from earlier in the week that I chopped up and put into this dish.  I also substituted the peas with asparagus and added celery.

This was my first go at making mashed cauliflower.  Up until today, I've not been fan, but this dish has won me over.  

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Grilled Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped grilled chicken
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons almond flour
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large iron skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil.  Once the onions are translucent, add the carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook another 5 minutes.

Remove the veggies off to a plate.
Add the butter to the skillet and when it is melted, add the almond flour and Xanthan Gum powder. Stir to create a roux.  Add the stock and bring it to a boil.  Stir in the mustard and tarragon and salt and pepper to taste.  Set the pan aside while you assemble the topping.

Cauliflower Colcannon

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups chopped cabbage
3 cloves finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced chives
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped bacon

Directions:

Add the cauliflower florets to a pan of boiling water and steam them until they are tender.
Put them in a colander and set aside.  Add the butter to the pan along with the 3 cups of chopped cabbage.  Cook the cabbage until it has wilted down.  Add the minced garlic and minced chives and stir.

Next, put the cooked cauliflower into a blender along with the heavy cream, adding a bit at a time to get the right consistency.  It will maybe take a little less depending on the size of your cauliflower. Just remember, you can always add more, but it's hard to take away!  Add the cauliflower puree to the pan with the cabbage along with the salt and pepper well.

Final Assembly:

Spoon the cauliflower onto the top of the chicken mixture in the iron skillet. Smoothing it evenly over the top.  

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and chopped bacon.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. 
Add a nice low carb cheddar biscuit and you've got a mighty fine supper!  Serves 6.

Yes....I did have to snitch a taste as soon as it came out of the oven!

....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!

Nutrition Info based on My Fitness Pal