Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie With Cauliflower Mash Topping

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I’ve been playing a lot with my pressure cooker, and truly has been giving me so much joy! It has given me back so much of my time, that I actually get to sit and write (and clean, do the laundry, go to the shops, and run errands!) these days. The latest experiment I tried was to make Shepherd’s Pie With Cauliflower Mash. I was so surprised at how simple it was and it came together quite nicely. Just look at it! Beautiful, aye? And it tasted so too!

It was my first time using cauliflower to make a mash. I recently learned that potatoes are high in oxalates, which aren’t good for my kidneys. That threw me into a bit of a spin – because, potatoes!

I started by making the Cauliflower Mash. It involved roughly chopping a large head of cauliflower and tossing it into the pot, along with a cup of chicken stock, seasoned with some salt and pepper.

I manually set the pressure cooker to cook on high for 3 minutes. And when that was done, I used the quick release function to release the steam. Then I poured all the content out into a colander and quickly rinsed the pot to cook the rest of the dish in.

After draining the cauliflower, I used a stick blender to mash it all up into a consistency I was happy with. I didn’t add any milk or liquid to it because the cauliflower is ‘liquidy’ enough. It tasted great as well – that’s another good thing about cauliflower… it doesn’t need much seasoning or added flavors. This is what it looked like after I topped the dish. I did set it under the grill for a few minutes to get a nice, golden brown top.

For the pie filling, using the saute function, cook the chopped onion, garlic, and broken up ground beef just until it’s brown.

When the meat is brown, mix in a tablespoon of plain flour to thicken the sauce and create a gravy. You can add more flour until you reach the consistency you like.

Give it a bit of stir to make sure that there is nothing sticking at the bottom of the pot. You don’t want to get a Burn error!! Throw in 3 cups of frozen vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, a cup of water and seal the pot with the lid. Now manually set the pressure cooker to cook on high at 5 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare your au gratin dishes so you are ready to fill them in. There’s no need to oil or butter them in.

When the filling is done, simply scoop them into the individual dishes and top it off with the cauli mash.

I added a sprinkling of shredded Edam and some dried parsley and chives; and popped it under the grill at maximum for about 5 minutes or until I got that nice golden color.

The shepherd’s pie was served with a side salad, and the whole family loved it! Delicious!

Ready to Make Dinner?

Ingredients:

Beef Filling

2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic, peeled and minced
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
500 grams Ground Beef
1 Cup Beef Stock
2-3 Cups Mixed Frozen Vegetables (as desired)
1 Tbsp Plain Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cauliflower Mash

1 large Head of Cauliflower (rouhgly chopped)
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

*This recipe has been adapted to suit my family’s taste. Get the original recipe which includes butter and Parmesan Cheese from Happy Healthy Mama.

Instructions

Prepare the Cauliflower Mash

Add cauliflower and chicken stock into the pot of your pressure cooker. Close the lid, making sure the steaming valve is set to sealing. Using the manual setting, set the pressure to High pressure for 3 minutes.
When done, release the pressure using the quick release function. Please be very careful here!
Transfer the cauliflower into a colander and drain completely. If you can, dab a paper towel to drain excess liquid.
Using a stick blender or food processor, pulse the cauliflower under you reach a nice, smooth consistency.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.

Prepare the Beef filling

Set your pressure cooker to the Saute setting. Add in the chopped onions, garlic, and ground beef. Cook until the beef has browned.
Add 1 Tbsp plain flour and Worcestershire sauce. The sauce will thicken to a gravy.
Add a cup of beef stock and stir well. (Important: Make sure there are no bits stuck to the bottom of the pot!)
Cancel the Saute function, and put the lid on with the vent set to seal. Press the Manual function and set to 5 minutes on High pressure. When done, release the pressure slowly. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Stir in the mixed frozen vegetables in with the beef mixture.

Assemble the Pie

Now simply scoop the mix into individual au gratin dishes.
If you like, you can top it off with some shredded Edam or any cheese of your choice. Pop it under the grill on High, or you get a nice golden topping.
Serve warm and enjoy!