Paleo Cottage Pie {Gluten Free}

As much as I try to close my eyes and dream that it is already spring, winter is still very much in full force up here in Canada. When the weather becomes like this, I turn to comfort foods like this.

Now you may be wondering why it is called Paleo Cottage Pie. Paleo diet is a nutritional plan based on how cavemen ate before the introduction of grains – you eat mostly meat, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts (not for me) and healthy oils (like coconut, olive and avocado). 

Now we don’t eat completely like this in our house, but we do try our best to cut out grains and processed food when we can. I never buy bread, noodles or cereal, but we do eat the occasional homemade brownie.You’re also supposed to cut out dairy, but we eat some of this as well – I don’t think I could live without cheddar cheese.

For this cottage pie, I swapped out the traditional white potato topping for a rich and fluffy sweet potato version. It is perfectly paired with the red wine flavoured beef filling. You don’t have to eat Paleo style to enjoy this delicious comfort food.

What you’ll need:

• 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
• 3 Carrots, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 2 Sweet Potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, covered sweet potato pieces in water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 20 minutes or until soft.

Add the ground beef into the carrot mixture, and cook until brown. Drain fat and return pan to stove. Add in red wine, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and oregano. Let simmer until most of the liquid had evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spoon meat mixture into a casserole dish. Spoon sweet potato mixture on top, and smooth around evenly with a spoon. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is browned. You can also broil it for a couple of minutes before you take it out, to make it extra crispy on top.

Printable Version

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