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cottage pie with cauliflower mash in a red cast iron pot on a white background with a red and white striped towel lying next to it
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4.72 — Votes 7 votes

Cottage Pie with Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

This cottage pie is classic comfort food! A flavorful ground beef filling is topped with silky roasted garlic cauliflower mash for a delicious and veggie-packed meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: English
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Amber Goulden

Ingredients

For the Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

  • 2 bulbs roasted garlic
  • 4 heads cauliflower trimmed and cut into florets (about 6 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter use olive oil for dairy-free
  • Cream scooped from the top of 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk about 1 cup (may also use sour cream)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 lemon
  • 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Cottage Pie

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter use olive oil for dairy-free
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • teaspoons rubbed dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth store-bought or homemade
  • 16 ounces frozen crinkle-cut carrots
  • 16 ounces frozen green peas reserve ¼ cup for the top

Instructions

For the Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Cut off the very top of each garlic bulb to expose the tips of the individual cloves. Peel away the outer papery skin, but make sure that all of the cloves stay attached to the main bulb. For cloves that don’t reach the top, use a paring knife to cut off their tops so that every clove is exposed.
  • Wrap each prepared bulb in a square piece of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped bulbs, evenly spaced, in two wells of a metal muffin tin. (This keeps them upright.) Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • To extract the roasted garlic, squeeze the bulbs or individual cloves until all of the roasted garlic is pushed out of the cloves.

Steam the cauliflower by using one of these two methods:

  • Microwave option: Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl with ¼ cup water. Cover and microwave on high for 10 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then drain. Add the butter and toss to combine.
  • Stovetop option: Melt the butter in a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the riced cauliflower. Stir to incorporate, then cover the pan. Let steam over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is cooked through.
  • Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor or blender. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the cloves into the bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients, except the chives. Blend until smooth, then set aside.

For the Cottage Pie

  • Melt the butter in a large enameled cast-iron pot or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until translucent and just starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until fragrant.
  • Add the ground beef, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and coriander and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly to break up the meat, until all of the moisture has evaporated and some pieces are starting to develop a deeper brown color. Add the tomato paste, broth, carrots, and peas, reserving ¼ cup of the peas for the topping. Stir to combine, then set aside.
  • Preheat the oven 300°F. If working in a frying pan, transfer the meat mixture to a 9 by 13-inch or similar-sized baking dish. Spread the cauliflower mash over the meat mixture. Sprinkle the top with the leftover peas.
  • Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges start to look bubbly. Remove the foil and return to the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the cauliflower topping just starts to brown.
  • Let the pie rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1265mg | Potassium: 1793mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 10600IU | Vitamin C: 173mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 5mg