The climate here in Northern California has suddenly turned arctic. Alright, the highs are still in the 70s and 80s, but I’ve started craving satisfying grub that warms me from the inside out. The other day, I grabbed Julie and Charles’s aptly titled cookbook, Paleo Comfort Foods, and found a recipe for Farmer’s Pie that perfectly fit the bill!
Farmer’s Pie is an adaptation of cottage pie, a rich ground beef stew topped with fluffy mashed spuds. This Paleo-friendly casserole is topped with mashed cauliflower and it’s gluten-free to boot!
Since I’m working graveyard shift this week, I divided the cooking process into three parts that I spread out over two days. Each cooking session lasted less than 20 minutes of hands-on time, which is just the right amount for my lazy ass. When I served it for dinner tonight, I was able to savor it ‘cause I wasn’t exhausted and frazzled from slaving away in the kitchen.
Wanna see how I tackled this recipe? Follow the jump!
The night before I served Farmer’s Pie, I whipped up a batch of mashed cauliflower with a jumbo head of purple cauliflower…
…and stored it in the fridge.
When I came home from work the next morning, I fried up three pounds of 4505 Meats’ grass fed ground beef…
…added the veggies…
…and seasoned the filling. In my version, I added some chopped mushrooms, spinach, and a splash of Red Boat fish sauce.
I scooped up the meat & veggie filling…
…and plopped it in a 9 x13 Pyrex baking dish…
…before I stashed it in the icebox.
When I woke up in the evening, I preheated the oven to 400 F and took the two containers of mashed cauliflower and meat filling out of the fridge.
I spread the mashed cauliflower on top of the beefy goodness…
…and dotted the purple “frosting” with pats of butter.
I placed the dish on a lined baking sheet just in case it bubbled over in the oven.
After 45 minutes in the oven, the farmer’s pie was piping hot and ready to eat.
The savory beef, veggie, and mash combination was so satisfying PLUS the dish fed at least six hungry adults.
Buy Julie and Charles’s Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook (and Bill and Hayley’s Make It Paleo) if you haven’t already!
