Paleo Shepard's Pie
2# ground beef
2 onions, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, stem removed & chopped
1 pound carrots, peeled & sliced
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp dried thyme
2 medium heads cauliflower
3-4 Tbsp bacon grease
Garlic, salt, black pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth
Paprika to garnish
Crumbled bacon to garnish, optional
1. Brown ground beef with onions & minced garlic in a large heavy skillet. Add chopped kale and continue cooking until kale is tender. Add additional cooking fat (coconut oil) is beef is lean. Spread evenly in a 9x13" baking dish.
2. Using the same skillet, melt the 2 Tbsp coconut oil and sauté the carrots over medium heat. When carrots are beginning to soften, add thyme. Continue cooking until carrots are tender. Spread carrots over beef in pan.
3. Chop raw cauliflower into medium sized pieces and then process in the food processor until it looks like rice. Melt bacon grease over medium low heat in the same large skillet. Add cauliflower rice and sauté until translucent and soft. Using your food processor, purée the cauliflower with chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. I went heavy on the garlic (used powdered as I ran out of fresh). Spread over top of carrots in the baking dish, sealing edge to edge to hold moisture in. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. You could optionally top with crumbled bacon. I felt the bacon drippings have enough flavor and didn't cook more bacon.
4. Bake at 350*F for 45 minutes. If the cauliflower mash is too runny, bake 10-15 minutes longer. Mine was perfect after 45 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
