Cottage Pie with Horseradish Cauliflower Mash

April 29, 2018 By Whip & Wander 49 Comments

How do you define comfort food? Maybe it’s food that you grew up with that brings back fond memories (sloppy joes or mac & cheese, anyone?). Maybe it’s something that you rely on when you’re stressed or feel like you want to curl up under a mound of blankets and hibernate.

However you define comfort food, it doesn’t have to be unhealthy, ground you to the couch, “I’ll surely regret this later” kind of food. For me, comfort food is usually something warm and hearty that not only feeds the body but the soul too. It’s the food equivalent of a really good book you can’t put down or a Harry Potter ⚡ movie marathon. My Cottage Pie with Horseradish Cauliflower Mash fits neatly into this category. It bridges the gap between comfort food and food you can feel good about later.

What’s the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie?

Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb meat, specifically. Cottage pie swaps out the lamb for beef, or even turkey, if you want to be a rebel. Otherwise, they are really the same beast. Traditionally, both dishes are also topped with mashed potatoes before baking, but I prefer the easy swap of low-carb creamy cauliflower as my cottage pie topping.

Are frozen vegetables considered processed food?

Technically yes. However, one needs to consider the spectrum of processed foods. Minimally processed foods such as whole frozen fruit and vegetables, nuts, canned tomatoes, and tuna are often processed at their peak to retain maximum nutritional quality. Though I still favor fresh veggies over frozen, I don’t feel bad about making the swap for convenience because I know that the nutritional content is still clean. On the other end, heavily processed foods such as frozen pizza and pasta as well as canned soups and sauces are what I like to stay away from because they almost never offer the same nutritional quality, nor depth of flavor, as the real thing. They also often include unnecessary filler ingredients, binders, thickeners, and preservatives that don’t belong anywhere near my meals.

That being said, there are some vegetables that I never buy frozen because the texture of the end product is so different compared to the fresh version. For example, frozen brussels sprouts are pretty unpalatable to me because they always turn out mushy and over-cooked compared to the delicious slightly crunchy texture of fresh, roasted brussels sprouts. I can totally understand why so many people grew up loathing this particular veggie because I can imagine that they were probably eating the mushy frozen sprouts, rather than the tasty fresh ones. Whatever you choose to buy, check the labels. There’s a huge difference between a bag of frozen veggies that you cook with butter and herbs and a bag of frozen veggies with a preservative-laden butter and herb sauce included in the mix.

A note for special diets

This Cottage Pie is grain-free, gluten-free, and friendly for Paleo, Keto, SIBO, and Whole30 diets if prepared as written below.

But sometimes, I just want a little cheese – who doesn’t? If your diet allows dairy, this cottage pie can level-up with the addition of 1 cup of shredded white cheddar or gruyere, which I sprinkle on top of the filling right before I layer the cauliflower mash. You can also blend this directly to the mash if you prefer.