Paleo Shepard's Pie (AIP friendly)

"What? A shepard's pie with flavor? I think I could eat the whole pan!"

Yes, this recipe is literal comfort food. By taking out the unnecessary eggs, grain, and dairy, the real ingredients are able to fully shine, making this shepard's pie anything but the usual. To be perfectly honest, I have never even had a shepard's pie, and if I have, it obviously didn't leave a lasting impression. Therefore, I wanted my recipe to be different so that people would remember it as being different from anything they have ever had. 

With bacon bits, chives, and a bit of cranberries thrown into the filling, this dish has all the flavors of a turkey dinner.  Ideally, you would serve it in a square casserole dish, however, all I had on hand at the moment was a large, rectangular pan.  Either way works, however, the bigger your dish, the harder it will be to smooth out the celery root puree over your meat mixture.  In the end, this dish is great as a make-ahead meal that is easily heated up when ready to be served. Because of this, you are able to spend your evening outside of the kitchen, doing whatever it is you love most. If for you that means being in the kitchen, then make a side salad. 

Shepard's Pie (AIP Friendly) 
Print Recipe
(Serves 6-8) 
Ingredients

• 2 lb celery root (celeriac) 
• 4 tbsp lard
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb turkey 
• 1 lb bacon 
• 1 cup carrots - diced
• 1 white onion (3/4 cup) 
• 1 cup broccoli - chopped 
• 1/4 cup cranberries - chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup of beef broth 
• 2 tsbp sweet potato flour 
• Chives

Process

• Peel and chop celery root into like size chunks

• Boil in a pot of water for 20 minutes
• Once soft, drain celery root and place into a food processor.
• Puree until smooth, then add coconut milk, 2 tbsp lard, 1/2 salt, and 2 tsp garlic powder.
• Continue to process until mixture is creamed and fluffy. Set aside.

• Preheat oven to 400 dg
• Without waiting for it to heat up, put 4 slices of bacon in the oven on a baking dish, and let cook until super brown and crisp (25 minutes) *Ideally you will cook the bacon in the same dish as your pie. 
• Once the bacon is done, remove and pat dry with paper towels and set the baking dish aside. 
• While the bacon is cooking, slice the remaining bacon the short way and put in a large skillet on medium-low heat. 

• While the bacon starts to render off its fat, diced up the carrot and place in the pan with the bacon. 
• Next, finely chop up up onion and broccoli and add to the pan.
• Either chop cranberries in half or leave whole and throw into the mixture as well. 

• Once the veggies begin to soften, add turkey meat, thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp salt.
• Cover pan and put on low, allowing to simmer and sweat. 
• In a small saucepan, make a rue by heating 2 tbsp lard and 2 tbsp sweet potato flour until melted and combined. 
• Add beef stock and it let come to a boil, whisking for one minute, then pouring over your meat mixture. 
• Once fully incorporated, pour meat in the bottom of a square baking dish.
• Top with celery root puree, smoothing with the back of a wet spatula

• Chop 4 remaining pieces of bacon into bit size pieces and crumble over the top of the pie.
• Chop 1/4 cup chives and sprinkle over the pie as well.

• When ready to eat, place pie in 400 dg oven for 20-25 minutes covered with tin foil until bubbling and warmed fully through. 

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Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."