Looking for a rich, savoury dinner idea to keep you warm this season? With a little Franken-FODMAPing, this low FODMAP shepherd’s pie is ready to take its rightful place at your winter table!
At our house, it was always a treat when my mom made shepherd’s pie. In fact, it’s still one of my favourite recipes. But it can take a little creative thinking to shift from something that’s mostly onions to something that’s low FODMAP.
Fear not though, friend! I’ve done my research and made some tweaks to boot the FODMAPs, but keep the flavour you love. One of my favourite tricks is swapping out the traditional crust for potatoes! I think it gives the recipe a fun twist while also cutting out a ton of fructans.
Heads up! This recipe has a ton of ingredients, so make sure you check out my notes section for a breakdown of each item. I’ve also included some information about FODMAP stacking in there, in case you have questions.
Think this low FODMAP shepherd’s pie sounds great, but you don’t have time to try it now? Don’t worry! You can PIN THIS POST for later!
Keep it FODMAP friendly.
This low FODMAP shepherd’s pie will be the highlight of the season! Check out the notes below for tips on keeping this recipe FODMAP friendly.
First up is beef. Since beef is a protein, it doesn’t have any FODMAPs. This means you can eat as much beef as you want without adding to your FODMAP load.
This recipe also uses a large serving of carrots and potatoes. Neither of these items has any detectable FODMAPs which means you can eat them freely as well.
We’ll also be using tomato paste. According to the Monash app, tomato paste is low FODMAP in servings of 2 tbsp per sitting. They haven’t listed a maximum serving size. Our recipe uses 1 tbsp total, which is well within the recommended range.
Next up, is dry red wine. Monash has said red wine is safe in servings of 150 ml. They haven’t posted a maximum serving size. We’re using 240 ml (1/2 a cup) total. This works out to 40 ml or 1/6 of a serving per person. This is well within the recommended range.
We’re going to use a FODMAP friendly swap to give this low FODMAP shepherd’s pie its classic savoury flavour. Instead of onions, we’re going to use the green part of a leek. According to the Monash app, the green part of a leek is safe in a serving size of 1/3 of a leek. This recipe uses the green parts of 2 leeks. That works out to 1/3 of a leek per person which is right within the recommended range.
We’ll also be using a small amount of flour. If you’re in the elimination phase of the program, you’ll need to use gluten-free flour. If you’re in a pinch, you can also sub in rice flour or cornstarch.
This recipe also uses a small amount of Worcestershire sauce. According to the Monash app, Worcestershire sauce is low FODMAP in servings of 2 tbsp per sitting. We’ll be using 1 tbsp total, which is well within the recommended range.
We’ll also be using English peas. Normally shepherd’s pie recipes call for a lot of peas. But, since peas are only safe in servings of 1 tbsp person, we’ll stick with 6 tbsp total. This works out to 1 tbsp each, which is within the recommended range.
Our final ingredient is beef broth. I haven’t found a low FODMAP beef broth at my local store so I normally make my own. If you haven’t found a low FODMAP brand in your area, yet, you can use this easy beef broth recipe from Fun Without FODMAPs.
This recipe uses a ton of ingredients! If you’re worried about the items adding up and causing symptoms, don’t panic. Yes, low FODMAP foods can stack on one another and push you over your FODMAP threshold. This is an issue called FODMAP stacking. But, it only happens when you combine servings from the same FODMAP group. If you want more information on stacking and how to avoid it, check out my What is FODMAP Stacking article.
Want to try this low FODMAP shepherd’s pie? Don’t forget to PIN THIS RECIPE for later!
Looking for a savoury dinner idea this season? With a rich meat filling and a gluten-free potato crust, this shepherd’s pie will be a family favourite in no time!
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup dry red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1.5 cups leeks (green part only, diced)
- 1.5 cups carrots (peeled, chopped)
- 3 tbsp gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups low FODMAP beef broth
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (chopped)
- 2.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 6 tbsp English peas
- 1.5 lb Yukon potatoes (peeled, thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- vegetable cooking spray
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
-
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add your ground beef and cook until it’s thoroughly browned and crumbly. Add the wine and tomato paste and stir to combine. Simmer until the wine has evaporated (about 4-5 minutes). Drain the meat and set aside.
-
Wipe your pan clean, then melt the butter over medium-high. Add the carrots and leeks and saute for 4-5 minutes (until they’re tender). Add your flour and stir constantly for one minute. Then, reduce your heat to medium and stir in the worcestershire sauce, beef broth, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes to thicken, then remove from heat and set aside.
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sliced potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with a small container of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes (you may need to do 2 batches).
-
Lightly grease your pie plate with cooking spray and lay down the potato slices in a single layer with the edges slightly overlapping, covering the bottom and the sides of the dish. Spoon in your filling (making sure not to move your potato slices). Lay the rest of your potato slices over the filling and lightly brush them with melted butter.
-
Bake for 40-45 minutes (until the potatoes are tender). Once your potatoes have cooked through, switch on your broiler and let the top crisp for 2-3 minutes. Let your pie rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
To save time, you can make the ground beef mixture the night before.
If you like this post, don’t forget to share it! Together we’ll get the low FODMAP diet down to a science!
You might also like one of these:
Low FODMAP Short Rib Beef Stew Made with savoury low FODMAP beef stock and seasonal root vegetables, this hearty short rib beef stew is the perfect way to end a chilly day!
Low FODMAP Sweet and Sour Chicken Shake up your next dinner with this low FODMAP sweet and sour chicken! This combination of fresh pineapple and ginger will wake up your taste buds without hurting your tummy!
Low FODMAP Enchiladas Put a fun twist on your next taco Tuesday with these awesome low FODMAP enchiladas! Made with a homemade red sauce and savoury seasoned beef, this recipe will be a family favourite in no time!
