A little history lessen on the next recipe..(to be posted soon!)

For over two hundred years, Shepherd's Pie has been made by cooking chopped up lamb or mutton mixed with gravy, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked until a crispy crust forms. When made with beef, this dish is traditionally called Cottage Pie.

Variations

Though in modern day recipes it is considered standard to use mashed potato as a topping, traditionally it was served with slices of potato layered over the meat filling which, when cooked, looked like the tiles of a cottage roof. This is thought to be how the dish got its name.

The cumberland pie is a version with a layer of bread crumbs on top.

In Ireland the dish is commonly called shepherd's pie even when containing beef.

In Scotland a crofters' pie is similar but the crust is made of both mashed potato
and mashed "neeps" (Swede).

In the United States a similar dish is called cowboy pie.
In New England the most common recipe for shepherd's pie consists of ground beef, kernel corn, mashed potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup.

In English-speaking Canada, the dish is referred to as shepherd's pie, even with a beef filling.
In Quebec, a similar dish is called pâté chinois (literally, "Chinese pie").

In France, a similar dish is called hachis Parmentier.

A vegetarian version can be made using soya or other meat substitutes (like tofu), or legumes such as lentils or chick peas.

In Jordan, Syria and Lebanon a similar dish is referred to as "Siniyet Batata" (literally meaning a plate of potatoes), or "Kibbet Batata".

In Russia, a similar dish is called "Картофельная запеканка" (Kartofel'naya zapekanka, or "potato baked pudding").

A similar British dish made with fish is a fish pie

In Chile a similar dish is called pastel de papa (potato pie).

In Argentina a similar dish is called pastel de carne (meat pie)

In the Dominican Republic this is called pastelón de papa (potato casserole), it has a layer of potatoes, one or two of meat, and another of potatoes, topped with a layer of cheese.

In Australia, the dish is often made with left-over roast lamb