Mammy would pro’lly kill me from beyond the grave if she knew I share her recipes and tips (I was part of the very small inner circle…), but then again spreading the joy makes her immortal. You’re welcome luv!
So I never liked ‘basic’ Shepherd’s Pie -just meat, kernels and potatoes- because it tastes like dried cardboard. Mammy would make it much creamier by adding the cream corn and alphabet soup. The soup is optional -apparently…- but the cream corn has to stay to make it moist. The Flavor Smasher Blog solves the dryness conundrum with the interesting variation of making the meat gravy-like with flour and tomato paste, which I will definitely try soon.
Oh! Bit of history: Here in Québec we call it ‘Chinese Paté’, the etymology of which remains debated. Some say it comes from the cheap-to-make meal served to Asian immigrants who worked on building the Canadian railroad network in the late-19th Century, others say it was the local delicacy from the town of South China, Maine where many ‘French Canadians’ migrated for work during the Industrial Revolution.
Anthony's Basic Cookbook 