This is a recipe my Irish aunt gave me. Her husband is Italian, and she developed this recipe to blend things they both like. It is a variation of Shepherd's Pie. For richer flavor, substitute beef broth for water in gravy.
Ingredients
- olive oil: 1 Tbsp
- bulk Italian sausage: 1 pound
- sausage drippings: 2 Tbsp
- margarine: 2 Tbsp
- apples, cored and: 2 piece (sliced)
- onion: 1 piece (sliced)
- salt and ground black pepper: (to taste)
- oregano: 1 tsp (dried)
- all-purpose flour: 1 Tbsp
- water: 1 cup
- prepared mashed potatoes: 3 cups
- margarine: 1 Tbsp (melted)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
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Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir Italian sausage until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to prepared casserole dish. Drain drippings and reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in the skillet.
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Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir apple and onion slices until tender, about 8 minutes. Place apple and onion in casserole dish with sausage.
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Lightly stir sausage, apple, and onion together; season with salt, black pepper, and oregano.
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Brown flour in reserved drippings in skillet over medium heat. Whisk water into flour until thick gravy forms, about 3 minutes.
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Pour gravy over sausage mixture in the casserole dish; spread mashed potatoes over the top with a spoon, creating peaks. Lightly brush mashed potatoes with 1 tablespoon melted margarine.
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Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are lightly browned and the sausage mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
