Easy Shepherds’ Pie I thought since we are approaching St. Patrick’s Day I would do an Irish dish. Shepherd’s Pie always makes me think of Ireland. It’s a hearty dish with origins in the England and Ireland composed of a ground meat cooked in gravy, onions, carrots, celery, and a mashed potato crust (can be top and bottom, or just top). The term “cottage pie” was used by 1791.