Pate Chinois (French Canadian Shepherd’s Pie)

This literally translates as 'Chinese Pie', although it is by no means a Chinese dish.The oral history behind the dish is that it was prepared by the Chinese railway workers in Quebec, and the recipe was adopted by the locals.
This is a traditional French Canadian dish that is cheap, easy to make and tastes delicious.

Pate Chinois (Shepherd's Pie)
about 35 minutes cook time
serves 4
350* oven
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion
1 Tbsp oil plus 1 Tbsp butter or hard margarine
salt and pepper, to taste
1 or 2 (384ml, 14oz) cans of creamed corn (to taste) mashed potatoes : about 5 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed with milk and butter (or mashed in your favourite way)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Heat oil and butter/margarine in a large skillet or frying pan. Add onions and cook until clear, stirring frequently. Add the ground beef, cook until browned and no longer pink. Put into a 1.5 or 2 qt casserole dish. Pour the creamed corn over top of the beef. Drop the mash potatoes on top and cover bottom layer completely, sealing to the edge of the casserole dish. The potato topping should be about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. Bake for about 35 minutes, until potatoes are turning golden and the corn is heated.