Preheat your oven to 375° F
IF using onion, heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat, mince and sauté in a Tbsp of unsalted butter.
Heat cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add sausage to pan first and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beef. Stir all to combine, adding salt, pepper and a generous sprinkling of garlic powder and onion powder to the meat, stirring again to combine. Allow to continue cooking until browned and cooked through.
Remove from heat. In a 8x8 casserole dish, add meat to the bottom layer.
On top of the beef and sausage mixture, spread one can of sweet corn kernels and one can of creamed corn.
Add a thick layer of mashed potatoes to the top of your corn, spreading evenly. Use as much or as little as you like here. It really all comes down to personal preference. I like a lot of potatoes, so I make sure to lay it on thick. :)
Add a couple of thin pats of unsalted butter to the top of the potatoes and a sprinkling of smoked paprika for added flavor, if desired.
Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet (to avoid any potential messes) and pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
Once cooked through and bubbling, turn your oven to broil and allow the shepherd's pie to form a nice crust on top, no more than 3-4 minutes. This is completely optional, but a step that adds a lot of flavor and a nice crusty top.
