Italian Shepherd's Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Stir 1/2 cup of the cheese into the potatoes; set mixture aside.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef, sausage, and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir zucchini or yellow summer squash, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper into meat mixture in skillet. Bring to boiling.

Divide meat mixture evenly among six 10-ounce individual casserole dishes. Spoon mashed potato mixture into mounds on top of hot meat mixture in casseroles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. If desired, sprinkle with paprika. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.

To serve, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap; place casseroles in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.