Back to basics. Meat pies.
Meat pies are a dream. They are a meal all in one making them perfect to freeze or a meal to deliver to someone. Being a whole meal they are a good one to make in small sizes for a person who lives on their own. They also can turn left over casserole into a completely different dinner for another day!
Last week I made some meat pies. Because I had a heap of potatoes I did a potato topping. I would say this is the most economical topping because the potato makes it very filling and you have more veggies per bite and less meat. BUT other times I do a pastry topping and that is beautiful too. If I do that I decorate the top a little bit to look nice.
I always use the slow cooker to make my filling. Usually this is served first for a meal as an actual casserole... the one I did last week I served with rice and sour cream. Then the next day I made up my pies.
My basic recipe is some chopped up beef or lamb, two or three onions chopped, some black pepper. No water! A can of tomato soup poured over. Later I add a heap of sliced carrots and ideally a heap of sliced mushrooms. In this case I was trying to make the meat go further so I used a lot of mushrooms! When they cook down it is hard to distinguish meat from mushrooms in the pie. I had a zucchini in the fridge... I chopped that and threw it in. By the time it was all cooked I would challenge even your junior forensic scientist child to know it is there! I added peas near the end. Mainly because my Grandkids will eat them and well, that adds more veggies. I let this cook all day as the whole idea is you have a very tender meat at the end.
Because of all the mushrooms my casserole did not have too much liquid. If you feel there is too much for a pie filling then just remove a little bit or use some gravy powder to thicken it. Remember that cup of liquid you removed is full of nutrients. Last time I did this I gave each of the dogs a little of it over dry food. You can save it to make a gravy...
I line my pie dish with puff pastry. Because I was adding mashed potato for the topping I didn't fill up the dish too much.
Once baked in the oven the mash potato becomes crisp on top and the pastry cooks... it all comes together beautifully. Of course you can make your pie family size or individual. For little kids using a muffin pan will give you child sized pies... just line your tins with non stick paper. I have a king size muffin pan that makes a pretty decent man sized individual pie. My general rule is to not make a pie too thick... it will cook or reheat easier and be more topping this way.
Another day I will show you how I make chicken pies (which can also be turkey) because they are really delicious too.
If you have any meat pie tips please share! For us the weather is cold at night right now but beautiful during the day... so casseroles and soups are good.
Have a great week! xxx
Spent yesterday going through a number of your posts on your old blog. Very helpful and inspiring! I do wish on this "new" blog that you used the same Archive method showing title of individual posts, not just a # per month. Otherwise I can't easily locate something that I want to refer to back to. I know you have Labels, but these are grouped in Categories and I still need to bump through each category to find the titles. This would be an easy change in blogger settings. Thanks for considering . Madelyne
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious! The crockpot makes it easy! I am excited to get some of these in our freezer.
ReplyDeleteA family favorite meat pie is ground beef with onions, carrots, potatoes and green beans. Cook the meat and onions and s&p and then sprinkle with flour and brown, add water to cover and cook until bubbly. Then add the cubed or sliced vegetables and simmer until tender. Cover the top with biscuits and bake at 450 for fifteen minutes. This is a good use for the wiggly carrots and old potatoes left in the kitchen from the week. Leftover green beans can just be added at the end.
My mother also topped her meat pies with biscuits--US-speak for "scones."
DeleteI love this idea!!
DeletePS: loved your idea of making pies in muffin pans. Will keep on the lookout for king-sized muffin pans too. Thanks! Madelyne
ReplyDeleteI don't make meat pies, but I do make homemade pizza pockets. Just make your normal pizza dough and roll it pretty thinly. Cut re tangles out of the dough. Put filling (I use sausage, peppers and olives) mix in some sauce and cheese till it's the consistency you like. Put some in one side of each rectangle of dough and fold over. Squeeze edges together so filling won't come out . Princeton a fork and bake for about ten minutes. They are so yummy and freeze well too. Nancy in eastern Washington.
ReplyDeleteI make a simpler version of a meat pie referred to as Shepherds Pie, with ground beef, onions, canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, grated cheddar cheese and topped with mashed potatoes. But yours looks and sounds much more savory!! Mmmm!
ReplyDeleteLaura C. (Aka: Nana C)
Terri @ BlueHouseJournal here. If I remove liquid from a pot of simmering meat, etc. I drink it! I love soups of any sort and you are quite right that liquid is full of good nutrients.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with adding mushrooms, especially to a beef dish, because you really cannot tell the difference between the meat and the mushrooms!
In one of our huge club type stores, I once bought a meat pie that was so delicious. It started with a pastry bottom, then ground meat with gravy and then they topped with seasoned mashed potatoes and cheese. It was so good! I often will do a meat pie like this now. It's very filling but not heavy.
Thank you for sharing Annabel! Meat pies are a favourite of my family.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if you’re making a gf meat pie, do you use the mashed potato topping or do you have a pastry recommendation?
Melissa
After Thanksgiving and Christmas I tend to have bits and pieces of leftover turkey and ham so I often combine these, along with some veg and a cheese sauce and then top with mashed potatoes. Delicious and a great way to use up scraps of meat.
ReplyDeleteI once had a lamb & rabbit pie from a Greek restaurant and must say, it was delicious - but those types of meat are very expensive here so not going to be made any time soon.