Today has been one of those days where I have been running around like an absolute loony. The car has been in for a service, it was parents evening for the youngest and the oldest has 4 dance classes. Still for only the second time this year, the sun was out, and although it was freezing, I managed to get out for an ickle run with the dog.
As I have been on the go all day, I needed something that would be filling enough to fuel all my galavanting, but portable enough to just eat on the fly without needing a plate or anything.
These hand pies are from foodfanatic.com and although they seem to use a lot of ingredients, they were really easy to make. I threw all the filling ingredients into the slow cooker this morning and the pies were ready to assemble after I got home from work at lunchtime. The measurements do make LOADS of filling, so make sure you have got lots of pastry - I now have loads in the freezer for the future - which makes me feel all efficient and warm inside :)
Beef and Vegetable Hand Pies Recipe
These Beef and Vegetable Hand Pies make for a hearty snack and/or appetizer any time of the year, but especially on St. Patrick's Day!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- clove garlic, minced
- 1 large red onions, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup parsnips, diced
- 1 cup russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 1/2 cups green cabbage
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup guinness beer
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 4 pie crusts
Directions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute or until just fragrant. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to become soft. Add parsnip, potato and cabbage and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until potatoes and cabbage begin to brown. Add ground sirloin and stir, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until it is evenly browned; about 5 more minutes.
To the pan, add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes or until tomato paste begins to take on a golden hue. Pour in Guinness and beef broth; cover and allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash the mixture slightly. Allow the beef mixture to cool slightly while you prepare the crust.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make sure oven racks are positioned in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the first pie crust until you have about a 14 inch circle. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut rounds out of the dough, re-rolling the dough as needed. You should be able to get about 12-15 rounds out of each pie crust. Repeat with remaining pie crusts. Keep small rounds of dough under a slightly damp kitchen towel until ready to use.
Assemble the Pies:
Place a heaping tablespoon (close to two tablespoons) of beef mixture in the center of one dough round. Using a wet finger, lightly wet the edges of the dough. Place a second dough round on top of the mixture and gently press dough around and down to meet the bottom crust. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges of the two dough rounds together, sealing in the beef filling. Repeat with remaining dough rounds and beef filling. Place assembled pies on prepared baking sheets. Using the sharp tip of a pairing knife, make three small slits or vents in the top of each pie.
Bake pies for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating sheets half way through baking time.
Notes
- Get all of the dough rolled and cut into rounds and keep it pliable under a damp kitchen towel. This allows you to work in an assembly line fashion and get all of the pies made quickly.
- These pies freeze beautifully. If planning to freeze the pies, complete pies all the way through the assembly, but do not bake. Place unbaked pies on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching one another, and freeze until firm about 1-2 hours. Remove pies from the freezer and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Place foil wrapped pies in freezer bags and freeze up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, simply place frozen pies on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 27-30 minutes.
- Extra beef and vegetable filling makes a perfect baked potato topping for a quick and easy meal.
