Meat Pies (bridie, pasty...)

These little meat pies are called many different things, have many variations & you can alter the filling in a million ways!  And do NOT think of Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd when you hear 'meat pies'. :D The little pies I baked may not LOOK fantastic, but they are delicious.  I have not perfected pie folding, so bear with me. 

This makes approx. a dozen. 
For the filling, in a pan, heat a tblsp. cooking oil and add one to 1-1/4# ground round.
Saute for 5 minutes and then add 1/2 cup minced onion and a clove of minced garlic, 2 shredded carrots, 1/4 cup shredded green pepper.
Stir and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes until vegetables are soft and meat is totally cooked. Drain completely.

Add 1 heaping tsp. beef base (comes in a jar - it's like a bouillon paste and MUCH better!!), 1/2 tsp. Trader Joe's 21-season salute (or all-season like Ms. Dash), 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt, 4 Tblsp. worcestershire sauce.  Pour 2/3 cup water over everything and stir. If it looks like there isn't enough liquid (you don't want it swimming in water!), add a tad more.  Cover and simmer for an hour.  If you like vegetables (like peas, potatoes, turnips), add them mid-cooking time.

In a small cup or bowl, stir together 2 tblsp. flour and enough COLD water to make a smooth paste.  Add to the pot - stir to thicken the meat/gravy.  Once it's thickened, taste & adjust seasonings if needed.
Cool down until the meat isn't steaming hot - it won't work if you put hot meat into the cool pie crust.

Heat the oven to 400º.

Have pastry ready (enough for a 2 crust regular pie), rolled out and divided into 10-12 equal pieces.  You can cut these in circles (then add filling and fold over) or squares (same thing, but make triangles).

Put a Tblsp. (or more) of filling into the centers of each pc. of pastry.  Fold the top half of the pastry over the filling, pressing down the edges to seal.  You can crimp it with a fork.

Put on ungreased baking sheets, leaving a little space between each meat pie.  Bake for 18-24 minutes, until the crust turns golden colored.  

Remove from the oven and cool on racks.  

Pumpkin Pie (diabetic no-sugar & regular versions)

This recipe is made for a diabetic diet (no crust, no 'real' sugar & VERY low carbs!). You can EASILY adapt it and make a regular pumpkin pie by preparing your favorite (unbaked) crust. Make the filling exactly the same but use regular sugar instead of Splenda. Then bake it @400* degrees the first 15 minutes - lower the oven temp to 350* and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, until the center is cooked.

Spray a 9" pie plate with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350* degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine and mix together well:

1 15 oz. can of solid packed, cooked pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie FILLING)
3 lightly beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup Splenda (OR sugar)
1 teasp. ground ginger
2 teasp. ground cinnamon
1/8 teasp. ground cloves
1/8 teasp. ground/grated nutmeg

***NOTE*** Trader Joe carries a DELICIOUS seasonal spice mix called "Pumpkin Pie Spice" - I add a tsp. of it to the above spices... it's a blend of different spices along with dried citrus peel. If you don't use it, no big deal.

Mix everything well and then slowly whisk in milk until thoroughly incorporated:

1- 12 oz. can evaporated milkPour into prepared pan. You can leave the pie 'as-is' or crush a couple cups of walnuts & scatter them around the edge of the pie before baking.


Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

* IF YOU USE A GLASS or DARK- COLORED Nonstick PIE PAN, REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE 20 DEGREES - otherwise it'll overcook and burn!

Chicken Pot Pie

This will make one very large pie (or 2 small ones).
Have ready:   pie crust (for a single crust pie)
(make your own, or use a purchased pie crust)

2 cups of cooked, diced potatoes
1 cup cooked, diced carrots
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup cooked peas
(you could also have cooked, chopped green beans or any other vegetables you enjoy ready to add)

1 roasted chicken- season it up well, roast it, then take the skin/bones off & chop/shred the meat. (Or have ready, 3-4 cups cooked chicken... boneless, skinless breasts can be poached or grilled for this but roasted chicken is more tender).

For the sauce, in a 2 qt saucepan, melt 6 Tblsp. butter and saute a medium chopped onion & 1 cup of diced celery over low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted & soft. Add 2 heaping Tblsp. flour, mix and continue cooking for a few minutes. Slowly pour in 3 cups milk, whisk to incorporate everything and raise the heat to medium. (Add a splash of Sherry if you like that flavor.) Add a Tblsp. of chicken 'base', a half teasp. ground pepper, a good pinch of salt, half tsp. thyme, dash of cayenne, Tblsp. chopped parsley (add any other seasonings that you like) - whisk everything together and continue to whisk as the milk heats and thickens. When it begins to simmer (being careful not to let the heat get TOO hot or it'll scorch), continue to stir and slowly stream in a cup of heavy (whipping) cream. Taste - test for seasoning and add anything 'missing'.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken and all the vegetables. Slowly spoon in MOST of the sauce & then carefully mix it together, making sure you don't mash up the vegetables. If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit more heavy cream and stir. Use all the sauce, if needed.

Spoon the mixture into greased pie pan or baking dish. Roll and cut the crust to fit the top & crimp the edges. Make a few slits on the top to allow steam to escape.

Beat an egg with a Tblsp. of water. Lightly brush a bit over the crust before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 40-50 minutes. Cookl at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Cookies & Cream Pie

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup finely crushed Oreos, 4 Tblsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  
Grease a pie pan. Press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of it - bake for 10 minutes (to set). Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together:
1 large package (or 2 small) Jello instant pudding, vanilla flavored
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

add:
1- 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese (regular or light)
fold in:  
16 oz container (thawed) Cool Whip
1-1/2 to 2 C. coarsely chopped Oreos

Spoon into the cooled crust.  Sprinkle some extra crushed Oreos over the top. Chill for several hours before slicing.

Stoner Pie

When you suspect your company is going to be all glassy eyed and wanting to listen to Jimi Hendrix here is something that might just hit the spot.

Ingredients
1 lb Ground Beef
3 cups diced potatoes (1/2 inch cubes)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 recipe Artie's Pizza Crust 
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
Prepare Filling
Cook potatoes in boiling water for 10 - 12 minutes till just tender.
Drain

Season and Brown Ground beef in 12 inch skillet till cooked.
Drain
Add potatoes to meat in skillet and mix in cheese
Prepare Crust
Cut off 1/3 of doughball and set aside covered.
Roll out remaining pizza dough big enough to insert into a 9" square baking pan with plenty of overlap.
spray inside of baking pan with cooking spray
lay out rolled dough in baking pan. 
Roll out original 1/3 of dough large enough to cover pan when filled.
Fill Pie
Spoon entire meat / potato mixture into baking dish and spread evenly
Cover pie with rolled out cover crust.
Bring edges together and pinch and bunch them until whole pie is sealed
 Using Fork, Write the number 420 across the center of your pie.
Bake in preheated 450F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 3 to 4 Stoners with (The Munchies) or 3 to 4 growing boys.

  

Fudge Truffle Pie

If you're craving chocolate, THIS is for you!! It's quick and easy to make too!!
For the best result, use a GOOD quality chocolate (like Ghirardelli).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees - 325 degrees if you're using a glass pie plate. Spray a pie pan lightly with nonstick spray.

Melt (and cool slightly) a 12 oz. package of semisweet chocolate chips. Instead of smearing up a bowl, I spread the chips out on a large, heavy paper plate and microwave it until it's just barely melted.

In a mixing bowl, combine and mix well, using a wire whisk:
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Stir in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie dish.

If you want some EXTRA chocolate, stir in a handful (or 2) of mini semisweet chocolate chips! 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the OUTER half of the pie is a bit puffy, but center is still slightly soft. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

Serve with freshly whipped cream. Garnish with raspberries or other berries, if you like. Keep refrigerated.

(Chopped, toasted nuts can also be added when you add the chocolate to the batter before baking.)