Mini Beef & Cheese Pies for Dad
There’s something about a homemade pie that feels very Dad.
With golden pastry, rich beef filling and a little pocket of melted cheese in the middle, we thought these mini Beef & Cheese Pies would be a lovely one to make for Dad this Father’s Day.
After all, often it's those homemade gifts that feel the most special - and he'll probably talk about them for years to come!
Ingredients
- 500g puff pastry
- 10g (1 tbsp) butter
- 50g onion, finely diced
- ½ clove garlic, finely chopped
- 40g carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 250g beef mince
- 12.5g (about 1 tbsp) butter
- 25g flour
- 137.5ml beef stock
- Small pinch curry powder
- 15ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 15ml (1 tbsp) tomato puree
- Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 90g tasty cheese, cut into 30 x 3g cubes
- 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
Method
Roll pastry to 1.5–2mm thickness. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut 30 rounds for the tops. Using an 8cm straight-sided cutter, cut 30 rounds for the bases.
Gently press pastry bases into greased pie dishes, making sure the pastry touches the bases and sides. Prick the pastry bases with a fork. Rest in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes while making the filling.
Melt the first measure of butter in a heavy-based frypan. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.
Add carrot and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same frypan, sear the beef mince until just cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the roux.
Melt the second measure of butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes.
Slowly add stock, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Add curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat for 2–3 minutes.
Add mince and stir well to combine. Remove from heat, add vegetables and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Cut each cheese cube in half. Place one piece of cheese into the base of each pie.
Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling on top of the cheese, then top with the second piece of cheese.
Moisten the underside of the pastry tops with water and place on each pie, wet side down. Roll over the sides to enclose the filling.
Brush tops with egg wash and rest pies in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes.
Prick each top 3–4 times with a fork to create air vents.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.