A Homemade Meat Pie

The air has that fall nip to it signaling it's time to make hearty  homemade meals .One of the best is the meat pie.It's a tasty way to get rid of leftovers while providing a rib sticking lunch or dinner. - Vegans and vegetarians need not worry  - the recipe can be tailored so that's it's chock full of only veggies.Any way you make it  it's a nice hot meal,perfect for a chill autumn day.

The first thing to do is choose a crust. Does the family like those ready made meat pies?Then your best bet is a flaky pie crust. This is the best for absorbing the gravy along with providing a tasty outer shell, perfect for dipping into gravy. Puff pastry is great if you don't have time to make the exterior. You can always buy Pepperidge Farm's.it also gives a different flavor and texture to the pie, imparting a light, buttery taste with a super flaky crust, not unlike that of Beef Wellington. If you want 'a traditional shepherd's pie then use only a top crust of mashed potatoes as they do in Great Britain.The mash actually gets crusty and it's wonderful in sopping up the pie's juices. You could blend in  some chives  or the scantest amount of garlic to give it more flavor and color. Home chefs may want to think outside the box and use a cornbread crust. This is mostly used for chili pot pies or Mexican beef pies , and like the shepherd's pie crust is only layered on top. Of course the recipe should be remedied if there are gluten allergies,  Go for the paleo crust  then - a combination of ground almonds and cashews bound together with coconut oil.

What should go into a meat pie? Leftovers if you have them. Any London Broil or roast beef would be the start of a perfect filling. Many have used what was left of their holiday turkeys.Chicken can also be used and if you don't have the time, use  Swanson's Chicken a la  King  which also has peas and carrots in it. You can also make the French Canadian meat pie , tortiere with ground pork .It can also add ground veal and beef to it as well for more flavor.What about vegans? Surprisingly tofu is actually a tasty filling. You just have to use the extra firm kind  or it will get mushy and fall apart. A mix of mushrooms is another excellent meatless choice too.  Any pot pie has to have a good amount of veggies  for  added color and flavor.Most include the usual mix of carrots and peas however you can mix in some different ones such as  lima beans and spinach for variety. All fillings should be first cooked as a stew so the pies are filled with a rich  gravy. Any filled pie can be frozen and saved for another day but you have to under bake it about ten minutes and then let it cool off. It then can be stored in fridge for a few weeks,


A home made meat or vegan pie is a great chill chaser during these autumn days.Make them for the family for a nice and tasty way to warm up. They'll appreciate a ribsticking chicken or shepherd's pie after a brisk day out.