Family Mince and Vegetable Pie

Serves: 4-6 Ready in: 11/2 hours

A good mince pie is a real family favourite. It’s easy to make and doesn’t need a big amount of mince. Metal pie dishes conduct the heat more effectively than glass or ceramic dishes which may result in greasy pastry or a soggy bottom.

If you don’t have a pie dish use the technique below for making a flat pie on a metal baking sheet.

Ingredients

  • 450g beef mince
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 tbsps plain flour
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables
  • 3 tbsps tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp mixed herbs
  • Salt and lots of black pepper
  • 3 sheets of frozen puff or flaky pastry

        Method

        In a saucepan brown the mince, then add the chopped onion and cook gently until soft. Mix in the flour then add the beef stock and stir well.

        Stir in the tomato and Worcestershire sauces, mixed herbs, mixed vegetables and salt and pepper and simmer gently, stirring frequently until thickened. Set aside to cool.

        Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a metal pie dish with the pastry sheets jig sawing them together to make a base and lid. Fill with cooled meat mixture, brush the rim with water and lay the second layer of pastry of the top to form a lid.

        Press the edges very firmly. Cut a few vents in the lid to let the steam out during cooking. bake the pie in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until dark golden. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

        or

        If you don’t have a metal pie dish then you can make a pie on a metal baking sheet. To do this:

        Cut one of the sheets of pastry in half and attach the halves to the other two sheets of pastry, pressing the joins firmly and creating 2 rectangles.Place one of the rectangles on a greased baking sheet.

        Spoon the cooled filling onto the pastry leaving a border of around 1 cm. Brush the border with water.

        Roll the over the second rectangle with a rolling pin to stretch it by a couple of millimetres so it will cover the filling. Place the pastry over the filling and press around the edges very firmly to seal them then trim them neatly with a knife.

        Cut slices into the top with a serrated knife at 1-2 cm intervals to make steam vents and bake as usual.

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