Watson - Savory Meat Pies & Pastries: Main Dish Dinner Meals!

Copyright 2015 S. L. Watson

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A meat pie or savory filled meat pastry is an economical and easy way to use leftovers or to create hearty meals. You can make the dishes from just about anything. The whole family will love meat pies and turnovers. The variations are endless. Meat filled turnovers are great to keep on hand in the freezer and for eating on the go. Kids and teenagers love these hand pies.

With over 90 recipes, you will find any number of main dish pies or savory filled turnovers to please your family. Also included are our favorite hash recipes. Hash is great for a quick and hearty meal using leftovers.

Having prepared pie crust or dough on hand in the freezer will allow you to make a quick and easy meal in no time. I have included 3 of my favorite crust recipes for savory pies or turnovers. All the crust recipes freeze well and are easy to make.

Some of the pies use a different crust. A cornbread or crouton crust is easy to make and will be a nice change of pace from a pie or puff pastry crust.

This recipe is for one 9 pie crust. Double the ingredients if you need a double crust pie. This is the only recipe my mother used and it is wonderfully flaky. This pie crust freezes well.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening, chilled

1/4 tsp. Salt

Ice water

Directions

In a bowl, add the all purpose flour and the salt. Chop the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Add the lard or vegetable shortening. With a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter and lard into the all purpose flour.

The butter and lard pieces should be very small and no larger than a small pea. Add just enough ice water to bring the dough into a ball. You don't want to add too much ice water. I usually add 1 tablespoon in the beginning and then 1/2 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the dough consistency I need. This will be a soft dough unless the butter and lard are still very cold.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead a couple of times. You don't want to handle it too much but just enough to form a good dough. Wrap plastic wrap around the pie dough and refrigerate for one hour before using. The dough needs to be cold when you roll it out. It is imperative the pie crust be cold before placing the crust in the oven.

The butter and lard when cold will fluff up and create the flakiness we love in a beautiful pie crust.

If you need a baked pie crust unfilled, place the pie crust in a 9 pie pan and bake about 12-15 minutes at 350. I prick the bottom of my pie crust several times with a fork. This ensures the pie crust will not puff up when baking.

Makes 3 pie crust

This dough freezes well so keep it on hand in the freezer for quick meals. This is the crust I use for most all meat or vegetable pies and meat turnovers. You can substitute a regular pie crust, puff pastry or frozen pie crust if desired.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 egg

1/3 cup water

1 tsp. vinegar

Directions

In a mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until well combined. Add the vegetable shortening and cut the shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender. You should still be able to see small pieces of the shortening when done.

In a small bowl, add the egg, water and vinegar. Stir until well combined. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. The dough should leave the side of the bowl and form a ball.

Divide the dough into thirds. To make a pie crust, roll one dough piece out to a 11" circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the crust in a 9" pie pan and trim and flute the edges as desired.

To use a baked crust, preheat the oven to 450. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown.

To freeze the dough, you can roll out the pie crust and place in a disposable pan to freeze or freeze the dough as a ball. Place the dough in a heavy duty freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Allow the dough to thaw before rolling or baking the pie crust. Bake the crust as directed above.

You can use puff pastry for a meat pie, turnover or quiche crust if desired. You can also use store bought puff pastry if desired.

Puff pastry is not hard to make but it does take time. Puff pastry sounds more difficult to make than it really is. Keep puff pastry on hand in the freezer for a quick meal.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup ice water

Directions

Lay two sheets of waxed paper on your work surface. Cut two tablespoons butter and set aside. Keep the 2 tablespoons butter cold in the refrigerator.

Lay two sheets of waxed paper on your work surface. Place the remaining butter in a bowl. Using the back of a spoon, mash the butter until the butter is pliable. Place the butter between the sheets of waxed paper. Roll the butter out to an 8 x 6 rectangle that is about 1/4" thick. Place the waxed paper sheets on a baking pan. Chill for 1 hour.

Place the flour and 2 tablespoons butter in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until you have coarse crumbs. Slowly add the ice water and mix only until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly flour your work surface. Place the dough on the work surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

When the dough has rested, roll the dough to a 15 x 9 rectangle about 1/4" thick. Take the waxed paper sheets with the butter out of the refrigerator. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Invert the butter on half of the rectangle. Remove the final sheet of waxed paper. Fold the remaining half of dough over the butter. Seal the edges by pressing the edges with your hand. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and chill for 1 hour. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to a 15 x 9 rectangle about 1/4" thick. Make sure the dough is an even thickness. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough into thirds. Turn the dough halfway and fold into thirds two more times. You should now have 9 layers of dough.