Miniature Meat Pies

miniature meat pies, Taste of Home August 2010

 I have been looking back at my older posts and realized it may be helpful to have a picture of the end product at the beginning so that you know whether or not it looks good to you so that you don't have to scroll down to find out if it is something you want to try out.  Let me know what you think.  Also, in the past, a number of people have told me they really like when I show a picture of the list of ingredients.  Sometimes I am in way too much of a hurry to be able to set everything up for this and my family could care less about a blog when they are hungry!

Some time ago I posted how to can ground beef.  Although not necessary, this is a great meal to use that in.

Here is what you will need:
Filling
1 pound cooked ground beef
1/2 cup chili sauce (I left this out of mine because I didn't have any, but it would have been good)
2 tablespoons onion soup mix (I used a whole package to make up for not having the chili sauce)
Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vinegar

Here is what you do:

Mix the filling ingredients and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 1 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds if desired, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cut in 1 cup shortening and 3/4 cup cheese until crumbly.

Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough in half; roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with a lightly floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter.  Place half of the circles 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  (This actually made almost a whole 2  trays, or 30 pies)

Top each with a rounded tablespoonful of beef mixture; top with remaining circles.  Moisten edges with water and press with a fork to seal.

Bake at 425 for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve immediately; or cool, then place in a freezer bag.  Some of my family liked to dip theirs in sour cream, others in ketchup.

To use frozen meat pies place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 14-16 minutes or until heated through.  These have been handy to have on hand for a meaty snack.

Homemade Pie Crust

We are having chicken pot pie tonight for dinner, so I thought what better time to show how I make the crust.  This recipe was given to me by my husbands aunt.  It tastes just like what I have been making for 20 years, but is so much easier to make in my opinion.  It also makes 5 crusts at once which is nice because you can freeze them and it still tastes just as good.  It comes out nice and flaky no matter how much you handle it.  I hope you give it a try.

So here are the list of ingredients:  4 cup white flour, 1 3/4 cup shortening, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 cup cold water.

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and shortening with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.

Mix together the egg, vinegar and cold water.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the water mixture into it.

Stir it up until it cleans the sides of the bowl.

Using floured hands, form the dough into a ball and put unto a floured surface.  Divide the dough into 5 equal parts.

Thats all there is to it!  Use it in any recipe that calls for pie crust.  It will roll out to make a standard 9" pie.  Any dough that you do not need within a couple of days should be wrapped in plastic wrap and put into a freezer storage bag and stored in the freezer.  Allow approximately an hour for it to defrost before using.