Mini Beef Pot Pies
Add a touch of elegance to your St. Patrick's Day feast with these Mini Beef Pot Pies. Tender beef, hearty vegetables, and rich gravy are nestled beneath a flaky, buttery crust, making for a savory and satisfying treat. Perfectly portioned and beautifully presented, these individual pot pies are sure to impress your guests.
Equipment
- Ramekin or mini pie pans
- Large cookie cutter (I used a 4.5” cutter)
- Mini cookie cutters for cutting out shapes in the pie tops
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry brush
- Paring knife or small sharp knife
Ingredients
- Pie crust 2-pack (I used store bought)
- 1 egg lightly beaten w/a small splash of water or milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1-2 tablespoons for rolling
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 lb. stew meat
- 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup sweet potato cubed and roasted
- 1/4 cup almond or regular milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Instructions for the Meat Filling:
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, saute the meat until browned. Add salt and pepper.
- Add 2 cups of water, bring to a simmer on low heat and stew with a fitted cover for 2 hours.
- Strain and set aside.
Instructions for the Vegetable Filling:
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the broth until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
- Stir in the meat, peas, corn, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
Instructions for the Pie Crust:
- Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a ¼” thickness. Using the large cookie cutter, cut out 4 circles, then re-roll and continue this process until you have 16 round dough circles (between the 2 pie crusts included in the package). (see notes for alternative method)
- Blind bake: To prevent a soggy bottom take your pie pan or ramekins of choice and flip them over. Take 8 of the pie dough circles, press them in between your fingers to stretch them a little bit more. Then, drape them over the bottom side of each of the pie tins or ramekins, gently stretching them, as needed. Using the fork tines, gently poke the bottom of the dough being careful not to poke all the way through. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Carefully pull them out of the oven and carefully take off the bottom of the pan and set aside (they should have enough crisp to hold their shape).
- Flip the pie pan or ramekins over and place each of the pie crusts inside each pie cup.
Instructions for the Assembly & Baking:
- Brush lightly with the egg wash and fill with approximately a 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the filling (depending on the size of your bottom crust).
- Lightly brush more egg wash around the perimeter or edge of each crust, and gently stretch 8 more pie dough circles in your hand before placing over each pie in the pan.
- Press gently around the perimeter as you go to ensure the egg seals it and using the back tines of the same fork, press along the perimeter to create a design of your choosing.
- Using the paring knife, cut slits in the tops in the design of your choosing and brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash.
- Bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Allow a few minutes to cool slightly and enjoy!
- **See alternative methods in the notes below.**
Notes
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute the meat for a block of extra firm tofu. My favorite way to eat cubed tofu is crisped up in the air fryer!
- If you don’t have a cookie cutter, roll the pie crust into a ball, then roll out into a snake like shape and divide equally into 8 pieces. Then roll each of those pieces out to the same thickness and follow the remaining steps for baking.
- Alternative pie crust method: If you prefer less crust, you could also skip the blind bake and scoop the filling into individual ramekins or oven safe bowls and just place a circular shape pie crust on top.
- Storage and reheating instructions: These pot pies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and reheated in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes, or in the oven/air fryer at 350F for 5-7 minutes.
- Make ahead or meal prep: These pot pies can be placed in a freezer safe container and freeze until desired. Once you are ready to eat, you should be able to reheat them directly from the freezer either in the air fryer at 350F.
- For a richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of milk.