Irish Beef Handpies

IRISH BEEF HANDPIES- These were amazing. You can make them in bulk and freeze them, too.

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

-1/4 head green cabbage

-3 carrots, sliced into rounds

-1/2 pound red pratties (potatoes), scrubbed and diced

-1 lb ground beef sirloin

-3 tbsp tomato paste

-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1/2 tsp dried thyme

-coarse salt and ground pepper

-all purpose flour (for rolling)

-two 9 inch pie crusts, or pastry dough. You can use store bought or easily make your own. Store-bought saves a lot of time, though.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each.Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

To Freeze: Prepare through step 2. Arrange unbaked pies on a baking sheet (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil. Place in a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 2 months.

To Bake from Frozen: Proceed with step 3, increasing baking time to 28 to 30 minutes.

I adapted this recipe from: Everyday Food Magazine, Issue 60. This dish is great because you can really add any veggie that you have. We have added parsnips, peas, and green beans before, too.