Life in Stepping Stones

This past weekend it was my husband’s birthday and our 5 year old son was determined to make him something with baked beans in it. I managed to talk him out of a baked bean cake (yuck!) and go forward with a delicious baked bean and beef pie recipe instead! Being a Kiwi, Gwith’s favorite food is meat pie and he can only find them at a few rare places in the USA, so I love surprising him with a meat pie at home when I can.

I am pleased to say this recipe turned out to be a hit with him, and thanks to Schar’s puff pastry, it can also be made gluten-free too!

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes on 400F

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 package of ground beef
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp flour (for gluten-free, use 1 tbsp of King Arthur Gluten Free Flour Blend)
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 can of vegetarian baked beans (about 500g)
• salt, to taste
• 2 sheets puff pastry dough (for gluten-free, use Schar Puff Pastry Dough)
• 2 potatoes, mashed with butter and seasoned to liking
• 1 handful grated cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, for egg wash

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to bake at 400F.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the carrot, onion, garlic, curry, and cumin. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high before adding the ground beef. Fry the meat and stir until it is brown.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, flour, and beef stock. Mix and add the baked beans.
4. Season with salt.
5. Cook potato in the microwave. Once cooked, mash, without skin, with butter and water. Season mashed potato to liking.
6. Roll out puff pastry dough and cut dough to size of pie pan. Cut enough pieces to cover the bottom of the pan(s) and a layer for the top(s).
7. Lay the puff pastry on the bottom of the pan(s).
8. Pour meat mixture into the pastry dish. Top with mashed potato and grated cheddar cheese.
9. Lay the top layer of puff pastry.
10. Brush egg wash over the top to give it a shiny finish.
11. Bake until lightly golden for approximately 15-20 minutes.