Sept. 29--There's something infinitely charming about individual pies, something that never fails to elicit a sigh of pleasure. Though each equals a serving from a larger pie, having a little pie all to yourself seems somehow extra-special.
Make those little pies savory, and you'll have something new and interesting for lunch or supper. Size them as directed here for a main dish, or make them smaller for cunning little appetizers.
Either way, these little pies will please everyone at your table.
Robin Mather is a senior associate editor at Mother Earth News and the author of the memoir and cookbook "The Feast Nearby."
Individual tourtiere
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 pies
A tourtiere is the traditional French-Canadian meat pie served on Christmas Eve, but it's far too good to serve only once a year. In a pinch, substitute 2/3 cup mashed potato flakes for the cooked-and-mashed potatoes, but don't skip the potatoes because they help the pies' filling hold together and drink up the filling's juices. For the pastry dough, use your favorite pie crust recipe or store-bought.
1 tablespoon each: butter, olive oil
1 large onion, grated
2 pounds lean ground pork
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground clove
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup mashed potatoes, about 1 large baking potato, cooked and mashed
Pastry for a 2-crust pie
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and oil. Add the onion; cook, stirring, until onion is translucent. Crumble in the ground pork; cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well-browned and no longer pink.
2 Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon, clove, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix in the mashed potatoes. Set mixture aside to cool.
3 Roll out pastry dough; cut out eight 6-inch circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Fit 4 circles into deep-dish muffin tins or individual pie tins, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch pastry overhanging. Divide filling among cups; cover with remaining 4 pastry circles. Pinch edges to seal, then flute the pastry. Cut vents into top pastry, then brush with beaten egg-cream mixture.
4 Bake until pastry is well-browned, 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven; allow to cool slightly. Using a fork, pop pies out of muffin tin. Serve immediately, or allow to cool and freeze.
Nutrition information per serving: 1,130 calories, 74 g fat, 24 g saturated fat, 211 mg cholesterol, 64 g carbohydrates, 51 g protein, 1,799 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Swedish meat pies
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 8 pies
These little hand pies are rich and filling, requiring no special equipment. The dill and sour cream signal their Scandinavian origins. Carry a couple for a satisfying lunch, or serve them for dinner with a brightly dressed salad alongside. For the pastry dough, use your favorite pie crust recipe or store-bought.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, grated
1 pound each: ground beef, ground pork
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pastry for a 2-crust pie
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet; add the grated onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Crumble in the ground beef and ground pork; cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and no longer shows pink.
2 Remove from heat; stir in the sour cream, cheese, dill, salt, allspice and black pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
3 Roll out the pastry dough; cut into eight 6-inch circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Place 4 circles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; brush the margins with the egg-cream mixture. Place 1/3 to 2/3 cup filling slightly off-center on each circle, then fold the pastry dough over to cover, creating half-moons. Fold and crimp the edges to seal, then cut a vent into the tops of each pie. Brush with remaining egg-cream mixture.
4 Bake until the pastry is well-browned, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature and freeze.
Nutrition information per pie: 646 calories, 47 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 133 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein, 936 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Little lamb pies
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Makes: 4 to 6 pies
This is an extremely simplified version of the Lebanese sfeeha, using store-bought frozen bread dough to speed up the making. If you'd like, substitute any bread dough recipe that calls for 3 to 4 cups flour, or makes a loaf that weighs about 1 pound.
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 large onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon each: salt, ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed
1 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pine nuts; cook, stirring, 3-5 minutes. Crumble in the ground lamb; cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and no pink remains.
2 Remove from heat; add mint, honey, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
3 Roll the dough out into a large circle; cut into four to six 6-inch circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Place the circles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place 1/3 to 2/3 cup of the lamb mixture in the center of each circle. Mentally divide the circles into thirds, and fold each third up and over the center of the filling. Pinch the sides together to seal, forming a tricorn shape. Brush the pies with olive oil.
4 Bake until the pies are well browned, 35-45 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze for later.
Nutrition information per pie (for 6 pies): 482 calories, 23 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 46 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 855 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
