Pasties--A Meat Pie for Pi Day

Most of my cooking is done within my comfort zone.  Granted, my comfort zone is pretty broad thanks to my life experiences, but still.  It's not my typical style to make a dish when I've never even tasted anything remotely similar to it before.

However, I am a lifelong learner and I love my spouse.  And my spouse, to his credit, is a sucker for a book with pretty pictures.  So a long time ago, when he presented me with America: The Beautiful Cookbook by Phillip Stephen Schulz and asked me to make him pasties like he ate while growing up, I reached outside my comfort zone and gave it a shot.  He's glad I did.  I'm glad I did.  The kids are glad I did.  And you will be too.

Since that first episode many years ago, I've traveled up to the Upper Peninsula and tried a real pasty.  I've grown quite comfortable making them, and because pasties are a frequent visitor to our table I've even branched out a bit.  Today I wanted to share my basic pasty, because we've got a cow in the freezer, carrots, onions, and some potatoes that are not getting any younger.  When I have turnips from my CSA farm share they always appear in this dish, though the primary impetus was a good deal on pie crusts from Aldi.

Yes, Meghan says that this one is an easy crust.  Julie says that this one is an tasty crust.  Alanna says that this one is the best pie crust. You ladies are pie crust rock stars.

I am still scared about the whole 'cut in chilled butter' thing, too many opportunities for failure there, so for now, if I can buy pie crust for 99 cents I'm going to stock up.  Besides the fact that Pi day is right around the corner, I know that pie crust freezes just fine and with my unexpectedly defrosted fruit and vegetable freezer (see my FB page for the Lemons to Lemonade details) I had room to store.

For 150 some other food blogger recipes using ground beef, please see my Ground Beef Recipe Round Up. For other recipes using carrots and potatoes, please see my Carrot Recipes Collection and my Potato Recipes Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient.

2018 Pi Day Update: I made a video today while making our supper. Check out how I make my pasties!

Pasties, recipe adapted from America: The Beautiful Cookbook (I swapped meat, vegetables, and added seasonings in addition to NOT making my own pie crust)

enough pie crust for a double crust pie (Your choice--homemade or store bought.  I don't judge.)
1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup chopped carrots (I had 2 large carrots)
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped peeled potato (I used 3 potatoes)
2 to 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon steak seasoning (I had Omaha today)
1 tablespoon vegetable soup base (you could use beef, I have this in the fridge)
butter
cheddar cheese

If your oven takes a while to preheat, preheat it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit now, and let your chilled crust warm up a bit so you can work it without breakage.  In a large skillet (with a splash of oil), brown the ground beef over medium heat.  Drain fat, then add onions and bouillon cube to the ground beef in the skillet (otherwise the silly things never dissolve for me!).  Sauté until onions are softened.
(At this point, preheat your oven if you didn't a little while ago)
In a large bowl, stir beef, onions, carrots, potato, and spices until thoroughly mixed.  On a plain ol' piece of parchment paper, lay out one crust.  Fill with half of the beef mixture, then fold the crust over and crimp the edges.  Repeat with the other crust (see photo below).  Stab a couple of slits through the top of the crust.  Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet and place in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and stick a little pat of butter into those crust holes you stabbed earlier (what? you thought it was for venting?  Everything's better with butter!).  Serve with a hunk of cheddar cheese and a beer, eh.

Are you a lifelong learner?  What have you cooked out of your comfort zone?

This post is shared with What's Cookin Wednesday at Buns In My Oven, What's In The Box at In Her Chucks,  Taste and Tell Thursdays, the Farm Girl Blog Fest at Let This Mind Be In You, the Clever Chicks Blog Hop at the Chicken Chick, Carole's Chatter and Foodie Friends Friday.