I love making pies. When I was little, I remember being in the kitchen with my grandmother and watch her make pies on different occasions. The sight of her making the pie crust from scratch with her delicate hands feels somewhat soothing to me. And when I became older enough to handle my own pastry from scratch, my soothing theory was instantly validated.
These cute little pies are similar to the traditional shepherd’s pie concept, except for the rich and buttery pastry cases that holds the meat and potatoes together. You can be really creative here and add any filling you want. Take this to your loved ones or your neighbors. If you’re are living somewhere really nice and warm right now, then take this out to your picnic. Or if it’s freezing outside, then eat this by your fireplace. I packed mine up in a container and took it to the movies. It was pretty darn romantic, really.
Pie Crust
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold butter cut in cubes
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup ice water, approximately
In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Then add in the cold butter and rub in with flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add in the egg yolk and enough water to make the dough cling together. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
Wrap in plastic and let it rest in refrigerator for half an hour or until you’re ready to use. Roll out pastry dough on floured surface. Cut out twelve 3 1/2 inch rounds using a glass or pastry cutter; then gently press the pastry into the greased muffin pan.
Spoon the filling into the pastry cases and then top it with the mashed potato topping.
Bake pies in a preheated oven on 350F for 30 minutes or until the crust and the potato tops are nice and golden. Allow the pies to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Meat Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup of chopped red onions
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of carrots, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white button mushrooms, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 bay leave
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Then sauté the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and mushroom together with some salt and pepper. Once the onions and carrots start to soften, add in the ground beef and cook until well browned. Then add the flour and continue to cook further for a couple of minutes. Now, add in the broth, worcestershire sauce and bay leave. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow it to simmer until the meat sauce starts to thicken. Allow the filling to cool down before making the pies.
Tip: you can also make this ahead of time and freeze it until ready to use.
Potato Topping
5 large potatoes, peeled and cut
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup of light cream or whole milk
Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salter water. Bring it to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and mash the potatoes. Mix in the butter, cheese and light cream. Whip the potatoes with an electric mixer on medium speed until nice and smooth. Season it with salt and pepper.
I can eat 7-8 of those..so cute looking:) Thanks for this beautiful recipe.
Oh! These little pies look so good…love the idea of topping it with potatoes…love small bites 😉
What scrummy pies! so comforting looking. A great combo.
Cheers,
Rosa
Beautiful, I love a good pie – fancy or plain its all the same to me, just love ’em. Something about the rich buttery pastry & meat. These look a treat too – what a great idea bringing them off to the movies, bet that drove your theatre companions wild with the aromas floating over to them huh 🙂
These are a great idea for weekend brunches.
I could imagine making these ahead of time and heating them right before guests arrive. Thanks for the tasty inspiration ;o)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
This is on the menu for my next family gathering. Slam dunk. Thanks for sharing!!
These are adorable… like mini shepherd’s pies!
i hate when i think maybe someone only posted a comment because they wanted me to click back on a link to their blog, but seriously, these would be so cute with my latest post about these mini pecan bites because they’re also something you bake in mini muffin tins. yum.
I love the potato topping. Very cute!
Your little pies look delicious! What a great idea to make them mini! Even better that they can be made ahead!
Awww….I love mini-food. 🙂 These look really good- I’d have to opt for the fireplace, because it’s really cold outside!
I’ve made plenty of sweet mini pies before, but never savory. This is such a wonderful idea, and these look absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing these and inspiring me. You are such a talent in the kitchen!
These remind me of Cuban “Potato Balls”, but even better because I have never liked the idea of deep frying mashed potatoes. A pie crust is the perfect little answer to this dilemma. YUM!
Your crust looks so delicious. I just had my first experience with phyllo dough last night, and it was NOT pleasant. I’m glad someone had a nicer time with their crust.
Hello, again! I wanted to let you know that I’ve awarded you a “Stylish Blogger Award” via my blog! Congrats!
These are so adorable…no one would be able to resist them. 🙂
Love readiing your post with memories of your grandmother; great sound and looking recipe that I know would be appreciated in this house; thanks.
They are so cute and look so delicious! Definitely a great idea and I’ll have to try them sometime. Lol like really soon because they look so good! I love mini pies!
These look so wonderful, I’d love to try making these. So nice that they are associated with such lovely memories.
*kisses* HH
These look absolutely adorable and delicious!
Not only do I love making savory pies but I LOVE making individual savory pies. These are so cute and luscious versions of a Shepherd’s Pie!
Our grandmothers knew how to make perfect piecrusts!
I love pies. These meat and potato ones look fantastic!
You made my days with these. Going on vacation and meeting friends. I get to cook whle there are I might just make these….soooo cute
Yum, what cute and delicious little pies!
Those little meat pies look scrumptious!
Those would go quickly! They look so cute and the filling looks tasty too. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Great party food.
Mmm these look SO delicious! Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!
I am hungry just looking at these! They look and sound delicious…and dangerously bite-sized. 🙂
I love the mini size of them, and the potato topping is a lovely thing. These must have been hard to resist!
Why on earth have I never thought of doing that? I am teaching two classes in the next couple of weeks where we are making butternut squash galettes. I am afraid people will be nervous pleating the dough but no one is afraid of muffin tins, right? I’m afraid I won’t have enough time to test the recipe, but I’m totally hanging on to this idea for another day.
delicious savouries to snack on
I love this idea. Taking them to the movies is really a romantic idea:D
These are gorgeous! Do you submit your photos to foodgawker or tastespotting? If not, you really should–your photography is beautiful!
Ooh, those little pies look wonderful. So comforting and tasty! I bet they are a great take-to-work lunch too. Yum!
These are adorable! I love the mini pie crusts. And the possibilites are absolutely endless. I’ve had limited luck with pie crust thus far but perhaps I’ll have better luck with the miniatures? 🙂
little mini meat pies!!! i can’t think of any cuter way to eat. thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
These are so cute! They look so tasty too, with that delicious filling!
These pies look so scrumptious! I love how they are bite sized…perfect for parties and get togethers! 🙂
Oh my! Those just look heavenly. What a fabulous idea for comfort food.
Aren’t mini pies the best? I’ve been making them again and again these past few weeks, but I’ve yet to try anything savory. This needs to change! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. May the middle of your week be full of joy and laughter.
Ooo, those are SO cute! And I love the height of the mini pies, it makes them look so elegant…
I love the way you turned this family-style dish into elegant individual servings. So pretty!
Oooh innate portion control! Now that is very clever when it comes to pie (which are so moreish like these babies look!) 🙂
I rarely use the word “darling” but these are darling little pies!
what a great idea! I think that they would be delicious served at a brunch. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! So beautiful! I might use this crust recipe this week and do a quiche or something…they’ve been on my mind! Great work as always!
This would be wonderful for a party! I do love the bite-size portability and they do have a cute factor too 😉
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your lovely comments! I happened to have an extra ball of pie crust in my fridge looking for a good home. I may have found it here – these sound delicious!
Everything tastes better in mini form. Those pies sound fantastic.
MMmmm this looks like a little shepherds pie! So cute and handy for a quite nibble on-the-go, or a great appetizer!
oh heavens! These look amazing! I’ve only had meat pies a few times, and am finding myself becoming obssesed with them!!
God these have my stomach growling.
Those look dangerous. I think at least 8 would jump in mouth before I even knew what happened!
How delicious and adorable (I can’t help but think anything in “mini” form is precious)! I love your take on the traditional shepherd’s pie!
These look so yummy and comforting! They would be great for brunch or an appetizer.
Soothing to make, comforting to eat. They look delicious! and even better, they’re mini!
I don’t think I have ever wanted to reach into the computer and grab a pie as much as I do now!!!!!!
These look dangerously delicious! Beautifully done and your photos are fantastic. Lovely blog!
Well hello! Thank you for saying hello to me, and I’m glad you did. I haven’t made a pie in a very long time, and I really love pies, like yours, with the high crusts…. I love the contents, but I go straight fro the crust every time.
What a fantastic idea! They are the best looking shepherd’s pies I ever seen!
Your little meat pies are delicious and so cute – perfect for appetizers or brunch. Shepherd’s pie never looked so good!
I’m not a pie maker, but I’ll be I could make these. Very, very creative!!
Kristi
Gorgeous, gorgeous little pies. My husband always buy pies for lunch from the bakery up the street, and I’ve been wanting to make some for him instead. This is a sign, I tell you.
These are darling! And now I know what to do with my Costco bag of potatoes!
These little pies are sooo cute! I really like your potato topping, which is delicious by itself!! As I don’t eat meat I would probably replace the meat by a mushroom filling, but, yum, this potato filling is really a tempter 🙂
I must admit I’ve never eaten meat and potato pie in the movie theatre before, but after reading your post, I’m going to! Yes, I’m all for the romance of feeding a loved one with little bites of these pies. What an adorable idea!
Those are so stinkin’ cute! And to top it off, they sound absolutely delicious. Great ida!
These are precious. What a creative way to serve Shepherd’s pie. My mother always made homemade pie crusts and the smell from the oven when pies were cooking was divine.
Thanks for stopping by kitchen. You’ve got a great website and I’m having fun looking around. It’s my pleasure to meet you.
Sam
I love mini bite sized food. These would be great appetizers!
omg these are genius! I love them and will diffinitely make these xo
These little pies are so cute – and they look delicious, too!
What a delicious meal! These pies look so tasty. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful inviting photos. Your mini meat pies really look scrumptious.
These are so adorable and wonderfully creative 🙂
These look insanely good! What a treat for munching on at the movies!
I cannot wait to try these out! Your pictures look super delicious! Perfect weekend food for all ages!
My dad loves shepherd’s pie, and I think he would love these, too! I might have to make them for Super Bowl Sunday. Thanks for sharing!
Great super bowl idea!
I love these little potato pies! Almost like a little Shepard’s pie. Adorable & delicious in one – my kind of recipe! 🙂
I love the idea of packing this little beauties up for a picnic!
Your table is my happy place!!!! I want a whole tray of those. Literally the whole tray. I’m sooooo making these soon.
Happy Monday!
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What’s For Dinner
I actually have everything I need to make this which means I need to make this. Tonight. Dinner!
wow! these look fabulous. even better that they are in individual portions. so cute!
Oh these are too cute. I need them.
your pies look so delicious, I wish I have one right now, you are such a clever girl!!!
I absolutely love these, have made open faced ones and added lots of gravy over the melted cheese… these look grand with the potato in them! Will diffinitely be adding that next time!