Ashley's Meat Pies
Simple, delicious meat pies that are extremely easy to make but packed with flavor.
Simple, delicious meat pies that are extremely easy to make but packed with flavor.
- Carbohydrate 2.48074768131238 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.00184427283653846 g
- Fiber 0.0215054380343511 g
- Protein 0.0311273888221154 g
- Saturated Fat 0.000390847355769231 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (61g)
- Sodium 317.259172643448 mg
- Sugar 2.45924224327802 g
- Trans Fat 0.000424585336538461 g
- Calories 10 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Brown the beef and sausage together in a skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat, extra juices in a colander. Place drained meat in bowl and set aside to cool.
- Pour onion soup packet and water in a 2 qt. saucepan with 4 tablespoons of flour and bring to a boil.
- Add garlic powder, pepper and sugar and stir to combine. Let gravy cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes.
- Scoop 1/3 cup of cooled gravy and mix into browned meat. Then, add another 1/3 cup of gravy and stir to combine, being sure to evenly coat the filling.
- Lay out a piece of wax paper or parchment paper on counter top. Open canned biscuits, and separate, one at a time as you go.
- Use your fingers to gently spread and stretch biscuit, pressing outward from the center to the rim of dough. It should be about 3-4 inches wide.
- Scoop out a little less than 1/4 cup of meat and gravy filling and place it in center of biscuit dough.
- Gently fold one side of dough over the filling and press it against bottom side. Crimp the edges of the dough with a fork to ensure that it is sealed and does not leak during baking.
- Place pies on greased baking sheets, about eight per pan. Brush tops with beaten egg with a pastry brush.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown on tops and bottoms*
Adding boiling gravy directly to hot, freshly browned meat creates a soupy interior that destroys structural integrity before the dough ever hits the oven. Temperature management dictates the success of hand-held pastries. Ground beef and sausage release significant rendering fats during browning; failing to drain these liquids in a colander results in grease pooling inside the biscuit dough, preventing proper starch gelatinization. Cooling both the cooked meat and the thickened onion gravy separately reduces internal steam generation, which is the primary cause of bottom crusts blowing out prematurely during baking.
Achieving Structural Integrity in Hand Pies
Flattening refrigerated biscuit dough requires working outward from the center while leaving a thicker perimeter to support the heavy filling. Pressing too thin at the crown causes tears when the meat and gravy are added. Crimp edges firmly with a tined fork, pressing downward until the layers compress into a cohesive seal. Brushing the exterior with a beaten egg wash promotes the Maillard reaction, yielding a deep golden-brown finish through protein and sugar browning at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rotate aluminum baking sheets halfway through the 15 to 20 minute baking cycle to compensate for uneven localized heating elements in standard kitchen ovens.
- Substitute turkey sausage or plant-based crumbles directly into the meat mixture without altering the flour-to-liquid thickening ratio for the gravy.
- Use parchment paper rather than wax paper on the countertop to prevent the stretched biscuit dough from sticking during the assembly phase.
- Store unbaked assembled pies on a parchment-lined tray in the refrigerator for up to two hours before brushing with egg and baking.
