Kitchen Adventures 13.2

When someone says "down home cooking," people can have different ideas. For me, it makes me think of casseroles, roast, potatoes, and veggies. Normally meat and veggies combined comes in the form of pot roast and veggies. However, I found a pie recipe, similar to a chicken pot pie, that is quite delicious.

This dish took some effort, mainly because I ended up with way too much food for my cooking dish. You really do need a deep pie dish or a skillet for this one. I ended up using my pie dish for part of it and baked the rest of the filling wrapped up in the remainder of the crust. That turned out pretty well, too, which just proves mistakes can be delicious.

This recipe is another one from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef'
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 c. dark beer
8 ounces shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cool
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 T. butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and potato in a large skillet, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then let cool.
2. On a floured surface, roil 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch round. Place this in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet or deep pie dish. Roll the remaining pastry into an 11-inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture into the skillet/pie dish. Lightly brush the edges of the crust with some egg wash, then place the second pastry sheet on top. Press the edges to seal, then trim to a 1/2-inch edge.
3. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Brush the top with the egg wash and cut an "X" in the top. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bake for 45 minutes. Tent the pie with foil if the crust darkens too quickly. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes when done.