Hot and flaky, these savory hand pies are such a wonderfully cozy treat to warm up with on a chilly day. Prepared with a rich and saucy beef filling, simmered with diced potatoes and vegetables, tucked into store-bought puff pastry and baked until golden, these delectable hand pies are a comforting grab-and-go lunch, or light dinner!
Hand Pies with a Savory Slant
As the days turn cooler, my appetite turns to warm, cozy recipes that offer lots of comfort to my soul...
Rich, hearty stews, hot soups, creamy pot pies, and flaky hand pies begin to beckon with their slow-simmered aroma and simple, earthy ingredients that thoroughly warm the belly—they feel like love in food form!
These savory hand pies are a delicious, new treat that my husband and I have been enjoying lately...
The simplicity of the ingredients and the preparation makes these hand pies a fantastic offering as a light meal anytime we're craving a bit of extra TLC.
Prepared with a rich filling of ground beef, diced potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, peas and a sprinkle of fresh thyme enveloped in good quality, store-bought puff pastry, these golden, flaky hand pies are a deliciously hot, rustic little morsel to cozy up with!
My Recipe for Savory Hand Pies
Seeing as I'm a big fan of store-bought puff pastry sheets, I love finding various ways of using them for not only sweet presentations, but savory ones as well.
These savory hand pies are a terrific use for puff pastry, because they offer a semi-homemade slant to this comforting offering, and make the process nice and easy without the added preparation of a homemade dough.
All that's required is the simmering up a savory and delicious beef filling until thick and rich, and then spooning that filling onto large squares of puff pastry, topping with another large square of puff pastry as if you were making a small pie, then sealing things up and baking until golden and flaky!
Here's a glance at my savory hand pie recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I prepare my beef filling and allow that to simmer until the potatoes and veggies are tender, and the sauce thick and rich. Then, I allow the filling to completely cool. (Preparing the filling the day before baking these is ideal for this.)
- While the filling cools, I allow my puff pastry sheets to thaw, and then roll them out and cut into a total of 16 large squares.
- To assemble the savory hand pies, I spoon some filling into the center of a puff pastry square, top with another square of puff pastry to create a rectangular “pie”, then press the edges to seal it closed, creating a little hand pie “package” (you can use a fork for this).
- I cut a couple of small slits into the top of each hand pie, and chill them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Then, I egg wash each hand pie and bake them for roughly 24 to 26 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Recipe
Savory Hand Pies
by Ingrid Beer
Hot and flaky, these savory hand pies are brimming with a rich, saucy filling of ground beef, diced potatoes, veggies and fresh thyme!
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Yield: 8 hand pies
Nutrition Info: 690 calories (per hand pie)
Prep Time: 20 minutes (does not include cooling time for filling)
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio lean to fat)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 level tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock or broth
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into ¼ -½ inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup green peas
- 2 (17.3 ounce) packages puff pastry sheets, frozen
- 1 egg, whisked for egg wash
- Flaky salt, optional garnish
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients (except for the puff pastry sheets—keep those frozen) according to the ingredients list above.
- Place a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven oven medium-high heat, and add the butter and the olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add in the onion, carrot, celery, plus a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper, and saute the veggies for a few minutes until just softened.
- Add in the garlic, and once aromatic, add in the ground beef along with the Italian seasoning, the white pepper plus a couple more pinches of salt and pepper, and use your spoon or spatula to crumble the beef into a fine consistency, cooking it for a few minutes until no longer pink.
- Next, add in the tomato paste along with the Worcestershire sauce and stir that into the beef mixture, then sprinkle in the flour and stir that in to blend well.
- Add in the beef stock or broth, followed by the diced potato, and stir to combine. Cover the pan and allow the filling to gently simmer just until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thickened, roughly 25-35 minutes.
- To finish the filling, add the thyme leaves, the chopped parsley and the peas, and stir to combine. Check to see if any additional salt or pepper is needed, and allow the beef filling to completely cool.
- Once your filling is nearly cooled, take your puff pastry sheets out of the freezer (you should have a total of 4 sheets), and allow them to thaw at room temp, roughly 40 to 45 minutes (if the pastry sheets thaw before your filling has cooled, place them into the fridge to keep cold.)
- When the puff pastry sheets have thawed, place one sheet at a time in front of you on a work surface. Roll the puff pastry sheet out to a size that is 10 by 10 inches, and cut it into 4, 5 inch squares. Place the squares onto a wax or parchment paper-lined sheet tray to hold while you repeat the process with all of the puff pastry sheets, placing more parchment paper or wax paper between layers of squares as needed to help prevent sticking.
- Once all of your puff pastry sheets are rolled and cut into 5” squares (you should end up with 16 squares in total), then place about 4 squares at a time in front of you. Add about ½ cup of the beef filling to the center of each square, forming it so that it is a slightly rectangular shaped mound, leaving some border to allow for sealing.
- Wet the edges of the filled square with a touch of water, and place another puff pastry square over top, covering the filling as if you were making a pie. Press the edges together (you can use a fork for this), then trim any excess edge to create a smaller “package” or rectangular parcel. Place onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or use two baking sheets, if needed), and repeat the process by assembling the rest of the hand pies. (You will have a total of 8 hand pies once assembled.)
- Once assembled, cut 2 to 3 small slits or “vents” into the top of each hand pie, to allow steam to escape while they bake. Then, place the hand pies into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill.
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- Once chilled, brush some egg wash over each savory hand pie, sprinkle with a small touch of flaky salt, if using, and bake them for 24 to 26 minutes, or until a deep, golden brown.
- Allow the hand pies to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before eating, as the filling will be very hot.
Tips & Tidbits for my Savory Hand Pies recipe:
- Ground beef, or your favorite ground meat: I'm going for a classic beef hand pie here, but feel free to substitute your preferred protein. Ground lamb, pork, turkey, chicken, or even sausage can work well here. You can even make these vegetarian by using a meatless “ground beef” crumbles to create that texture without the meat.
- Russet potatoes for a bit of added starch: Diced russet potatoes are great in this filling, as they add a bit of natural starch which aids in thickening the filling and sauce. When you dice them into small, ½ inch cubes, the potatoes become tender fairly quickly, in about 25 to 35 minutes.
- Prepare ahead for convenience: To make the process quicker and easier the day you'd like to serve these hand pies, you can prepare the filling a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge. Then, just spoon the cold filling into your thawed, rolled, and cut puff pastry squares, seal, chill, egg wash, and bake!
- Tasty sides to serve alongside your savory hand pies: If you'd like to keep things light and simple, then a green salad with spicy greens is a terrific accompaniment to these hand pies. But for a more comforting and hearty side, opt for these creamy mashed potatoes—they're so good!
Craving more cozy, rustic comfort food? Check out this Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping, these Beef Goulash, this Hungarian Red Potato Goulash, this Sausage Soup, or this Beef Barley Soup!
Suzanne
Can these be frozen?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Suzanne, they can! To freeze, simply leave them in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes during that "chill" step, and once fairly frozen, then wrap each individually in plastic wrap and place into a large, zip-top freezer bag to store.
When ready to bake, just follow instructions as per the recipe. You'll egg wash them, sprinkle on some salt (if using), and then bake directly from the frozen state (do not thaw). You may need to add a bit more time to the baking, maybe 5 to 10 minutes, since the filling will be frozen. If they begin to brown too much, loosely cover with foil during the final minutes.
Hope you enjoy!
Bjk Kayser
Nummy IN the tummy
Connie
Turned out great!
Ingrid Beer
Terrific, Connie! 🙂
Heather
I am so excited to serve these Christmas Eve! I just made the filling ( which is DELICIOUS) and plan to freeze them for easy. Thank you for this great recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Heather, I love that you're making these for Christmas Eve! May you and your loved ones enjoy them, and have their bellies warmed by them. 😉
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Kiara
Hi I'm going to make these tomorrow Lord willing, the recipe calls for 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press,I don't have a garlic press unfortunately, can I use minced garlic instead of so how much would I need to use? Thank you so much and God bless
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kiara, no problem!
I'd say about one (generous) teaspoon worth. Sometimes the pre-minced garlic isn't quite as strong as when fresh cloves are pressed or minced, so use your discretion. If you are a fan of garlic, you could even use a couple of teaspoons, or use less if you like it milder in flavor.
Hope you enjoy, Kiara...happy cooking! 🙂
Daniella Shaw
Hi Ingrid, hope you are doing well. I love your new photo! These hand pies look amazing! Can’t wait to try them. I love that they can be frozen for those busy weeknights.
Wishing you and your family all the best. 💗
Dani
The Cozy Apron
Hi Dani, thanks so much, we were craving “freshening” up the site a little! 😉
Always happy to see you here, sending love & joy your way. Hope you & Jeff enjoy these if you end up preparing them! ♥️
Breck
Tried this recipe for dinner last night and it is fabulous! Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Breck, fantastic! Very happy you enjoyed, and thank you for taking the time to share your experience with me.
Sion
Followed the recipe exactly a written, and these were delicious! Between cooling the filling, pastry thawing, assembling, and pie chilling, my total time ended up being closer to 3 hours but it was WELL worth every minute. Will definitely be making these again.
The Cozy Apron
Sion, I'm so happy to read that you're enjoying these cozy little hand pies! Thanks for taking some time to share your experience with me.
Barb Starr
I made these on the weekend, added some extra seasoning (paprika, cumin, chili powder & cayenne) they were delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hi Barb, fantastic additions! So glad you enjoyed these. 🙂
Janina
These are delicious! I made the filling yesterday and baked them today using rough puff pastry from scratch. I see a lot of these being stashed in my freezer for a quick, delicious meal. 🤤
The Cozy Apron
Janina, that's really impressive... puff pastry from scratch? Not easy, so congrats on doing it yourself! 🙂
It made my heart happy that you enjoyed the recipe. Making that filling the day before really does help make things easier the day of serving, so kudos on that.
Happy baking to you, and may you enjoy these pies all season long!
Keri
If I want to make them ahead, can I store them in the fridge for a few hours?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Keri, absolutely! Just make sure that the filling is completely cool when you spoon it in. Then just seal up the pies (I'd wait to egg wash them until just before you bake) and keep 'em in the fridge, nice and cold, until you're ready to bake them.
Hope you enjoy!
Keri
Thanks for the super speedy reply! I already made the filling last night so it is cold. But I want to now make up the pies to cook tonight.
Talia
I’d it really 912 calories per hand pie, or is that maybe (hopefully) an accident?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Talia, I appreciate your question!
Since I had someone else ask that question previously, I decided to go back and double check the calorie count, and found there was a mistake. So, good news! It is not 912 calories, but 690. 🙂
I made that correction, thanks for bringing it to my attention. Happy cooking!
Jon
I'm still trying to figure out how long I need to bake these?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jon, step 13 under the recipe instructions provides the bake time (24 to 26 minutes). 😉
Ceecee
Do you have the nutritional information for these lovely pies?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Ceecee, we currently offer the caloric info for our recipes, which can be found in the recipe section under nutritional info.
Becky
First time making, left them in the freezer for about and hour and half before baking. Didn't change anything in regard to baking time and they were perfection! Will definitely make these again.
The Cozy Apron
Fantastic, Becky! Thanks so much for sharing your experience freezing these. 😉
Jackie
Why do you make a "rectangular" shape with filling? The pictures of your pies look like squares! The recipe is intriguing and I will be making them as an alternative to shepherds pie.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jackie, how fun that you're planning on trying these out as an alternative to shepherd's pie!
The shape of these hand pies is not quite square, and not fully rectangular, but probably something in between. They're rustic, so they're not perfectly either. And the reason I form the filling into that rectangular shape is simply to spread it out to fit the general shape of the pies. If I just left it mounded in the middle, the filling may not spread to the edges quite as well. This way, the filling is shaped similarly to the hand pies themselves, and which helps the pies to puff up evenly, and the filling to spread throughout.
Hope that helps, happy cooking!
Ginger Zahacy
Do you think these would be good to send to the men harvesting in the field, by that, I mean would they be good if they cooled to room temperature by the time they’re eaten?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Ginger, absolutely! In all honesty, if we're feeling a little extra hungry (and perhaps a bit lazy 😉), we'll just eat 'em straight out of the fridge, cold. But cooled to room temp, they'll still be really delicious and enjoyable. 😁
Happy cooking!
Steff Ken
What would be a good thickening agent to add in the filling to make the filling gluten free?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Steff, the easiest thing may be to substitute gluten-free flour for the regular flour. Or, you could use a tiny bit of cornstarch mixed with a touch of water (to make a "slurry", or paste-like consistency) and drizzle that in at the end a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency of thickness. If you go that route, cook the filling a little longer after adding to allow the flavor of the cornstarch to mellow. 😉
Hope that helps, happy cooking!
Carol C
I just made these hand pies in the early afternoon. They were ready by dinner.
Hands down, these were delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
I wanted to note a few shortcuts I made, due to time limitations.
Instead of fresh carrots and celery, I used 3/4 canned peas and carrots. I'm generally not someone who uses canned, but again - this was just an experiment due to time. Next time I make these, I'll go the fresh route. However, note, the taste was still amazing with this shortcut.
I also added an extra tablespoon of tomato paste and a bit of extra fresh garlic. I also added a bit of paprika and tumeric, but honestly not sure how it changed the original recipe.
Finally, I'm a cheese lover, so in a few I added cheddar before wrapping them in the pastry dough. Yum!
These took a bit of work, but the taste is definitely worth it.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carol, so happy to read you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing your personal tweaks as well. 🙂
Donna
Can these be microwaved to reheat the next day?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Donna, you can use the microwave for reheating, but do go in increments to avoid them becoming soggy or way too hot. We like to use our little toaster oven and bake these at 350 for about 10 minutes to gently reheat/keep crisp, so if you have one of these they're a little better option. 🙂
Janice
Right away, this recipe caught my eye! Fall is in the air, and I'm in a baking mood, and I definitely will be making these! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Fall IS in the air, Janice, and I love it! This recipe is perfect for this time of year. Super cozy, super stick-to-your-ribs. Hope you enjoy these hand pies...and the baking process itself! 🙂
Laura
We are not pea fans- what else do you think I could sub?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Laura, corn kernels would be a good substitution. You could also just use a little more of the other veggies, if you prefer.
Patricia
These sound great but I'm feeling lazy. I think I'm going to make the filling and put it in a 7 by 11 pan and then just top it with puff pastry. How long do you think it would need to cook in the oven with that format?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Patricia, since the filling is already cooked, all you really are looking for is for the puff pastry to become golden brown. So I'd say about 25 to 35 minutes, or until your puff pastry topping is flaky and cooked through. May you enjoy!
Josee Sheppard
I'm a Cornish pasties snob .... usually!
I've just bitten into one of these meat pies and I'm totally in love!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I'll be making them again.... and again!
Josee
The Cozy Apron
Josee, that's terrific!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe...it's definitely very cozy and warming, and a little "tip-of-the-hat" the pasties, so I'm glad you liked these! 😉
Michelle Nelson
I made these last night! So so good! The whole family approved! Adding these our menu list!!
The Cozy Apron
Michelle, nothing better than "family approved", right? That's fantastic! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. Happy cooking to you!
Kelly L
Made these scrumptious hand pies last night. Makes 8 and great for 2 nights of dinner. Worth the effort. My family loved them. Thanks for sharing.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kelly, my pleasure to share! 🙂
Glad you and your family enjoyed the hand pies, and that you even had some leftovers for the next day to gently reheat and enjoy once again. So thrilled to read that your family enjoyed these, and they were worth the effort. 😉 Thanks for sharing with me!
Lupe
These were amazing! Something my whole family enjoyed!
The Cozy Apron
Thanks so much, Lupe! Appreciate your feedback, and I'm so happy the entire family enjoyed these cozy hand pies!
Linda
Made these tonight and followed recipe exactly. I had to cook in two batches they look amazing and smell wonderful Definitely a keeper
The Cozy Apron
Linda, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me! Very happy to read the recipe's a keeper for you. Happy cooking! 🙂
Mauri
Have you ever used pie crusts instead of puff pastry? The grocery store subbed my puff pastry for the pie crusts.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Mauri, no worries! You absolutely CAN make this with the pie crust instead...
I would proceed with doing everything the same way (even egg wash the pie crust just as you would the puff pastry), just perhaps allow the crust to bake/cook a little longer, and reduce bake temperature to 375° as to not burn it. (Puff pastry needs a higher heat to puff quickly.)
Since they're still going to be hand pies, it shouldn't be too much longer, maybe 28 to 30 minutes? Basically you want the pie dough to be golden brown and cooked through. And if you need to adjust the shape, just cut your pie dough as needed to make these "pockets" that look as close to the hand pies as you can.
Hope this turns out well for you! 🙂
Karen Luse
Could you make the filling with a chuck roast and just cook it down for a bit before shredding and adding the potatoes?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Karen, absolutely! I love to use chuck roast for my stews, and it would be a really delicious (and meatier) substation here.
As you probably already know, the chuck will take quite a bit longer to cook as opposed to the ground beef, so just allow for a couple of hours for that. You could add potatoes from the beginning if you'd like (russets are quite hearty), or if you're concerned about them breaking up too much, add during the final hour or 45 minutes of cooking to ensure they're tender.
Hope you enjoy!
Rochelle
Could you substitute the beef for chicken? If so, what ingrediants need to change (i.e. broth)?
The Cozy Apron
Absolutely, Rochelle! You can sub ground chicken or even chicken tenderloins/breast, or your choice of cut. I would sub chicken stock/broth, but other than that, you can keep things as they are.
Hope you enjoy, happy cooking!
Kasey
Did anyone else think the puff pastry made these taste greasy? Is there a particular brand to suggest?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kasey, I personally prefer all-butter puff pastry, as this is superior in taste and quality. I love Dufour brand all-butter puff pastry, and now, Trader Joe's has an all-butter puff pastry in their frozen section. 🙂 (The Trader Joe's one will probably be more comparable in size to something like Pepperidge Farm, for example.)
Also, make sure that your puff pastry is very cold when you work with it, and before you place into the oven to bake. Too warm a dough may bake up a little more greasy. Take care to bake until thoroughly, until a deep golden-brown.
Sarah
These were incredible! Went down an absolute treat with the family. Never been that great at wrapping pasties so they didn’t look as great as the recipe but nonetheless, they tasted amazing! Thanks, always looking for inspiration and new ideas for cooking 😁👍
The Cozy Apron
Sarah, this is music to my ears! Thrilled the family enjoyed this warm and cozy recipe, perfect for the cold weather. 🙂
Thank you for taking some time to share your experience with me!
Suzanne
Made these tonight and they’re awesome!! They make more than 2 of us can eat though. How should I store and then reheat them?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Suzanne, so glad to read that you enjoyed these!
Yes, you can get quite a few leftover if only cooking for two of you (this happens to me when I'm only cooking for my husband and I), and I usually just keep them in the fridge for a few days (on a platter wrapped in plastic), and we work on them over the course of a few days (reheating in the toaster oven).
But if you'd like to freeze them (or a few of them), then wrap individual pies in plastic wrap, and place them into a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Then, the day before you'd like to serve them, just place them into the fridge to thaw and reheat gently in the toaster oven to re-crisp.
Hope that helps!
sherry
Hi, should the ground beef be drained?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sherry, no need to drain the beef. If you find that you have too much fat or liquid, you can remove a little of it with a spoon, but that shouldn't be an issue.
Dotty
What a great recipe. It was not hard to make at all, but just took time. As a puff pastry novice, I was worried, but they looked beautiful!
The Cozy Apron
Dotty, so happy to read that! Congratulations on working with puff pastry for the first time...such an easy, convenient and quick product to work with, right? 🙂
So glad the hand pies turned out so lovely for you, and thank you for taking some time to share your experience with me. Happy cooking to you!
Siri
Just ran across this delicious sounding recipe! I've enjoyed the conversation in the comments, too--especially how to freeze them since I live alone and they sound like an absolutely wonderful alternative to a frozen dinner. Would it work, do you think, to use this recipe as a jumping off point for other combinations and flavor profiles? I could see chicken pot pie, enchilada, roast beef, chicken and rice, stew, etc. variations. If one were to extrapolate from the recipe with different mixes of meats, veggies, and seasonings, what do you think would be guiding principles? What's the right level of moisture? Do the ingredients need to be cut to a roughly similar size like I noticed with your recipe? Where would you expect one to run into trouble, etc?
To be sure, I'll definitely try the recipe as written first, but seeing it inspired me! I've always like things encased in puff pastry, and the prospect of creating my own frozen dinners of this sort is tempting!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Siri, you absolutely can play around with the filling for these, that'd be really creative and delicious. Yes, do try to keep things to a small dice, since you want things nice and neatly tucked into the pies. And you do not want your filling overly saucy, but rather on the thicker side to help bind and not ooze out the pies too much. If you do try my recipe as directed, it will help you to see roughly the thickness of the sauce, the dice of the veggies, etc. Uniformity is best.
Chicken and mushroom would be great, chicken and broccoli, beef and mushroom...all sorts of imaginative options. Pretty much whatever you like, just follow the general quantities and method that I have here. 🙂 Happy cooking to you, hope you enjoy these!
Jennifer
Can I make these the day before and keep them in the fridge? Will they still bake the same the next day?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jennifer, yes! You can absolutely do that to streamline things for yourself. Just egg wash and then bake straight from the fridge. 🙂
Sherrie Canaga
Hi!! These look totally delicious, but because I’m a total idiot when it comes to cooking and certainly NOT a graduate of the Culinary Institute, I just have a quick question re the peas: Do you use frozen? Frozen then thawed? Canned? Please advise.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sherrie, your question is terrific! 🙂
I like to use organic frozen peas that I thaw for a little while (maybe 30 minutes) at room temp. Hope you enjoy the recipe and the process of making these tasty little pies!
Sherrie Canaga
Thank you so much for your quick reply!! Can hardly wait to make these!