Italian Meat Pie Food

ITALIAN-CANADIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place a skillet over medium heat; cook the ground pork in the skillet with the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, and salt until completely browned, breaking the pork into small pieces as it cooks. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Combine the ground pork, eggs, Asiago cheese, and bread crumbs in a large bowl; use your hands to mix thoroughly.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the prepared pastries. Fill the pie with the pork mixture. Place the remaining pastry over the pie and press the edges together to seal. Be sure to cut steam vents into the top pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking until the pastry is browned and the filling is bubbling a bit, another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the pie to cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

ITALIAN PIZZERIA-STYLE MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Brown beef and pork.
• Add onions and Peppers and saute till onions are slightly browned. Add garlic and saute.
• Add all other ingredients except dough, and simmer till thickened.
• Roll out 1 loaf of dough to fit a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Using a slotted spoon spread the meat mixture on top.
• Roll out the second loaf.
• Place this sheet on top and seal the edges.
• Poke a few vent holes in the crust.
• Brush the top completely with the fat drippings.
• Bake at the temp reccomended for the bread dough, till golden brown.
• Allow to cool slightly before cutting with a bread knife. (the inside will look slightly doughy).

TRADITIONAL MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pie Crust: Mix flour and shortening. Add salt and cold water. Add all the cold water at once and mix delicately. Form a ball and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Once dough is chilled, flour your worktop. Divide dough in half. Roll out 2 pie crusts. One should be slightly larger than the other, this will be your bottom crust.
• Meat Filling: Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the pork and onion and cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring often. When pork is cooked remove fat from pan. Add grated potato, salt, pepper, and allspice, to taste. Stir well, and let mixture rest for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Place the bottom crust in the pie plate and poke several holes in the crust with a fork. Make sure an ample amount of crust spills over the edges of the pie plate. Fill the crust with the meat mixture. Level with a spatula. Wet edges of bottom crust and place top crust over meat mixture. Press top crust onto meat mixture to eliminate any air holes. Beat together the egg and the milk to make an egg wash. Pinch the crust edges together and brush the top crust with the egg wash.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• Slice and serve hot or cold.

ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and water; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse a couple of times. Add the chilled butter and pulse about 10 times until pea-size pieces remain. Add the egg mixture and pulse 15 to 20 times until a dough ball forms. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 balls, wrap each ball with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: While the dough is resting, whisk together the ricotta cheese, salt, some pepper and 6 of the eggs in a medium bowl and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add the oil and brown the sausage, breaking up the pieces while it's cooking, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving behind any fat. Add the asparagus and cook until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter.
• On a well-floured counter, roll out each dough ball into a thin 14-inch circle. Cover one circle with plastic wrap until ready to use. Loosely roll the other dough circle around a rolling pin and unroll over the prepared cake pan, letting the excess hang over the side. Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan so there is no gap between the pan and the dough. Shingle the salami over the bottom of the dough, creating an even layer. Then, add the asparagus in an even layer on top of the salami. Next, add half of the egg mixture and spread it out evenly, then top with the capicola in an even layer. Layer in the sausage and top with the remaining egg mixture, then finally the provolone cheese.
• Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the outside rim of the dough with the egg wash. Add the remaining dough circle to the top of the pie and cut off the excess dough. Press both circles together to create a seal. Brush the remaining egg wash over the entire top and slice a couple slits in the top of the pie. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

ITALIAN BEEF POTPIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.
• Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

EASTER MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time while mixing on low speed. Stir in mozzarella, ham, salami, and prosciutto until all ingredients are well combined. Line two 9 inch pans with pastry. Spoon half of mixture into each pan. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over each pie, then cover with top pastry. Crimp edges and cut steam vents in tops.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until crust is golden brown. Cool on racks.

OUR FAVORITE ITALIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Brown ground beef and onions, seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain well.
• Put meat back into pan and add enough spaghetti sauce to coat the meat well but not make it soupy (usually about half a jar for me). I like Ragu Old World Style, Mushroom Flavor.
• Stir in the mushrooms if your family will eat them!
• Line an 8x8 pan with about 6 of the crescent rolls (I use Pillsbury Reduced Fat crescent rolls and they work fine!), sealing the seams by smooshing them together and making the rolls go about an inch up the sides of the pan.
• Mix the beaten egg with one cup of shredded mozzarella (I use the 2% shredded cheese and that works well!), then spread it evenly over the top of the crescent rolls.
• Top egg and cheese layer with ground beef mixture.
• Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over the top of the meat layer.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted and lightly browned and crescent rolls crust is done.
• Roll up remaining crescent rolls and bake along side the meat pie.
• Let meat pie rest on the counter or table for about 5 minutes or so to make it easier to serve.
• Serve the meat pie with the crescent rolls and a great salad. Enjoy!

ITALIAN PIE (PUBLIX APRONS)

Steps:

• PREP
• Place spinach in colander, under cool running water, to thaw; break into smaller pieces, as possible. Preheat oven 425°F. Cut salami into bite-size pieces.
• STEPS
• 1. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Add ground meat and Italian seasoning; brown 5-7 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until no pink remains. Drain spinach thoroughly by pressing firmly against colander. Stir pimientos, pepperoni, salami, spinach, and Bruschetta spread into meat; cook 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside 1-2 minutes to cool.
• 2. Stir in eggs and cheese, and then transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Unroll pie crust over meat mixture. (Stretch dough to fit or use extra dough that overlaps sides to cover extra space at each end of the baking dish; press edges together on each end.) Trim and seal or crimp edges. Cut two small slits in center of crust.
• 3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and crust is golden. Serve.