Un-Cajun Meat Pies

Mmm, Southern comfort food! I originally planned to make traditional Louisiana Natchitoches meat pies. Unfortunately, my bell peppers had spoiled and I only had ground beef. Needless to say, I improvised. Nonetheless, the end result was delicious!

You Will Need:

• 2 TBSP cooking oil of choice
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 small white potatoes, diced
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 3 TBSP A1 sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cajun seasoning (optional)
• Pre-packaged pie crust*

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a medium to large skillet. Add all chopped vegetables, excluding garlic. Saute until vegetables are tender- potatoes will be slightly underdone.
2. Add garlic and continue cooking. At this time, add ground beef. Cook through over medium-high heat, crumbling ground beef as it cooks.
3. Add seasonings, including A1. Turn heat down to medium-low, allowing meat mix to continue simmering for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. You may need to add a small amount of water or beef broth.
4. Remove from heat. Allow the pie filling to cool completely. This takes 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Roll out pie crust. Cut in half. Place each half of the pie crust on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Scoop spoonfuls of the filling into the piecrust until it is approximately 2/3 full. Fold over the dough and press edges together to make a sort of dumpling or empanada. Repeat this for the following portions of pie crust.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve alongside a green salad. Enjoy!

*NOTE- You can, of course, make your own pie crust. For convenience’s sake, I chose to use a pre-made crust. Many pre-made crusts contains allergens such as soy. Be sure to read the ingredients closely. I had good luck with a store brand that used canola oil in place of soy, making the crust allergen free. What a find!