This wholesome pie has a lovely rich thick sauce.  It is adapted from Jamie Olivers recipe in his book Happy Days with the Naked Chef.  I have added as many vegetables as possible to this pie.   The vegetables I use depends on what’s in the garden, or in season at the time.  The word “tradition” in the name is the tradition I started since “Punky” (my nearly 4 year old) starting eating the same meals as us.  The tradition is that a pie should be a complete meal in the event that things go hay-wire in the day and there is no time to make sides to accompany the main dish. 

Experiment with your own combinations.  Punky & Cuddles miss out on this one due to the alcohol content (see Hints and Tips below to make child friendly)

Traditional Steak, Vegetable & Guinness Pie Recipe

• Serves: 1 family sized pie and three small pies
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1kg diced beef
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 pealed and roughly chopped carrots
• 1 peeled and roughly chopped zucchini
• 200gms of chopped mushrooms
• 100 grams chopped spinach
• 2 x 400gm tins of diced tomatoes
• 1 large can of Guinness
• fresh garden herbs – I used rosemary, parsley, thyme and a bay leaf.
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Puff pastry sheets – I used 6 sheets

Steps

1. Season the beef with salt & pepper 
2. Add to a large warmed pot with the oil and brown the meat
3. Add the vegetables and then the herbs & stir
4. Add the can of Guinness & the tinned tomatoes
5. Bring to the boil & simmer for approximately 2 hours – until the sauce thickens and the meat falls apart
6. Set the oven to 180 degrees
7. Defrost the pastry sheets and grease the pie pans
8. Cut out the pastry to line the bottom of each pan and fill with the meat.
9. Put a pastry lid on top of the pie and brush with the beaten egg
10. Bake in oven until golden – small pies take approximately 35 minutes and the large pie approximately 50 minutes
11. Cool on tray before freezing small pies.

Hints & Tips:

• You can leave out the Guinness and add an additional tin of tomatoes
• The meat filling can be made the day prior
• I freeze the small ones for Mr Fresh’s work lunches
• Serve with baked or mashed potato or garden fresh salad. Enjoy!