Easy Party Pies Recipe

Step 1

Filling: Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leek and celery and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Turn up the heat and add mince, then cook, stirring, until browned. Stir through garlic, carrots, tomato paste and balsamic, and allow to cook down for a further minute. Pour in red wine and allow to bubble up, then add 1 cup of stock, reserving remaining 1/2 cup. Bring to the boil, tuck in bay leaf and thyme, and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 1 hour.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine cornflour with reserved stock. Stir through meat mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauces, and cook for a further five minutes. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Step 3

Pastry: Defrost pastry sheets on bench top for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C. Using a scone cutter, or glass approximately 6-7cm in diameter, cut 16 circles from each sheet of shortcrust pastry. Then line two 24-hole mini muffin tins (or work in batches if you only have one tin). Fill with cooled meat mixture. Use beaten egg to brush around pastry edges.

Step 4

Cut circles from the puff pastry to match the diameter of the muffin holes - approximately 4cm diameter (I used an egg cup). Place on top of the meat mixture then press to seal. Brush the tops with more beaten egg, and use the sharp tip of a knife to press a small hole in each pie. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Step 5

Serve with tomato sauce or chutney.