Everyone LOVES a Pie!

I made my first Casserole of the winter on Saturday night. I had some chuck steak (from my favourite bovine beasts - the Highland Cow - shame to eat them as I do adore them). Anyway, it was given to us as a thank you by some farming friends around this time last year, so it would be rude not to. It's been lurking in the freezer for so long I thought I'd better use it or lose it. It was *delish* and was followed by an old-school Edmonds Cookbook self-saucing Chocolate pud with vanilla iceream. Let me hear you say "YEAH"! 

So what's all that 'cupcake' business going on in your image?  I hear you say.

MINI PIES. That's what!

Here's the guff. Make a casserole with too much for your family to possibly eat in one sitting (that's easy for us with 2 small skinny children - more difficult, if not impossible, for families with teenagers). Anyway, save what you can or make up some tasty mince, and, on a Monday when you really don't feel much like cooking, take a couple of sheets of puff-pastry from the freezer and cut them into 4's (squares) and push them into an oiled cupcake tin. Take your leftover meaty goodness (could be done with a vego casserole too of course!) and plop into pastry cases, blend up some wholemeal bread crusts with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and/or parsley), salt & pepper. Tip a pile of this on top of each little pie and push down a bit, then top that with grated Colby cheese to hold it all together. Bake in a medium oven for 20-30 mins. 

And voila!  Mini pies. Go on!!  Then stand back and watch the love from your husband grow... ha!