Cottage Pillow Pies

A fun twist on a traditional favourite. It's a little bit pasty, a little bit pie, but the same delicious cottage pie flavours. These pillows of puff pastry are the ultimate comfort snack.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince

• 1 onion (diced)

• 1 carrot (diced)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• ½ tsp rosemary

• ½ tsp thyme

• ½ tsp parsley

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• Puff pastry sheets

• 1 egg (beaten)

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 white potatoes (peeled and cubed)

• 2 tbsps butter

• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. On the stove, bring a pot of water (approximately 2L) to the boil.

2. Add cubed potatoes to boiling water then cook until potatoes are soft to touch with a fork.

3. Strain the water carefully then add butter and salt to the potatoes. Mash until smooth or as desired. Set aside mashed potatoes to cool.

4. On the stove, heat olive oil in a new pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot, sauté for 5 minutes. Add the minced beef and sauté until the beef is brown.

5. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and parsley then stir for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.

6. Add beef stock, stir until well-mixed then reduce heat to low-medium and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the frozen peas then simmer for another 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, most of the liquid should be reduced – if this isn’t the case, simmer for 5-minute intervals until the liquid is minimal.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste then set aside mixture until cooled completely. You can also cover both the mashed potato and mince mixture then place in the fridge until ready to assemble.

8. When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 180°C and prepare a baking tray with baking paper.

9. Using a 25 x 25cm puff pastry sheet, slice down the middle to halve. Spoon a bit of the mince mixture followed by mashed potato onto the bottom half of each piece of pastry, leaving approximately 1cm uncovered around the bottom and sides.

10. Fold the top part of the pastry over to meet the bottom edge. Seal the edges with a fork or with small pinches all the way round. Each sheet of pastry will create two pillow pies.

11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until you’ve made the quantity desired.

12. Place parcels onto a lined baking tray then brush the pastry with the beaten egg mixture.

13. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.