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Original poster

Any Lancs / East Lancs MN'ers? Looking for a "potato pie" recipe

84 replies

dayone · 05/12/2023 09:44

Morning all. When I was growing up, standard grub at 21st birthdays, anniversary parties etc was a "potato pie" supper. A large vat of a potato and meat stew, a square of pasty popped on top and served with picked onions, red cabbage and beetroot.
Does anyone have a recipe for this type of Lancs potato pie? Scouse is similar I guess.
I've found one online from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph but I'd Iove to look at others for inspiration. Ta!

OP posts:
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AliceMcK · 05/12/2023 21:50

From Lancs, there is Hotpot which has sliced potatoes on top, though I use to get a nice one from Preston market 30+ years ago that had a nice suet topping. Meat and Potato pie (best thing ever), Butter Pie (aka Catholic pie) which is mash potatoes and onion and corn beef hash which I thought was always served with dumplings. I would never describe a pie with meat as a potato pie. Most events I went to it was usually a curry, hotpot and cheese and onion pie as options.

Im from a west lances though so could definitely be more of an east lances thing.

AliceMcK · 05/12/2023 21:58

Pewpewbarneymcgrew · 05/12/2023 20:47

I’m so confused, is meat and potato pie not a thing anywhere else ???

It’s very much a north west thing. I remember asking for one in a chippy down south when I was a kid and being laughed at by all my southern relatives. I moved to London in the early 90s and no one had heard of it. I use to work in a pub where there were a couple of lorry drivers as locals, they’d bring me back meat and potato pies for me when they did runs up north.

Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould · 05/12/2023 22:02

I’m in rossendale (east Lancs). I make mine with onions, minced beef, sometimes I throw a bit of diced steak in as well. Mixed sizes of diced potato and an oxo cube. I leave it in the slow cooker then add a bit of normal gravy at the end. I use a slotted spoon to pop it in my pie dish with a bit of the gravy, shortcrust pastry on the top and bosh… sorted. I sometimes use the left over liquid to make the gravy if I’m having in. Red cabbage and mushy peas make it……
I have been known to use corned beef instead (like a hash but that can be very varied depending on where you’re from). So if I make a corned beef hash (as above) the day after I’ll shove a crust on it to make it a pie. Want it myself now 😂😂

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Darklane · 05/12/2023 22:02

Pewpewbarneymcgrew · 05/12/2023 18:30

Butter pie doesn’t have meat - you’re describing hot pot with a crust (Lancs born and bred). Traditional hot pot is lamb but most hot pot suppers I’ve had are beef with a pastry lid, with red cabbage

Yes, same here.. also Lancashire born, bred & still live here. Hot pot suppers still are very popular, always at our local brass band Christmas concert & at other local events especially in winter.
Always beef, potatoes, onions in gravy, with a crust on top, shortcrust not suet, brown & crisp. Served with lots of pickled red cabbage & beetroot.
Cooked at home always accompanied by mashed carrots & turnips.
Meat & potato pie is something quite different, always sold in local pie shops. A complete pie, individual but bigger than a traditional pork pie, able to be held as crust top, bottom & sides, often to be bought at football matches locally.
Remember once asking for a meat & potato pie in a shop in Scotland, they’d no idea what I was talking about!

FiveShelties · 05/12/2023 22:08

Just shows how recipes involve, I would call a meat and potato pie with shortcrust pastry on just a normal meat and potato pie. But one with suet crust on is 'Potato Pie' and more special - makes no sense I know!😂

DanceToTheMusicInMyHead · 05/12/2023 22:10

@funkybum 's recipe is the best (including buying the foil dishes in royton precinct!) The key I've found is lots of white pepper not black.

I have often wondered (and considered posting) what other areas do instead of a potato pie supper. In Oldham/ Tameside potato pie is just a staple of events in church halls and parties. Potato pie, cheese and onion pie, mushy peas, red cabbage and beetroot. Vegans not catered for because none of that newfangled stuff round here 😂Within 3 miles of my house I could probably get 20 or 30 different bakeries to supply a party sized potato pie.

funkybum · 05/12/2023 22:15

Spot in with the Oldham area! And for bonfire night we have black peas too!

PauliesWalnuts · 05/12/2023 22:16

Same here @DanceToTheMusicInMyHead - there are a fair few butchers and bakeries that sell them near me. The latter end of this thread has made me laugh cos I posted on the thread earlier, then went swimming, and walked through Royton precinct to nip into the co-op on the way home ☺️

Portakalkedi · 05/12/2023 22:19

Born and raised in East Lancs and grew up eating Potato Pie with pickled red cabbage, but never made it myself. Following for recipe!

Jagorey · 05/12/2023 22:48

@FiveShelties ...you've just recreated my mother's recipe ! My family were from Oldham in Lancashire, the home of the 'tater pie and suet pastry as an accompaniment was the done thing.

CheshireCat1 · 05/12/2023 22:50

Newwindows · 05/12/2023 18:42

My mum used to make the best meat and potato pie. My siblings and I tried to copy it with various cuts of beef to no avail. We finally asked and she said “ I always used tinned stewed beef from M & S - much easier and cheaper…😂

We do the same, plus plenty of white pepper.

FiveShelties · 05/12/2023 23:41

Jagorey · 05/12/2023 22:48

@FiveShelties ...you've just recreated my mother's recipe ! My family were from Oldham in Lancashire, the home of the 'tater pie and suet pastry as an accompaniment was the done thing.

I was brought up in the Ribble Valley area - Happy Days!😁

TurquoiseSeasAndSilverSand · 05/12/2023 23:48

East Lancs born and bred. Hotpot is lamb, potato pie is beef, I don't have a recipe as I never liked it, my Mum would use corn beef instead of ordinary beef, maybe it was cheaper? We were skint. But my Gran would make red cabbage (and piccalilli) to go with it.

Pewpewbarneymcgrew · 06/12/2023 06:24

Always went to the pie shop for lunch, got meat and potato pie or 2 whist pies (small pork pies)

Sadless · 06/12/2023 06:51

Sounds like butter pie which is slices of potatoes onions and butter. I am from and live in the north West. My mother in law is from Coppull and she makes them all the time but she puts onion powder in for my husband.

TurquoiseSeasAndSilverSand · 06/12/2023 07:00

Sadless · 06/12/2023 06:51

Sounds like butter pie which is slices of potatoes onions and butter. I am from and live in the north West. My mother in law is from Coppull and she makes them all the time but she puts onion powder in for my husband.

There's no meat in butter pie. Potato pie contains meat and the OP mentions meat.

SharonEllis · 06/12/2023 07:55

Gotta laugh at the people still insisting tater pie is the same as hotpot when the OP has patiently said it isn't.

Sorry I don't have a recipe though!

Grawlix · 06/12/2023 08:30

I’m from a part of West Lancs which is now officially 'Merseyside' so butter pies weren’t a big thing with us. But meat and potato pies were. We had a local bakery when I was small and they made individual pies that were out of this world. I can imagine the taste so vividly.

It's fascinating how different local areas of a relatively small part of the country have such distinct and differing food traditions.

Bikechic · 06/12/2023 08:48

Just marking my place to come back to recipe from @User9088
The comments on this thread are what I've got used to over the years when I've tried to explain this dish. 'oh you must mean hot pot' 'is it a meat and potato pie?' 'that sounds like butter pie' no no and no. Believe your own experience OP.

Iknowitsover · 06/12/2023 08:49

Hi- if you have a Booths supermarket near you can highly recommend their slab meat & potato pies which feed 6. Just pop in the oven for 20 or so minutes then serve with sliced beetroot & pickled red cabbage :)
https://orders.booths.co.uk/booths-meat-potato-slab-pie.html

They also do butter and a steak slab pie which is equally delicious!

Booths Meat & Potato Slab Pie 1.7kg

Minced British beef with potatoes and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper and baked under a shortcrust pastry lid. This product is also available to purchase in store from 12th October 2023.

https://orders.booths.co.uk/booths-meat-potato-slab-pie.html

Original poster
dayone · 06/12/2023 08:56

Thanks everyone! I've just popped beef shin, onions (both fried off) and potatoes into my slow cooker with water, a beef stock cube, a bit of Bisto paste and salt and pepper (black, sadly). I don't have a decent over proof dish so hopefully the slow cooker will work. I can't remember which poster said absolutely no carrots but I agree no carrots. The only acceptable veg is onion and potato!
I may buy some ready rolled shortcrust pastry to cook later.

It's not hotpot. It's not butter pie (don't think I've ever had that) and it's definitely not corned beef hash. It's potato pie with meat in it and seems to be very specific the north west / east lancs. Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
dayone · 06/12/2023 08:57

Iknowitsover · 06/12/2023 08:49

Hi- if you have a Booths supermarket near you can highly recommend their slab meat & potato pies which feed 6. Just pop in the oven for 20 or so minutes then serve with sliced beetroot & pickled red cabbage :)
https://orders.booths.co.uk/booths-meat-potato-slab-pie.html

They also do butter and a steak slab pie which is equally delicious!

I live in east London so no Booths unfortunately!

OP posts:
Original poster
dayone · 06/12/2023 08:58

Bikechic · 06/12/2023 08:48

Just marking my place to come back to recipe from @User9088
The comments on this thread are what I've got used to over the years when I've tried to explain this dish. 'oh you must mean hot pot' 'is it a meat and potato pie?' 'that sounds like butter pie' no no and no. Believe your own experience OP.

Absolutely!

OP posts:
witchypaws · 06/12/2023 08:59

Definitely try butter pie if you get chance!
I know exactly which you mean from your original post (Bolton based) as it was at every event
"Everyone likes it, good for a crowd and we can do butter pie for vegetarian people" my mum used to say

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