Talk to me about pies please

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Dp and dd1 love pies! DD2 and I like pies, but the kinds of pies we all like are rather different. So I'm thinking that I could buy some individual pie dishes and make different pies, but how do I do that without a whole load of faff, please?

Dp and dd2 like meat, so maybe I could stick something meaty in the slow cooker and let it turn itself into a pie filling? As a veggie, though, I have no idea how to do this! Or is there some way I could just buy ready cooked chicken, and somehow turn that into a pie filling?

I like things like spinach and feta, or leek and potato so that's easy to make in just small quantities and no real faff. Any other ideas for faff-free veggie ones?

Please help our pie dreams to come true!

How about doing a veg stew in the slow cooker, then chucking meat into the filling for the carnivores? I also sometimes do a load of roast veg and use those often with the leftover roast chicken as well, plus gravy - a nice onion gravy can be vegetarianly made (I don't think that's a word, is it?)

Cheese sauce/white sauce also makes a good filling base.

Ps if you are getting individual dishes, you can stick the pastry in, put chunky filling on the bottom, then freeze. You can add some sauce or gravy just before cooking. Nice easy dinner!

We never have leftover meat though, as we all eat veggie most of the time for convenience.

Roast vege a v good idea. Also an onion gravy thing would be great for me, with baby onions, carrots, mushrooms etc (but the dds won't eat mushrooms - grrr).

Not overly fond of white sauce in pies - sorry to be awkward.

I can't help with fillings but I would make a big batch of filling then freeze it in pie sized portions ready to take out and make up

Thanks for the freezer tips.

What about coulibiac, ie rice based filling?
Would salmon en croute for the non-vegs count as pie?!

Little pie dishes in home bargains for £1.49... With little lids!

Ta for the Home Bargains rec. Will look. I had visions of proper old fashioned enamel ones, ideally.

Only dp likes fish. Not convinced by the idea of rice in a pie - double carbs!

I wish they'd all just bloody eat the things that I like!

Pizza pie
Lentils (my mum does an awesome lentil pie)
And throw in ready-cooked meat from supermarket, though the lentil one comes out quite meaty.

Sorry. I may be a little over-excited about pie

One can never be too excited about pie.

Lentils - ooh yes. I do a gorgeous casserole of puy lentils with parsnips and red wine etc - it would be awesome in a pie. Why didn't I think of that?!

By pizza pie do you mean a kind of calzone?

I guess so. I do it for ds's lunch at the childminder sometimes - just chuck a load of pizza toppings into a pastry case and stick a lid on. Possibly not the healthiest option, though he is dairy free so there is no cheese in our version.

Thanks. That sounds interesting and do-able - am thinking mushroom, peppers and artichoke for me, and tomatoes and some sort of pepperoni or something for the carnivores. Will definitely try that, as lots of pizza toppings don't need cooking in advance, so no faff!

Pie is quite big in our household. I can get the toddler to eat almost anything if I encase it in pastry!

Lakeland have the wee enamel ones

Thanks, Choco.

DrDiva - tell me some of your favourites, please, especially if they are veggie!

When DD was little she would not eat casseroles or stews of any description. However she loved pies and I soon discovered that putting the unwanted casserole in a pie dish and adding a pastry lid transformed it into a favourite. So anything that fits in a pie dish can become a pie.

I used to like Fray Bentos pies before my veggie household days.
Do you think I could recreate that maybe with quorn and mushroom? - what type of pastry would I need? Flaky? Can you buy it ready made?

Here's my family cheese and onion pie recipe. Tastes delicious, reasonably easy, my kids love it, and it adds to our veggie meal list.

Roll out shortcrust pastry block and use half to line bottom of pie tin. Boil a chopped onion for 2-3 mins till soft (just cover with water).

Chop tons of cheese into cubes (1 small blocks worth?). Place in pastry base. Add cooked onion then light sprinkling of white pepper. Spoon over 2-3 tablespoons of the onion pan water.

Place on pastry lid and fork edges to seal, prick top couple of times.

Cook in med/high oven till golden, around 45-1 hour roughly?

Yum. Serve with homemade wedges or chips and peas.

Ps I use a round metal pie tin, looks like a deep plate.

Gerbo - thanks for that. Much simpler than the usual cheese and onion pies too.

Juggling - I don't know about Fray Bentos but I make a bloody lovely mushroom and Stilton pie (which the dds won't eat - grrr). Do you want the recipe (well, it's not really a recipe as I made it up)?

I made Lancashire butter pie a while back which was delicious, I made one for my neighbour too and he loved it.
Another great one is mushroom and chestnut puddings but you could use the filling for a pie.
Both easily available on Google (I am on my daft phone so it's a pain to link)

I do a super easy chicken and mushroom pie with left over roast chicken, you could just buy some cooked chicken if you never have left overs. Mix it into a can of condensed mushroom soup. Pour in a pie dish and add a pastry top.

Mushroom and Stilton and Mushroom and Chestnut both sound very good - and very Christmassy too. Perhaps I'll have to do some experimenting with different pastry - I like that rather soggy layer you get with a Fray Bentos (according to my fond memories)

I love the soggy layer too, I still have a fray bentos pie from time to time (and crispy pancakes and vesta chow mein).

I make batches of pie filling and freeze in a variety of portion sizes. Then I take a sheet of pastry (ready made and rolled is fine) of the type I fancy and cut it into portion sizes and cook, meanwhile heat up filling place on a plate and pop on a pasty top. Add veg and enjoy.