Cooking pies

[username7891]

I've bought some frozen pies. The first time I cooked them, the pie case was soggy and inedible. The second time I cooked them I wrapped them in tin foil, then took the foil off and cooked the top. The pie case was soggy and inedible.

What am I doing wrong? Any tips appreciated.

Hotter oven maybe? What temp are you cooking at and for how long, are they precooked and just need heating or are they raw?

Make fresh pies!

They're raw. I'm not sure for how long I'm cooking them for but they are hot on the inside and the top is cooked and a deep brown. The oven is about gas mark 8. I cook from frozen.

I would love to but don't have the time.

That sounds pretty hot when I look at conversion charts, are they sitting in foil containers for baking or just loose? Sounds like more heat needs to get at the sides and bottom to make sure it's cooked as the top is browning. I know if that was my electric oven I'd be putting them on bottom shelf as element would be closer to the base but not sure how that works in gas oven, I'd say top of oven is hotter? If it's puff pastry that takes longer than you would think, when it looks done it needs a little longer!

Don't place the pie directly on the oven shelf.

First place the pie on top of a flat metal baking sheet or a metal roasting pan.

The metal sheet/pan will help to conduct the heat and cook the bottom of the pastry.

If you preheat your oven (I generally don't anymore), pop the baking sheet into the oven to warm up for a few minutes; and then put the pie on the warm baking sheet.

With a metal baking sheet under the pie, you may find that the pie cooks or warms up faster than anticipated. So test to see if it is cooked 10-15 minutes before the suggested time and adjust the cooking time if necessary.

Or use an air fryer. You'd have to ask MN for the temp & time needed. Pastry cases do benefit from getting blasted on all sides with hot air!

That's not helpful at all.

Op have you tried taking them out the freezer in the morning and defrosting them?

Or if you have an air fryer cook them in there on a low heat then max crisp for the last 6/7 mins.

Do you mean all the pastry or just the bottom was soggy? Because if it's the bottom it might not be you, the base of meat pies (assuming they are oke meat and gravy type) will tend to be claggy on commercial pies, its all the gravy soaked in. Plus they are made with mass produced pastry cases with filling added. Ive used them before, pretty inferior compared to my own pastry!
It should be cooked but unlikely to go crisp.

Thank you all. I don't have an air fryer but they sound great. I do put the pie on a baking sheet. I'm using the top oven rather than heating up the whole lower oven for the pie.

The whole of the case, bar the top is soggy and uncooked. I have scraped out the filling (vegetables, no meat or gravy) and thrown the case away which is such a waste of food and my meal is not substantial.

Like I said, the inside of the pie is piping hot and the top is cooked. Maybe I'll try defrosting the pie first.

I cook them partially in the tin foil dishes until the top is a very light brown, then turn them upside down onto a tin baking sheet, remove tin foil dishes and cook ( still upside down)!until pastry is golden. Works every time.

That's a great idea! Will give that a go.

I just did the conversion, that's abt 220c? That's way hotter than I would cook, I think you are frizzling the top before the rest has time to thaw and bake.
I cook pies from frozen at max 180°. Which google tells me is gas 4.

That sounds very likely, will turn down the temperature. Many thanks

Not meaning to sound like a dick, but are there no cooking instructions with them?

Without some idea of where to start it's hard to work out where it's gone wrong. How long did you cook for last time?

Not sure about pies but my pasties need about 50 minutes at 160/170c but they are fresh not frozen.

I recommend this way too.

I put them into a ziplock bag because I had no freezer space for the box.

Last time I cooked them it was for about 30 minutes in tin foil then about 10 -15 minutes with the tin foil taken off. The filling was piping hot but the pastry case was uncooked and soggy.

I think I know where I'm going wrong, the temperature is too high and I'll do the cooking trick above.

I'll definitely try this next.

I put pies in the air fryer. Came out perfect

Ah fair enough - I've been known to chuck the box before too! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I hope you get a better result next time with lower and slower, nobody likes a soggy bottom!

I cook in oven or air fryer both the same way I always turn upside down half way