Recipe Background
It always seemed like the "cool kids" brought their lunch to school. They didn't realize, though, that they were missing out on some delicious bites, like Cafeteria Beef Pie. Who needs a soggy PB&J when you could have been digging your fork into a warm, buttery, flaky crust that led to a savory, meaty, crunchy carrot filling? That comparison is zero to none. The good news is, you can still experience Cafeteria Beef Pie, but now from the comfort of your own home. Bonus points if you serve it on a fun, nostalgic tray!
It always seemed like the "cool kids" brought their lunch to school. They didn't realize, though, that they were missing out on some delicious bites, like Cafeteria Beef Pie. Who needs a soggy PB&J when you could have been digging your fork into a warm, buttery, flaky crust that led to a savory, meaty, crunchy carrot filling? That comparison is zero to none. The good news is, you can still experience Cafeteria Beef Pie, but now from the comfort of your own home. Bonus points if you serve it on a fun, nostalgic tray!
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound sliced bacon diced
- 3 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots halved
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust
- 1 large egg optional, lightly beaten
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Brown the beef in the bacon drippings in batches, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
- Drain the excess grease from the Dutch oven and place the browned beef on a separate paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add the onion to the Dutch oven and sauté until crisp but still tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, the cooked bacon, and the browned beef to the cooked onions and cook, about 3-5 minutes.
- While the beef and veggie mixture is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the flour, the broth, and the Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the beef and veggie mixture and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Stir the peas, the salt, and the pepper into the tender meat and veggie mixture.
- Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into an ungreased 7x11-inch baking dish.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crust into a 12x8-inch rectangle.
- Cut slits in the crust.
- Place the crust over the meat and veggie filling, trimming and sealing the edges.
- Brush the crust with the beaten egg.
- Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.
- Let the beef pie stand for 15 minutes.
- Plate and serve.
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