Beef & Mushroom Mini Pies

Party pies re-imagined! Flaky golden pastry filled with tender beef, mushrooms, and rich gravy — these mini pies are the ultimate comfort food. Perfect for family dinners, parties, or even a game day snack!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 3 tbsp olive oil or beef tallow
• 1 kg diced skirt steak
• 250 g beef mince
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 3 – 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 – 9 mushrooms, finely diced (or blitzed in food processor!)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups (1 litre) beef stock
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• 5 tbsp water
  

Pastry:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 3–4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
  

Instructions

Make the Filling

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil or beef tallow in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Add half the diced beef and sear until browned. Remove to a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef and again with the mince.
2. Lower heat to medium-high. Add remaining oil or tallow, then sauté onion and garlic until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).
3. Return beef to the pot. Stir in mushrooms, tomato paste, stock, wine, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. The beef should mostly be covered, with some chunks still exposed.
4. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low–medium low. Cook gently for 50–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender. 
5. Mix cornflour and water into a slurry, then stir through the filling. Cook for another 5 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool (the sauce will thicken as it cools).

TIP: If the filling hasn’t reduced enough, remove the beef and continue simmering the sauce on low heat for up to 2 hours until thick and rich. Return the beef to the pot and stir to combine. Once cooled, the filling should be thick and set — almost like jelly!

Assemble the Pies

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Grease 16 holes of your muffin tins, pie tins or cupcake tins.
3. Cut pastry bases from shortcrust sheets using a 10 cm / 4″ cutter. Press into the tins and fill with the cooled beef mixture.
4. Cut lids from puff pastry using an 8 cm / 3.2″ cutter. Place over filling and press gently to seal edges.
5. Pierce tops 3–4 times with a knife, brush with egg wash, and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
6. Rest for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm with your favourite sauce!