Steak and ale pie

Hands down, this is the best pie I've ever had. You've probably seen on here that I love both the chicken and mushroom pie and turkey and leek pie (both Lisa Faulkner recipes) but this was another level - absolutely delicious and perfect as a winter comfort food. Traditional British pub food that has brilliant flavour and textures. I served this with cheesy mash and veg but it would work equally well with chips or home-made wedges too! Sorry if the photos look unappetising - pie is a bit tricky to dish up looking spectacular...

Serves 3-4

- 450g beef (stewing steak, diced beef etc.)

- 10g flour

- olive oil or butter

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 carrot, chopped

- 100g mushrooms, chopped

- 2 tsp dried thyme

- 200ml good-quality ale

- 250ml beef stock

- salt and pepper

- ready-rolled puff pastry

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Coat the beef in the flour and season.

2. Cook the meat in the oil or butter in a large saucepan until browned.

3. Add the onion, carrot, mushrooms, thyme, ale and stock. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover for an hour, stirring occasionally. 

4. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees and grease a baking dish.

5. Cut out the puff pastry to line the dish and pour in the beef mixture.

6. Top with more puff pastry, sealing the sides, and glaze with beaten egg.

7. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up. Serve with potato of your choice.

Enjoy :)

Chicken and leek pie

Another brilliant Lisa Faulkner recipe - her chicken and mushroom pie is also amazing, I've posted that recipe before. This is actually called turkey and leek pie in her book as it's meant for leftover turkey but I just used regular chicken breast and cooked that first. I will write her recipe below but if you do want to use chicken then make sure you cook it first, unless it's left over from a roast. This is such a delicious comfort food from the crisp pastry and thick, hearty sauce. There is also so much flavour from the smoked bacon and stock mmmm. Perfect served with creamy mash!

Serves 3
- 75g bacon, cubed
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 750g leeks, sliced
- olive oil & butter
- 400g cooked turkey breast
- 25g plain flour
- 1 pint of chicken stock
- 25ml double cream
- ready rolled puff pastry
- beaten egg or milk

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees / gas mark 5.
2. Dry fry the bacon in a large pan for 3-4 minutes then add the thyme.
3. Add the leeks with the olive oil and butter and cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft.
4. Add the turkey to the pan then mix in the flour and pour over the stock. Stir and add the cream. Bring to the boil then take off the heat.
5. Using a slotted spoon, put the turkey and leek mixture into a large dish.
6. Return the 'sauce' in the pan to the heat to reduce for a few more minutes until thickened. Pour over the pie filling in the dish.
7. Grease the rim of the pie dish and cut the puff pastry to fit on top. Pinch round the edges to seal then brush with the beaten egg or milk.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy :)

Quick sausage casserole

This is just a really simple but good recipe I got from a student cookbook. It's a perfect student or family meal as it is fairly inexpensive, using mainly store-cupboard ingredients, and is very satisfying and warming for the upcoming colder months! This recipe made enough for 3 big portions - the first time I had it we had mash with it, and the second time I served it on a jacket potato with green veg. In the recipe it says just to used baked beans but I wanted more types of beans so instead of using cannellini as well I bought the new Heinz 'five beans' which has the normal baked bean in plus kidney, cannellini and 2 others. I definitely recommend doing this!
(Sorry for the not-so-great photo - I've started using my phone now instead)

Serves 4
- 6 sausages
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- tin of chopped tomatoes
- tin of Heinz five beans

1. Fry the sausages in some oil until browned, then set aside.
2. In the same pan, fry the onion and pepper until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil then simmer.
3. Cut up the sausages and add back to the pan, followed by the baked beans. Stir and heat through for a few minutes.
4. Serve with anything you like - mash, wedges, jacket potato, or even rice or pasta!

Enjoy :)

Chicken and mushroom pie

*I have made this before - the recipe is here, but wanted to post some better photos as I made it tonight for my mum's birthday and absolutely loved it again!*

I served it with creamy parsley mash again and spring greens mm mm. Make sure to check the other post for the recipe because you don't want to miss out on this delicious meal

Enjoy :)

Chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie

I had been craving a pie for ages; pastry is such a weakness for me, and puff pastry is definitely the most satisfying! I decided to make this creamy, comfort food chicken pie after coming across the recipe in Lisa Faulkner's cookbook (check here for info on her book). However, I altered it in a few ways - her recipe is for pot pies (small individual ones) and I made one large one, I lined the dish with puff pastry so it has a pastry base and topping rather than just topping, I used parsley instead of tarragon, and I didn't use any fennel. It was absolutely delicious, I recommend to anyone who likes pies. I had never made a pastry pie before, and it was exceptionally easy considering you can buy ready-rolled puff pastry! My boyfriend and I both loved it, although it is very rich - I guess this is one of the reasons why in the original recipe it just has a pastry topping rather than the filling being completely encased. I served the pie with creamy, parsley mash (I didn't take a picture of this but will write the recipe down below) and green beans. Mmmm, re-living the amazing taste of the mushrooms and parsley - I cannot wait to make this again!

Serves 4
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium chicken breasts, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 300g mushrooms, quartered
- 100ml double cream
- 270ml chicken stock
- bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- puff pastry (1 or 2 sheets if just covering top, but 4-6 if lining the dish as well)
- 1 egg, beaten


1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat the butter and oil in a deep frying pan and fry the chicken until browned. Put aside and return the pan to the heat, adding the garlic and onion, cooking until softened.
2. Add the mushrooms (adding a bit more oil if necessary) and cook until reduced down and softened.
3. Pour in the double cream and prepared stock, and reduce for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Add the cooked chicken, and parsley.

4. Meanwhile, oil a deep baking dish and line it with puff pastry (only one layer thick). You may need to cut different shapes for it to fit round the sides. Pour the chicken and mushroom mixture into the pastry-lined dish.

5. Top with the remaining pastry and brush with the beaten egg - this helps it crisp up, and gives it that gorgeous golden brown colour. If you want you can save some pastry and make shapes to stick on top, my boyfriend made the star! Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until hot in the middle and the pastry is crisp and golden.

For parsley mash

- mashing potatoes

- salt

- margarine

- double cream

- fresh parsley, chopped

1. Simply cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water according to packet instructions (20-30 mins)

2. Drain and return to the pan, adding a dollop of margarine and some cream. Mash until smooth - season to taste and add more cream if necessary. Add the parsley and stir through... delicious!

Enjoy :)

Shepherd's pie

This is a really good shepherd's pie recipe - it has the usual comfort food textures and richness, as well as being packed with tons of flavour from the fresh rosemary. A potato pie like this is a brilliant way to get some veggies in as well without it being daunting (I know that it's always not great to have a pile of veg on the side of your plate, it can be the last thing you want to eat). As a student, when I'm at uni and have less time and space, I tend to buy the Collman's or Schwartz (or Tesco or Sainsbury's equivalents) dried packet mixes where you just add water (as well as the mince, veg, potato etc) - these are also great too for flavour; I will be doing a post soon on a sausage casserole I made using one of these, as well as a post more focussed on meals to cook as a student - a sort of week dinner plan. A typical recipe will make about 3 or 4 good-sized portions so it's great to freeze portions and have them in a few days or weeks, or even months! Having said that about the packet mixes, you cannot beat a hearty home-made shepherd's pie so if you've got the time, I would highly recommend this for a family treat.

Serves 4-6 (I halved this)

- oil, for frying

- 2 medium red onions, chopped

- 3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes

- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

- 700-750g lamb mince (you can use beef if you prefer - technically this would make it a cottage pie)

- 2 large squidges of tomato puree

- 3-4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

- 200ml of lamb or beef stock

- splash of red wine (optional)

- salt & pepper

- 1 bay leaf

- 250g frozen peas

- 1kg mashing potatoes, cut into chunks

- knob of butter

- splash of milk

- large handful of grated cheddar and breadcrumbs, for sprinkling

1. Heat the oil and add the onions, cooking until soft. Add the balsamic and cook until evaporated. Add the carrots and rosemary and stir together. Add the mince, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.

3. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, stock, salt & pepper, and the bay leaf, and simmer. Add the peas.

4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large an of salted water for around 20 minutes, or until soft.

5. Drain them, and return to the an, adding the butter and milk, mashing until smooth.Season according to taste.

6. Tip the meat mixture into a large casserole dish and dollop on the mash, spreading it and forking to make a pattern. Sprinkle on the cheese and the breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture - perfect with the smooth mash.

7. Cook the pie for 20-30 minutes , or until golden on top and hot all the way through.

Enjoy :)

Pesto mash

This mashed potato was deliciously creamy and rich, despite not having any cream or crème fraiche in. I decided to use pesto because I've had pesto and cheddar on a jacket potato before and it was so yummy, so I knew that it would taste good in mash as well. I served this with chicken wrapped in pancetta (see previous post) and green vegetables. It's amazing that just by adding a few dollops of green pesto, you can transform a boring mash into something delicious and luxurious! You should definitely try this if you like pesto.

Serves 2
- 450-500g potatoes (I used desiree and vivaldi)
- pinch of salt
- dash of semi-skimmed milk
- knob of butter
- 1/2 small jar of green pesto (or less, or more)
- handful of cheddar, grated


1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20-25 minutes, or until soft.
2. Drain and return to the pan. Add some milk and a knob of butter and mash for a couple of minutes until smooth.
3. Add the pesto and stir in, then continue to mash - adding more butter and/or milk depending on the taste/texture you desire.
4. Put the cheddar in and continue to mash. Season to taste, and serve.

Enjoy :)

Toad in the hole

As much as I love Italian food, nothing beats some of the classic British dishes like toad in the hole, shepherds pie, and beef wellington! This recipe worked really well for me, I had never made my own toad in the hole before so was worried the batter wouldn't rise or wouldn't be cooked in the middle, but it was perfect. I used Tesco light choices sausages because they're way less fat and taste exactly the same to me - if not better!? It would be best served with creamy mash, vegetables and onion gravy. I used meat gravy granules and added fried onion - it's not the same as freshly made but was still delicious.

(Warning: this is a really filling meal, so maybe not a good idea as part of a 3-course!)

Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 125g plain flour
- 150ml milk
- 150ml cold water
- salt & pepper
- 4 sausages
- 2 tbsp oil or butter

1. Fry the sausages until browned all over (don't prick the skins), and allow to cool
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the milk and water, mixing well - set aside
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl and season. Make a well in the centre and gradually whisk in the liquid mixture until you have a smooth batter with no lumps - rest for 15 mins
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6. Put the oil/butter in a deep baking tin and place in the oven
5. When the fat is sizzling, remove from the oven and pour in the batter mixture
6. Add the sausages parallel to each other and place back in the oven - bake for 30 minutes or until the batter has puffed up and is golden brown and crispy
7. Serve with potatoes of your choice (buttery, parsley mash would be best!), vegetables and onion gravy.

Enjoy :)