Australian Individual Potato-Meat Pies

By
Syrie Wongkaew
Syrie Wongkaew
Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 06/10/21
Australian individual meat pie with mashed potato topping, mushy peas, and gravy

 Olga Kashubin / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1331 Calories
52g Fat
168g Carbs
49g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1331
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 52g 67%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Cholesterol 97mg 32%
Sodium 1284mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 168g 61%
Dietary Fiber 14g 52%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 49g
Vitamin C 47mg 234%
Calcium 145mg 11%
Iron 12mg 66%
Potassium 3260mg 69%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

In Aussie and Kiwi pie shops, savory hand-held meat pies are an iconic snack. They typically have a double crust but this recipe starts with flaky pie crust filled with delicious ground beef and gravy and is then topped with creamy mashed potatoes instead of a second crust. The individual pies make for a really hearty meal and pair well with a fresh green salad. They’re considered a national food and are an indispensable snack at rugby and football games. Today, these meat pies come in all sorts of varieties, including vegan, where soy protein takes the place of the meat. The difference between this recipe and shepherd’s pie is that the latter has no bottom crust.

Ingredients

Potato Topping:

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) grams potatoes, peeled and halved

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Beef Pie Filling:

Steps to Make It

  1. Place the potatoes in a large, heavy saucepan. Add enough cold water to fully cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender; about 10 to 15 minutes.

  2. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then return to pan and add the milk, butter, and salt.

  3. Use an electric mixer to beat the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, cream using a potato masher. Set aside to cool.

  4. To make the beef filling, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft and translucent.

  5. Add ground beef and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned.

  6. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of beef stock and stir well. Set aside.

  7. Add remaining beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and Vegemite to beef. Stir well to combine. Add cornstarch mixture and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and cool.

  8. Preheat oven to 425 F / 220 C.

  9. Place pie tin, face-down, on the first pastry sheet and cut a circle that's slightly larger than the tin (about 1/2 inch bigger)—this is the pie base. Repeat process to make another 3 bases.

  10. Press base pastry into pie tins and gently press pastry up the sides. Fill with meat mixture. Brush rims with water.

  11. Spoon mashed potato into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and squeeze potato topping in a pinwheel motion on each pie to cover the meat filling.

  12. Place pies on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until the potato filling is slightly golden. Serve with ketchup or mushy peas with additional gravy.