CheeseSteak & Bacon Pie

Next in the "What Else Can I Put Into Pie Crust" series...

It is like a cheesesteak sub, in a pie.  Add anything you would order in a steak sub, such as onions, peppers, salami. I used mushrooms and bacon, and WOW was that tasty :)  Bacon is good with lots of things, but really added the right flavor to this recipe.



1.Saute sandwich-shredded beef (most grocery store meat counters will have this). Drain, then add pepper and salt. (I use Montreal Steak seasoning)


2. Saute whatever veggies you might want - pepper, onion, mushrooms, etc.  If you are making Steak Bomb Pie with salami, try slicing the salami into strips and saute a little bit before adding to the pie.




3. Microwave 1 pkg bacon according to package directions.  (trust me on the bacon).  Crumble when cool.



4. Here comes the fun part - Fill pie! 



5. Layer sliced american cheese on top. The cheese really makes the texture come out right, but if you want to do a dairy-free version, use a small jar of brown gravy instead.





6. The top crust will come out better if you put some or all of the crumbled bacon between the cheese and the top crust.  If the crust touches the cheese it gets stuck to it and won't rise.





7. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes, covering the crust edge with foil after 20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes (if you can hold off that long).

Chilly Out There! Chili In Here!

The secret is Sausage! Mmmmm, sausage!


Start with 1# stew meat and 1# italian sausage links

Place on baking sheet in oven at 350 for 1 hour.

The juices from the sausage will help brown the stew meat.  Just throw 'em on there and let cook.

Meanwhile, brown 1# ground meat in skillet.

Drain and mix into crockpot or stew pot with:

32 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
1 can black or red beans
sprinkle of turmeric, cumin, black pepper

In same skillet, saute 1 small onion, diced.
(Optional - 1 small green pepper)
Add to stew pot.

Cut stew meat into smallish cubes, add to stew.

Slice sausage into chunks and saute in same skillet until browned on all sides.  Add to stew.

Cook all together for at least 1 hour before serving.  Best when made in advance and reheated.  Don't stir too much or beans will break up into mush.  The diced tomatoes should break down a bit though.

I prefer the addition of 1 c dark beer but not everyone likes that.  You can of course add cayenne pepper or tabasco to make it hot. I use hot sausage which adds a lot of spices anyway...

If you have a large crockpot or a dutch oven - double this recipe.  Feeds 10-15 :)

The 'What Can I Put Into A Pie' Series: Shepherds Pie in a Pie

The origin of the pie series began with the discovery of pre-made refrigerated pie crusts.  (thank you Pillsbury dough boy!)

Once I realized how easy they are to work with and how much better they taste than the frozen ones, the light of inspiration dawned.  "What else can go in here", I wondered.

It turns out that you can put lots of things into pie crust!  These trials of Shepherd's Pie In A Pie were very well received by the testing group, and there will be more winning recipes to come.


These proportions are suitable for a 9" pie plate.

Cook and drain 1 lb. ground beef.

Spices are optional, but the addition of garlic powder and black pepper was popular.

Press one crust into pie plate, fill with cooked beef.

Top with one 10oz package of frozen corn with butter sauce, prepared according to package directions.


As you can see from the photos, I tried two different approaches to the potatoes: 

The first one has one large potato, diced and microwaved with a tablespoon of water for 5 minutes.  You can also use a drained can of diced potatoes.

The second pie has a top layer of prepared instant mashed potato.  This version was preferred by the testing group.


Either way, once the potato has been added, you are ready to place the top crust.  Pinch along edges to seal, and cut a vent hole in the center.

Bake 20 minutes at 350.  Cover edges with foil, bake 15 more minutes.  Serve while hot.

Hot Beef Convection

This is a top round roast, smoked with hickory chips and basted with spicy bbq sauce to keep it moist.

It took about 3 hours, and went perfectly with fresh local sweet corn.

Leftovers were shredded and used to make BBQ Tacos -  heat shredded beef with a little bbq sauce. Serve in taco shells with cheese and coleslaw or fried peppers & onions.

Hungry yet?