We usually default to a roast on a Sunday. It is one less meal to think about when we are doing our weekly meal plan. However sometimes I need to change it up and do something different. This is when something as simple as pie and mash will always be a winner for me.
I have been slowly creating my own recipe binder, with tried and tested recipes I have gathered over on Pinterest. You can see a heap of the recipes I have pinned over the years right here. Our favourite has to be our hearty chicken pie, which I have shared previously here.
This time around I wanted to try a different type of pie. I wanted to be able to throw the filling into the slow cooker and forget about it. Sundays in particular are a busy day with church in the morning. Being able to set and forget our dinner is a no brainer for me.
I wanted to try something a bit different and opted for a steak and ale pie. The recipe inspiration, from Tesco, is done on the hob before slow cooking in the oven. I did adapt the recipe to better suit what we like as a family. So if you want to check out the original recipe I have linked it here. My recipe is a little stronger in flavour and comes together on the plate before serving. I like things as easy as possible!
Now, I do use Marmite in my gravy. It couples with the Guinness and beef perfectly, offering a depth and richness to the gravy. This one ingredient can be a bit divisive but trust me. Phil is a staunch Marmite hater but even he loves what this black gold can do for the gravy. I also thicken the filling with gravy granules right at the end. That is how we like our pie fillings, thick and rib coating! To save on the washing up, and on time, I cook our pie toppers separately. Brush the pastry with an egg yolk or milk and sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you have never done this on your pastry top before I highly recommend it. It elevates your pies to a whole new level.
This pie is wholesome, homely, comforting, simple and a crowd pleaser. It has veggies in and can be done with some pretty cheap cuts of beef to suit your family budget. I also think it would be an absolute winner for any occasion where you’ve friends or family coming over. Plus, you can never go too wrong with a tasty pie and mash dinner.
If you have intolerances in your diet just swap out the ingredients, you need to. We are dairy intolerant and have found most ready rolled puff pastry packs are dairy free. However you may need to check if you are soy intolerant.
I would also recommend for your mash, using a mixer. We use the K paddle on our Kitchenaid mixer; however, you can use a hand mixer to cream your potatoes. We often use Elmlea Plant Double Cream to pimp our creamed potatoes. I highly recommend this if you love extra smooth mash.
If you decide to give this recipe a go, let me know how you got on with it. I love sharing the recipes that work for us, and to see your interpretations too. Recipes should always be viewed as guidelines in my opinion. A recipe can create a good dish. Adding your own flare is what can turn it into a great dish! So be brave, change it up, make it as is, and enjoy!
Guinness and Steak Pie
A wholesome and hearty pie that will warm your cockles and fill your belly. The best part is you can drop it in the slow cooker and leave it all day long. Perfect with creamed mash potatoes or colcannon mash.
Ingredients
- 500 g Stewing Steak
- 4 tbsp Plain Flour
- 4 Carrots
- 4 Shallots You can substitute this with one large onion
- 150 g Chestnut Mushrooms
- 500 ml Guinness
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cube Beef Oxo
- 1 tsp Marmite
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 3 tbsp Onion Gravy Granules
- 1 packet Ready Roll Puff Pastry
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
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Pat your beef chunks dry with some paper towel, then coat them in 2 tablespoons of flour.
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Chop your carrots, shallots and mushrooms as chunky as you want them.
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In a pan, heat a little oil, and add the coated beef chunks. You are not cooking them, just searing them to lock in flavour and moisture.
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Once browned, drop them in the bottom of the slow cooker and turn to low (5-6 hours cook time) or to high (3-4 hours cook time) dependent on how much time you have before you want to eat your pie.
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Add your veggies to the hot pan to begin the cooking process. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the remaining flour.
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Once all your veggies are coated, add half your Guinness to the pan. This will help deglaze the pan to get maximum flavour.
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Add your veggies in the gravy to your slow cooker and add the rest of the Guinness, Marmite, Oxo cube, Worcestershire Sauce, dried thyme plus salt and pepper to taste.
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Drop the lid on and leave it to cook.
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The gravy will become rich and deep, if you need to you can add the gravy granules right at the end if your pie filling is a little too loose.
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Approximately 15 minutes before you're ready to eat your pie, you can either decant the pie filling to a pie dish, add the pastry and bake. Or you can leave the filling in the slow cooker, and make separate pie toppers on a flat baking sheet.
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Grab your puff pastry, slice into small rectangles, gauge the size you feel is big enough. Do an egg or milk wash, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven at 180c until the pastry is golden brown – around 15-20 minutes.
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Serve with creamed potatoes or hearty colcannon mash for the ultimate homely meal.
Recipe Notes
This is a very rich pie, so less is definitely more. I recommend a strong jammy red or even a Guinness to pair with this dish.
The recipe is also very forgiving, so you can use cheaper cuts of meat, which do better being slow cooked all day.
If you have left overs, which I doubt you will, it will freeze beautifully without the pastry on it.
