I had never eaten, much less heard of, a pasty until I moved to Michigan. Pasties are a hugely characteristic delicacy of Michigan’s upper peninsula. Many local stores in our area carry them, so I’ve had a few in the years since moving here.
We really enjoy my homemade version. They’re not hard to put together at all, although they do require a bit more time than most meals since they involve rolling dough. But I think that extra work is so worthwhile, especially since these freeze really well. They’re great to have on hand in the freezer for a quick lunch. My husband also appreciates their convenience when he needs a quick meal before heading out to work or to take with when he goes.
Ground Beef Pasties
Homemade ground beef pasties like the ones from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, filled with beef, potatoes, onion and carrots and served with a quick beef gravy.
Servings: 12 pasties
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 – 6 medium-sized red potatoes, cubed
- 2 cup diced veggies (I usually use just fresh carrots, but my carrots weren’t fresh as I would have liked this time, so I used 2 cups of frozen mixed veggies instead. It was a great substitution!)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Homemade pie crust or store-bought (enough for 3 -4 crusts)
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 14 tbsp butter or margarine
- 1/4 tbsp butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cup beef stock, broth or bullion cubes
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and fresh veggies, if using. Stir in seasonings. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. (If using frozen veggies, stir into skillet shortly before removing from heat.) Cool.
- Roll out dough into a circle, about the size of a small plate. (If using store bought dough, cut each piece of dough into fourths and roll into a circle.) Place about 1/3 c. beef filling into the center of each dough circle. Fold over, seal and roll edges.
- Brush each pasty with beaten egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until golden and pie crust is fully cooked.
- While pasties cook, melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in beef stock, bring to a slow boil and boil until thickened. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning.
- Serve pasties with gravy on the side for dipping or poured on top.
