Family Beef, Bacon and Cheese Pie
Serves 8-10, Prep 45 mins, Cook 1 hour
4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 cup grated Tasty cheese (80g) 1 egg, lightly beaten
FILLING 2 tblsps olive oil 1kg lean beef mince 200g shortcut bacon rashers, chopped 2 onions, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tblsps fresh thyme leaves ¹∕³ cup tomato paste 2 cups beef stock 400g can crushed tomatoes ½ cup smoky barbecue sauce,
plus extra to serve Salt and pepper, to taste ¼ cup plain flour ¹∕³ cup water
1 Grease a 25cm round x 5cm deep cake pan. 2 To make filling, heat half the oil in a stockpot over a high heat. Add beef in two batches. Cook, stirring to break up mince, for about 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove. 3 Add remaining oil, bacon, onions, garlic and thyme to pot over a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Stir in paste. Add stock, tomatoes and sauce. Return beef. Season 4 Bring to boil. Gently boil, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in blended flour and water. Return to boil. Gently boil, stirring constantly for a further 5 minutes, or until very thick. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover. Refrigerate until cold. 5 Place two pastry sheets on top of each other at different angles to form a star. Roll out large enough to line base and side of prepared pan. Lift and press into pan. Trim edge. Use trimmings to cover any gaps. Spoon in filling. Sprinkle with cheese. 6 Sandwich remaining pastry sheets together, lightly brushing in between with egg. Gently roll out until large enough to cover pie. Carefully score top sheet into 2cm wide strips, without cutting all the way through. Lift onto filling. Trim edge. Press edge with a fork to seal. 7 Cut a small cross in the centre. Brush egg over pastry. Place on an oven tray. 8 Cook in a very hot oven (220C) for 25 minutes. Reduce oven to hot (200C). Cook for 25 minutes. Cover top loosely with foil. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp. Remove from oven. Stand in pan for 15 minutes before removing. 9 Serve hot with extra sauce.