Name: Monster Meat Pies
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup cold butter; 1/4 cup cold shortening; 1/2 cup cold water; 2 cups shredded roast beef; 8 slices havarti cheese; 1 egg

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Leftover roast beef finds new life inside Monster Meat Pies, paired perfectly with creamy havarti cheese in a golden pastry. It’s a flavor-packed way to make family dinner something fun and delicious.

Serve up some shivers at your next get-together with Monster Meat hand Pies. They bring lively conversation and spooky snacking to the table. Try making them for your Halloween party and see everyone’s reactions. #HalloweenRecipes #SpookySavoryPies #GhoulishGourmet #MonsterMeals #FrightfullyDelicious

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I made some cute monster meatball sliders for this event. They had fun pimento stuffed olives as the eyes. Then I made some beef and pumpkin pasties. Finally, when I was searching for some creepy recipes with eyes to make for this event and saw all kinds of recipes with eyes in them. There were a lot of sweet pies using cherries and carved apples as eyes.

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This got me thinking about those monster sliders and a meat pie. Why can’t I make a meat pie with eyes? At first, I was going to make a full meat pie, but knew the hubs wouldn’t really go for it. Then I thought about the pasties and turned them into these monster meat pies.

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What is a Meat Pie?

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A meat pie is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a savory pie filled with minced or chopped meat encased in a pastry crust. Sometimes there’s veggies and maybe some cheese. I mean, a stromboli is basically a meat pie, right? Meat pies come in various shapes and sizes, from handheld pasties to large family-style pies. They’re hearty, portable, and endlessly customizable thus making them a classic comfort food around the world.

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Early versions appeared in ancient Egypt and Greece. Bakers used dough as a vessel to cook and preserve meats. The brilliantly frugal concept traveled across Europe as explorers wandered the globe. They gained a lot popularity in medieval England, where pies became a staple at feasts and in everyday fare.

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Just like all good recipe ideas, different regions developed their own unique versions. There’s Cornish pasties in England, tourtière in Canada, and empanadas in Spain and Latin America. The meat pie’s enduring popularity is a testament to its simple, satisfying nature and its ability to evolve with local flavors and traditions.

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Traditional Meat Pie Filling

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Classic meat pie fillings typically feature beef or lamb. This is combined with slow-cooked with vegetables like onions, carrots, and peas. Sometimes there are potatoes and a flavorful gravy with the meat and veggies. Seasoning varies by region. Worcestershire sauce is typical in British pies, allspice in Caribbean versions, and Latin empanadas are minced beef and might include hard boiled eggs. The filling should be rich and savory. There should be enough sauce to keep the interior moist but not soggy.

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Ingredients for the Meat Filling

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I used leftovers for my filling. I wanted these meat pies to be fun and not complicated with a fancy filling. So, mine are filled with some leftover roast beef and some Havarti cheese slices. I considered adding some of the leftover mashed potatoes maybe mixed with some cheddar cheese. But then I thought the mashed potatoes might dry out like they do when you reheat them.

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Some fun fillings you might have on hand is rotisserie chicken, leftover ham, or some leftover steak or meatballs. If you have some roasted or sauteed veggies they could go in there, too. If you have some salsa or leftover gravy would make a sauce to keep them moist on the inside. Then there’s a plethora of cheeses you can sprinkle in there, too.

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Making the Simple Pastie Dough

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I used a simple pastie dough used for the beef pasties I mentioned above. It’s made with simple ingredients and is easy to prepare. I make mine in the food processor and it comes together in minutes. Save the scraps. You will need them for the eyes.

Ingredients – flour, butter, shortening, salt, water

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Make sure the butter and shortening are cold. I keep butter in the fridge and now I keep some of those shortening sticks in there, too, so I can whip these up any time I want. Cube the butter and vegetable shortening. Toss them in the bowl of a food processor with the flour and the salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

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With the processor running, drizzle the water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a ball. Remove to a work surface and knead lightly to form a smooth ball. At this point, you can roll and cut your rounds and refrigerate. Or you can wrap it in plastic and roll it out later.

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Assembling the Monster Meat Pasties

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Preheat your oven to 375 F. If you haven’t rolled out your dough, then lightly flour a work surface and roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. I used a hamburger patty press as the pattern for my circles. It’s about 5 inches wide. You can make yours smaller or larger. It’s entirely up to you how big to make them. If you make them small, I would adjust the size of the olive for the eyes.

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Cut a slice of Havarti into 4 strips. Stack 2 and place them on one side of the dough. Top with about 1/4 cup of shredded beef, (or chicken, diced ham, or roasted veggies, etc.) and top with the other two slices of Havarti cheese.

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Brush the edges with a little water, fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape. I didn’t crimp the edges to seal them. Monsters don’t usually heave crimped heads, so I pressed the edges tightly to make sure they sealed.

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Once I filled all my pies, I set out to make the eyes. I used pimento stuffed queen olives for the eyes on top of the pies. If you’re making smaller pies, use smaller olives. A whole olive is too large, so cut them in half. Using a 1 1/2 inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out the scraps to make an eyelid for each pie.

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Press the olive half onto the top of the pie. Brush around the olive with egg wash, and them arrange the small circle of pastry dough on top of the olive. Press the eyelid dough onto the top of the pie making sure they stick together.

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Ingredients to Use for Eyes on Top of the Pie

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Monster meat pies are all about having fun with your food and getting the kids involved. Like I said, I used queen pimento stuffed olives. But there’s also almond, blue cheese, feta, and jalapeno stuffed olives. Or you can try some black olives. If they’re large enough you can stuff them with a bit of cheese or bell pepper.

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There are pearl onions or cherry tomatoes for a different color of eye. You can try some mozzarella balls, but they might melt too much. Then there’s the whites from a hard-boiled egg. If you’re making some deviled eggs for your party, you can easily trim the round ends off to use for eyes. Or you can totally skip the eye lid and just put an olive or two on top of the pie.

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Baking and Serving these meat pies

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Brush the tops of the pies with a beaten egg for a golden finish. Bake at 375 F for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Make sure to let the meat pies cool for a few minutes before serving. They’re best enjoyed warm, with a side of simple green salad or a tangy tomato relish.

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What do these monster meat pies taste like?

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Monster meat pies are a playful twist on a classic hand pie. The pastry is easy to make. It is perfectly flaky, buttery, and delicious. The roast beef and cheese in mine hit the spot! The rich roast beef has all the flavor of the herbs and spices it simmered with. It is elevated by the crispy, buttery pastry. Then the Havarti is salty and creamy with an earthy flavor. It’s an elevated beef and cheddar pie.

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Whether you’re baking for a Halloween party, a family dinner, or just treating yourself, these pies are sure to bring smiles to the table. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your fillings and decorations. The best part about homemade pies is making them your own. You can double the dough recipe and store some in the freezer to make meat pies any time you want. And use whatever filling you have on hand!

Monster Meat Pies

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serve up some shivers at your next get-together with Monster Meat hand Pies. They bring lively conversation and spooky snacking to the table. Try making them for your Halloween party and see everyone’s reactions.

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Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/4 cup cold shortening
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups shredded roast beef
8 slices havarti cheese
1 egg

Instructions

Cube the butter and vegetable shortening. Toss them in the bowl of a food processor with the flour and the salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
With the processor running, drizzle the water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a ball. Remove to a work surface and knead lightly to form a smooth ball. At this point, you can roll and cut your rounds and refrigerate. Or you can wrap it in plastic and roll it out later.
Preheat your oven to 375 F. If you haven’t rolled out your dough, then lightly flour a work surface and roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. I used a hamburger patty press as the pattern for my circles. It’s about 5 inches wide. You can make yours smaller or larger. It’s entirely up to you how big to make them. If you make them small, I would adjust the size of the olive for the eyes.
Cut a slice of Havarti into 4 strips. Stack 2 and place them on one side of the dough. Top with about 1/4 cup of shredded beef, (or chicken, diced ham, or roasted veggies, etc.) and top with the other two slices of Havarti cheese.
Brush the edges with a little water, fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape. I didn’t crimp the edges to seal them. Monsters don’t usually heave crimped heads, so I pressed the edges tightly to make sure they sealed.
I used pimento stuffed queen olives for the eyes on top of the pies. If you’re making smaller pies, use smaller olives. A whole olive is too large, so cut them in half. Using a 1 1/2 inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out the scraps to make an eyelid for each pie.
Press the olive half onto the top of the pie. Brush around the olive with egg wash, and them arrange the small circle of pastry dough on top of the olive. Press the eyelid dough onto the top of the pie making sure they stick together.
Brush the tops of the pies with a beaten egg for a golden finish. Bake at 375 F for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Make sure to let the meat pies cool for a few minutes before serving

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 451Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 113mgSodium 1006mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 21g

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Welcome to 2025’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!

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This is our 8th year doing #HalloweenTreatsWeek … has it really been 8 years? Wow!

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#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife every October. This event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween-loving bloggers!

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Make Sure to check out all of the fun Halloween recipes that we’re sharing this week!