The cheesy mini meat pies have the filling of chicken, cheese, and vegetables. On the other hand, the pie crust is buttery and flaky. A brushing of garlic butter and the sprinkle of Parmesan cheese make this even more appealing and appetizing.

Pie dough is one of the easiest to put together. It contains very few essential ingredients. The tad bit tricky part is the way you handle the dough, and the most important part is to use cold butter and cold water.

Furthermore, you have to work gently and not knead the dough but bring it together. The final dough will have lumps of butter which is what you need. Another important factor is to put it back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so that the butter solidifies again which makes it flaky. On the other hand, shortening gives the pie dough added flakiness. About two tablespoons are all you need for this recipe.

Pie recipes are very versatile, be it the savory or dessert pies. You can use almost anything you like. It’s a great way to use leftover meat or overripe fruits.

One more best thing about pies are you can prefill the dough and then freeze it. Since making appetizers can be time-consuming, making this and freezing ahead of time can be helpful.

To freeze individual pies, layer a baking sheet or tray with plastic wrap and then arrange this making sure that it doesn’t touch each other. Place this in the freezer for about 30 minutes or to an hour or until the pie hardens. Once it sets, move it into a freezer safe bag, seal it well and put it back in the freezer. All you have to do later is pull it out of the freezer, as needed and thaw it in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or on the counter top for 30 minutes and then brush with egg wash and bake. Nothing can beat the warm appetizers out of the oven.

It’s an excellent option for kids snack or lunch boxes. Add their favorite filling and freeze. Again, pull it out and bake as needed. Isn’t it great to have quick fixes when you have kids at home?

My favorite option when making desserts out of pie dough is to add apple cinnamon brown sugar filling. The combination is ultimate, and the house will smell so good. It’s a perfect natural room freshener too.

Talking about natural room fresheners, did you know simmering citrus peels and cinnamon sticks in water for about 20 minutes will freshen your home and remove odors if any, especially the smell of cooked onions and seafood?

Cheesy Mini Meat Pies

Yield: 8 mini pies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

See Ingredients and Instructions in the next page