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Italian ham and cheese pie
Two sheets of puff pastry encase a tomato, ham and cheese filling in this Tuscan pie, which is traditionally served at breakfast. Though it makes a perfect lunch with a simple green salad. It’s very easy to make, on the table in just over an hour. You can serve it hot or at room temperature, but the melting cheese makes it hard to resist for long.
Chicken and wild mushroom pie
If you’re on the lookout for a really comforting pie, this one will fit the bill. You can use any wild mushrooms, or substitute with a mixture of cultivated and dried wild mushrooms. The cooked chicken and mushrooms are in a rich white wine and creamy sauce, with some fresh tarragon, which works perfectly. The pie is topped with golden, buttery puff pastry.
Ham and apple pie
You’ll need cooking apples for this recipe, so they collapse into a tart, fluffy purée. Puff pastry encases a creamy béchamel sauce, with the apples, cooked ham and Cheddar cheese. It’s very moreish, so one slice may not be enough. Just serve with greens or a salad.
Mushroom and cheese pie
In Scandinavia, this pie is served at parties and for Christmas, but it’s wonderful at any time of year. You can serve it cold, too, but just sauté then add the mushrooms before serving. The recipe uses chanterelle mushrooms, which you can replace with small button mushrooms. Definitely a dish for cheese-lovers everywhere.
Christmas leftover tart
This vegetarian pie is a great use-up for any vegetables you have left from a holiday roast. Using ready-made pastry, you simply pour a creamy egg custard over the vegetables, adding any cheese you want to use up from the fridge. The recipe suggests using Cheddar, but any blue cheese, soft cheese or goats’ cheese would do, or a combination of all three.
Shepherd’s pie
A great British classic, shepherd’s pie is perfect for a winter’s day. It’s simply browned ground lamb, cooked with onions, carrots and mushrooms, with beef stock and a touch of Worcestershire sauce. The sauce is lightly thickened, then topped with creamy mashed potato and baked until browned and bubbling.
Turkey and ham Christmas pie
A raised pie is a British classic, traditionally served at Christmas. It makes a great centerpiece for table, and is far easier to create than you would imagine. The pastry is a hot water crust, which is very forgiving and easy to work with. This recipe is made using Christmas leftovers – turkey, ham, chestnuts and cranberries – but it’s worth making even if you don’t have the leftovers to hand!
Beef and cheese pie
Here’s a beef pie with a difference! Beef is slow-cooked in stock and ale (you do need to marinate the beef overnight), then slices of Cheddar cheese are laid over the beef in a pie dish, which is then topped with a sour cream pastry. The cheese melts into the pastry, adding a wonderful savory layer.
Tomato tart with goats’ cheese
While this colorful Mediterranean dish has warm days written all over it, there’s nothing stopping you from making it in fall and winter for a fresh-tasting lunch. The base is covered with a thick tomato and garlic sauce. It’s then topped with sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and goats’ cheese before being flashed in the oven to lightly melt the cheese. If goats’ cheese isn’t your thing, it works perfectly with feta.
Pumpkin pie
The scent in your kitchen of the traditional spices for pumpkin pie – cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger – really means the holiday season is upon us. You can buy pumpkin purée if you don’t want to make your own. The pie crust is easy to make, but again, use store-bought shortcrust pastry if you like. Instead of serving it with whipping cream, try a salted caramel sauce, which brings out the sweetness of the pie.
Nothing brings people together like a great pie. At any time of year, pies are perfect for sharing with family and friends. They are easy to make and most of the preparation can be done in advance. From simple midweek meals to festive showstoppers and glamorous desserts, there’s sure to be a pie here for everyone.