Cheese and Onion Pies: An Easy Pie Recipe

Directions: How to Make Cheese and Onion Pies

• Peel and quarter the potatoes.
• Put the potatoes in a pan of salted water on the hob and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your pastry.
• Put the plain flour and salt in a bowl, then dice the butter and add it to the flour.
• Use your hands to crumb the butter and flour together.
• Add a little water to the ingredients and use your hand to combine.
• Keep adding a little water at a time until you have a soft and pliable dough.
• Wrap the pastry in cling film and put it in the refrigerator to cool.
• Add some butter to a small pan and put over medium heat on the hob.
• Next, add the onion to the pan and sauté until the onions are soft before removing from the heat.
• Drain the cooked potatoes and add the milk and the melted butter you used to cook the onions.
• Season the potatoes with salt and freshly ground pepper, and mash until there are no lumps in the potatoes.
• Add all the grated cheese to the potatoes and mash until the cheese is thoroughly melted and combined with the potatoes.
• Then, add the onions to the cheese and potato mixture and stir through with a spoon. Do not mash, as you should keep the onions intact.
• Leave the cheese and potato mixture to cool.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, and lightly flour your work surface.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the pastry until it is approximately 0.5 cm thick.
• Spread your individual pie tins over the pastry to give you a guide of the size you need to cut.
• Cut around each pie tin so there is enough pastry in each piece to cover the base of the tins and up the sides with a little excess pastry.
• Use a little butter to grease the pie tins with your finger, then insert one cut piece of pastry into each tin.
• Next, cut the lids for the pies, again using the tins as a guide.
• Fill each of the pies with enough filling for it to almost reach the top of the pie.
• Beat an egg in a cup to use for a glaze.
• Use a pastry brush to brush around the exposed part of the pastry at the top of the pie and along the edges of the pie tops.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/ 430F.
• Put the pie lids on the pies so the side with the egg glaze faces downwards.
• For each pie, squeeze together the pastry sides and the pie top to create a seal.
• Use the remaining beaten egg to brush across the top of each pie as a glaze.
• Put the pie tins on a baking tray, then put the tray in the oven.
• Cook the pies for approximately 20 minutes until the pastry is golden.