English Meat Pies ( or "Pastys" as they call them over the pond.)

When I was in England, one of my main goals was to try their "Pastys" (with a short "a" sound)- pastry covered meat pies. Ever since I saw Harry Potter, I just had to have one. Let me say, the buildup was much more exciting than the actual meat pie itself. In fact, the filling was greyish, bland, and stayed with you for days and days. However, the idea itself is quite enticing on a chilly spring day- a warm meat pie with veggies and a flaky crust. So, I made one myself. And you know? These things are quite tasty!!!! But don't fly all the way over to England to get one, make it in your own home tonight! And, the great thing about this recipe is you can add just about anything you want to the filling!

English Meat Pies *makes 4 large, or 8 small pies
1 box pre-made pie crust (or, you can make it yourself if you have oodles of time!)
1 Lb. Ground beef (or ground lamb)
2 small potatoes, grated
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 C. frozen spinach (or peas, or grated carrot, or mushrooms, or all three!)
1/2 C. grated cheese
1 packet ranch dressing mix, or garlic and herb dressing mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brown onions in a bit of oil. Add shredded potatoes and cook until potatoes become more transparent. Add ground beef and brown through. Add frozen spinach and dressing powder, cover and cook until frozen veggies are thawed.

Roll out pie pastry dough until it is a little thinner. Cut in half (for 4 servings) or in quarters (for 8 servings). Place a large spoonfull of filling onto each pastry section and bring both sides up, pinching together across the top until all edges are sealed. (You may have to shape some of the sections before you add filling so they are more uniform.)

Place pies on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. serve warm, or let them cool and you can eat them with your hands! Kids will love these at lunch as well!