Beef & Mushroom Pie

Enjoy this aromatic and meat & mushroom pie with a pint and a fresh salad on the side.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp preferred cooking oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pkg LQC lean ground beef (approx. 450g or 1lb)
• 4 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped (cremini, shitake, and oyster, are all great)
• 3/4 cups beef or mushroom broth *(see note)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (may substitute 2 tbsp flour)
• 1-2 tsp salt (less if the broth is salted)
• Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp each of chopped fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary
• a pinch of ground cloves (really, just a whisper - you don't want to overdo it!)
• 9" double pie crust
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Heat oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until starting to soften, stirring as necessary. Add garlic.

2. Once onions are translucent and just starting to brown, add the beef. Turn the heat up to high and work the meat into small pieces. Allow it to brown.

3. One the meat is cooked fully, add the mushrooms. It will look like a lot, but don't worry- the mushroom bits will reduce in size drastically! Continue to cook & stir until mushrooms have softened.

4. In a cup or dish, combine broth & cornstarch, ensuring there are no lumps. Pour this into the skillet and work it through the meat mixture. Mix in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and cloves. *Note: the amount of liquid needed may vary a touch, so feel it out. The goal is to "glue" our ingredients together; too wet will result in a soggy crust and too dry won't hold the filling together.

5. Transfer the meat mixture to a prepared pie shell. Pat down the filling and smooth it over to achieve an even surface. Add pastry top, crimp the edges, and press down with a fork or using your thumb. Cut a small (2cm) vent hole in the center. Brush pastry with egg wash (if the egg alone is too thick, you may add 1-2 tsp of water or milk to it).

6. Bake on lower rack for 25 min. Lower temperature to 400°F (200°C) and continue to bake another 20 min. If crust browns too much, cover the edges with aluminum foil. Allow to cool 10min before serving.

Notes:

- Our recipe makes enough filling for one 9 inch pie, but with some baking modifications can be used for several individual sized pies as well.

- If you're unsure about the doneness of the bottom crust, use a glass pie dish for a visual check.