Who doesn’t want a piece of the pie every now and again?
I’m not talking about a grand sum of money or anything like that. No. No. Instead, I’m talking about a piece of nostalgic comfort food dished up and served on a plate. A savory family style meat pie that’s a meal within itself. Wildly stuffed with ground elk and a hearty filling infused with aromatics sealed under a flaky buttery crust and baked until golden brown.
Sounds mouthwatering doesn’t it? Plus, it’s simple to make which makes this elk meat pie a great recipe for any novice or expert cook looking for a hearty family meal to serve up for dinner.
The filling of the pie is as I mentioned simple. I mix diced potatoes, onions, shallots and minced garlic along with the ground elk meat. Then season the combination with aromatic French tarragon, parsley and a pinch of salt. Pour the meat mixture into a pie plate and add sautéd sliced mushrooms and a thick layer of shredded Colby jack cheese. Complete the dish by setting the pie crust over the top of the mixture and baking until the crust turns golden brown.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground elk
- 2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 tbsp French tarragon, dried
- 1 tsp parsley, dried
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and diced potatoes. Cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, shallots and garlic and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add the ground elk to the skillet and cook until browned. Season the elk and potatoes with the dried tarragon, parsley and salt. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a bowl.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the butter and mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until browned about 5 minutes.
- Spoon the elk and potato mixture into a pie plate and top with the mushrooms and shredded cheese.
- Carefully set the pie crust over the top of the meat mixture and crimp the edges. Cut slits in the crust to allow for the steam to release.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15 minutes of baking, cover the crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.