Bibliophile Eats - Meat Pie

Okay...Food.  We all need food right? Seriously, it's a necessity. Without it...well, I hesitate to think of the horrors!  Today, I'm sharing with you some pictures of the meat pie that we make at least once or twice a year (especially when the weather gets cooler - because it's fairly time consuming and it tastes better when you make the pie crust from scratch!).

This is not your average "pot pie" as most Americans see it...no this is a Pennsylvania Dutch Meat Pie...there is a distinction.  Please do not call this deliciousness a pot pie around someone who grew up eating Pennsylvania Dutch cooking - you just won't win the argument.  I distinctly remember the first time we made this (following the original recipe) and we used rice instead of potatoes (which is still an option) and it soaked up the delicious gravy in this tasty, tasty dish.  It was also the one and ONLY time we'd gotten my roommate's son to eat not only gravy but rice as well...so score on that.

Anyway, I don't have the recipe handy for this one, but if I manage to remember to grab my recipe book for next week's entry, I will edit this week's post and throw it in there. Promise!

 

Homemade pie crust.  Seriously, what is not absolutely wonderful about that series of words?  Everything is wonderful about those words.  Deliciously flaky, yummy pie crust fitted in to a 2-quart casserole dish - yes, you need that much room for this yummy, yummy dish. 

See? All that beefy, meaty, veggie filled gravy goodness must have room to breathe in that delicious handmade pie crust! So delicious and it fills your house with so many yummy scents!  Then you pour it in the pie crust and it begins to take on a new life! Then it's topped with another layer of that deliciously wondrous handmade pie crust. 

Okay so my edges need work, don't judge! However, aesthetics aside....what is in this delicious pie crust encased bundle is pure, belly filling, deliciousness. This is right before it went into the oven, to further enhance the flavors and turn that flaky, delicious pie crust a delightful golden brown. 

Some time was given for it to cool (though to be honest, not very much).  Then it was time to cut into this flaky, golden brown heaven and reveal the meat and veggie filled gravy interior. 

And now, it's time to eat!  Enjoy! 

Bibliophile Eats: Breakfast Noms

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day right? But how many of us have time to eat breakfast that is homemade, from our own kitchen and not from a box in the freezer or from some cholesterol raising fast food place? None of us really, except maybe on days off (if we can muster the energy to cook anything).  Occasionally on my day off I get the bug to cook something nifty, and with this one I don't have any progress pictures, but they are so much better than any of the Jimmy Dean's breakfast bowls that are out there.  Seriously, and you can add just about anything you want to them.  

This, is delicious. This is everything that is in it:

• 1 small potato diced
• Small portion of diced ham
• 2 eggs scrambled
• Shredded cheese of your choice, I used shredded colby and jack cheeses
• Sprinkle of Adobo
• Sprinkle of salt and white pepper

I ate this with a couple of slices of buttered wheat toast.  It was epically delicious and I'm now pondering remaking one of these for breakfast today (since I've not yet had one since January).

By the way, I do apologize for this being late, but between everything yesterday I was just too exhausted to focus properly - and my neuropathy flaring I couldn't type much. 

Bibliophile Eats: Pizza Steaks

Welcome to the newest edition of Bibliophile Eats! Today's feature is going to be Pizza steaks! Now, I can already hear you asking me what exactly they are, and it is quite simple.  They are kind of like a philly cheesesteak, but something a bit different! They are greasy, so be careful when cooking, especially if you are having little ones help you out with the dinner prep.  Some good side option choices for these include french fries, potato chips, or anything else you like as a fitting side for a hot sandwich.  We usually do either chips or fries because it is simple.

Okay, here we have the first pic of needed supplies.  Bag of potato chips (chosen side for tonight).  The steak part of this is the thin sandwich steaks (Steak'ems or something similar).  Provolone cheese.  Chopped onion.  You could also add some chopped red and/or green peppers to this as well.

Second set of ingredients, because they were spread out on the counter and we were cooking while I was snapping pictures.  A jar of any particular variety of pizza sauce (whatever your favorite is we use the Wal-Mart brand because it's tasty and within our budget).  Also, you will need sub rolls (it is NOT recommended to do this on a hot dog bun or on a round sandwich roll, it simply does NOT work right and will be much, much messier).

So, on to the cooking.  In a frying pan (turn the pan on to heat it up) add two sets of the steak (a total of 4 of the thin pieces - 2 paper lined portions) to the warm frying pan.  As they start to brown, flip them, and for a fuller sandwich or bigger rolls add a third set of the steaks to ensure that there is enough meat.  As the meat browns and cooks through, add onion to one corner of the pan to begin frying.  Once all the meat is brown and the onions are cooked to your liking, combine the meat and onion in the center of the frying pan. Add to the meat 2-4 teaspoons of pizza sauce (depending on how saucy you want your sandwich).  Mix the pizza sauce and the meat/onion mixture before settling it once more in the center of the pan in a shape similar to your sub roll.  Tear the slice of provolone in half, place on top of the meat.  Allow the cheese to melt a bit before lifting the whole thing (carefully, don't be afraid to use a spatula and a spoon to ensure that none is left in the pan) from the pan and add it to the roll.  Add chips and or fries to the plate and you are done.

Yummy! Mine didn't have onions in it this time!

Enjoy and see you next week on the next issue of Bibliophile Eats!