serves four or five
The inspiration for this recipe came from The Cookbook of Left-Overs: A Collection of 400 Reliable Recipes for the Practical Housekeeper, published in 1911. I discovered the tiny volume in a dusty pile of books I inherited from my grandmother. The original recipe calls for “cold boiled mutton,” which, admittedly, I don’t often have, so I decided to improvise just a bit. Instead of mutton, you can use whatever leftover meat you may have hanging around—beef roast, pork roast, or bits of chicken or turkey you’ve collected after cooking a bird. I’ve written out my basic ground beef version below, but also included instructions for building your own pie depending on what’s in your fridge (see here). Nothing says “homesteader” more than using every bit of what you have, and even though we’ve strayed considerably from the original mutton recipe, I couldn’t resist allowing the name to live on.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce (here)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
BISCUITS
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup buttermilk (here)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a 10-inch cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and remaining seasonings and simmer for 15 minutes.
Make the biscuits: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives (you can also use a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then mix in the buttermilk. Pat the dough out to ½ inch thick on a floured countertop. Cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter.
Sprinkle the cheese on top of the beef, then arrange the biscuits on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown.
the “build your own homestead pie” formula
When you’re on day three of working through a giant ham or roast, leftovers quickly lose their charm. Use the following formula to turn tired bits of meat and veggies into a snazzy new meal. (Because really—who can resist anything topped with a homemade biscuit?)
Potpies are the perfect time to experiment with tweaking and substituting, so this formula chart is meant to be followed loosely. The amounts in the seasonings column are suggested amounts—exact quantities will depend on the meat, veggies, and other ingredients you use. Just taste test as you go and you’ll be just fine.
BASIC METHOD
1. In an oven-safe skillet, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir until lightly browned. (Omit the flour if you are using tomato or barbecue sauce as the liquid.) Add the cooked meat, remaining vegetables, the stock or sauce, and the seasonings to the skillet.
2. Simmer and stir until the vegetables are softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust the salt and other seasonings if needed.
4. Make the biscuits, sprinkle the cheese on top of the meat in the skillet if called for, and arrange the biscuits on top.
5. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown.
6. Watch your leftovers disappear!
