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Steak and Cheese Pie

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A sensational steak and cheese pie made from delicious pieces of beef steak cooked in a tasty gravy, topped with cheese flaky puff pastry. The ultimate nostalgic pie recipe.

A slice of meat and vegetable pie on a plate with a fork and knife, in front of a larger pie in a ceramic dish with a missing slice.

We do love a good pie here in New Zealand. And one that's right up there in popularity is the classic - Steak and Cheese Pie. Made from tender pieces of beef steak cooked in a flavoursome, veggie filled gravy, topped with tasty cheese then encased in pastry. The secret to this pie is the combination of both short crust pastry for the base and flaky pastry for the top.

If you're looking for something a little more adventurous, why not give my Butter Chicken Pies a go?

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Ingredient notes:

Ingredients on a countertop include beef, puff pastry, onions, carrot, cheese, egg, flour, butter, herbs, chilies, and soy sauce.
  • Beef steak: Use a cut that's good for slow cooking, like chuck, brisket or blade, which becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. I used rump as it was on sale and it turned out great too!
  • Tasty cheese: Adds a delicious savoury layer that melts into the filling and gives that classic steak and cheese combo.
  • Shortcrust and puff pastry: The shortcrust forms a sturdy, crisp base. While the puff pastry gives the top a flaky, golden finish.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Chop the beef into large 3cm chunks. Coat with flour and season with salt. Heat oil in a lidded cast iron pan over high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for maximum flavour, then set aside.

Chunks of raw beef and trimmings on a black cutting board beside a knife, with more beef pieces in a bowl on a countertop.
Chunks of beef searing in a large white pot on a stovetop, with some pieces browned and a few bits stuck to the bottom.

Prepare the vegetables, then add onions to the pan over a medium heat, with a dash of water.

Diced carrots, chopped onions, minced garlic, and chopped herbs on a black cutting board next to a chef’s knife.
Chopped onions cooking in a large pot with browned residue and a wooden spoon.

Scrape up all the browned bits from the base, these add great flavour to the gravy. Cook until onions have softened. Add garlic, carrot, rosemary and beef to the pan.

Chopped onions being sautéed with spices in a large white pot, stirred with a wooden spoon on a stovetop.
Chopped onions, carrots, garlic, and herbs being sautéed in a pot, with a measuring spoon of soy sauce about to be added.

Dissolve the oxo cubes in boiling water, pour into the pan just covering the meat and then add the Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

A measuring cup pours broth into a pink pot with seared beef chunks, carrots, and onions on a stovetop.
A pot of brown stew with visible chunks of meat, carrots, and onions simmers on a stovetop.

Bring the pan to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low for 2 hours until the beef is tender.

A pink Dutch oven with a metal handle sits on a black stovetop in front of a green tiled backsplash.
A hand pours a white liquid, likely a slurry or cream, into a pot of simmering brown stew with chunks of meat and vegetables, while a wooden spoon rests inside the pot.

Make pastry case. After 2 hours remove the lid and boil for 10-15 mins to reduce some of the liquid. Mix cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir into the beef mix and bring to the boil to thicken. Then, pour it all into a tray to cool.

A pot of thick brown stew with chunks of meat and vegetables being stirred with a wooden spoon on a stovetop.
A glass dish filled with beef stew in a thick brown gravy, containing chunks of meat and diced vegetables, on a speckled countertop.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Lightly grease a 22cm pie dish. Line the dish with shortcrust pastry. If needed, join pieces by scoring and brushing with egg wash.

Unbaked pie crust being placed into a round dish, with an egg wash and pastry brush nearby on a light countertop.
Unbaked pie crust lined with parchment paper and filled with ceramic pie weights, ready for blind baking.

Roughly trim the edge leaving some excess hanging over the sides. Cover the base with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes.

A baked pie crust with no filling, showing a golden brown, slightly cracked surface, in a white dish on a speckled countertop.
A baked pie crust filled with a savory mixture and topped with a generous layer of shredded cheese on a white countertop.

Remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes until the base is lightly golden. Once the filling has cooled, spoon it into the pastry base and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Unbaked pie with crimped edges and four small slits in the center, resting on a countertop next to a brush and a small cup.
A pie with a golden, uncut crust is baking in an oven on a metal rack; the crust edges are crimped and slightly browned.

Top with puff pastry, egg wash the edges to seal, and crimp with a fork or your thumbs. Make a few small holes in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash.

A round, golden-brown pie with a flaky, crimped crust sits on a speckled white countertop.
A golden-brown baked pie with a flaky crust sits in a white ceramic pie dish on a dark textured surface.

Bake at 180°C for 40-45 minutes until golden and crispy. 

A meat pie with a golden crust, missing one slice, sits on a dark surface. The slice is served on a plate with ketchup, a knife, and fork nearby. A bottle of ketchup is also visible.

Recipe FAQs:

Can I make this pie ahead of time?

Yes! You can cook the beef filling a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Assemble and bake the pie fresh on the day.

Can I skip the blind bake?

You can, but the base may turn out softer or a little soggy - especially if your filling is still warm. Blind baking helps create a crisp, sturdy base that holds up well under the rich filling. If you're short on time, you can skip it, but make sure your filling is completely cooled and the base is well chilled before baking. I also like to put the pie towards the bottom of the oven so the base gets plenty of heat to cook the pastry.

A golden-brown baked pie with a flaky crust sits in a white ceramic pie dish on a dark textured surface.

Storage:

Store any leftover pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or the air fryer until the filling is hot and the pastry is flaky.

Top tips:

  • Brown the beef in batches to get a rich, deep flavour in the filling. Don't overcrowd the pan. 
  • Let the filling cool before adding to the cooled pastry case - this stops the base from going soggy.
  • For a glossy, golden top, don't skip the egg wash. You can also use milk if preferred.
  • Pastry tip! To stop the pastry from shrinking, it helps if it's chilled before baking. After lining the pie dish, pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before blind baking. Avoid stretching the pastry when pressing it into the dish, as it will shrink back in the oven.

Made this recipe?
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A baked meat pie with a golden crust sits in a dish, with a large slice missing; the slice is served on a plate nearby with some ketchup.

Steak and Cheese Pie

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

A sensational steak and cheese pie made from delicious pieces of beef steak cooked in a tasty gravy, topped with cheese flaky puff pastry.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1kg beef (brisket, rump etc. )
  • 3 Tbsp plain flour
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp chopped rosemary
  • 2 beef stock cubes
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 Tbsp cornflour
  • 100g cheddar cheese, grated

Pastry

  • 2 sheets Shortcrust pastry (for base)
  • 300g or 2 sheets Puff pastry (for top)
  • 1 egg, whisked (for egg wash)

To serve

  • Tomato sauce, Mashed potatoes, greens, steamed veges

Instructions

  1. Filling: Chop the beef into large 3cm chunks. Coat with flour and season with salt.
  2. Heat oil in a lidded cast iron pan over high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for maximum flavour, then set aside.
  3. Prepare the vegetables, then add onions to the pan over a medium heat, with a dash of water. Scrape up all the browned bits from the base, these add great flavour to the gravy. Cook until onions have softened.
  4. Add garlic, carrot, rosemary and beef to the pan. Dissolve the oxo cubes in boiling water, pour into the pan just covering the meat and then add the Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. 
  5. Bring the pan to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
  6. Make pastry case (see pastry section)
  7. After 2 hours remove the lid and boil for 10-15 mins to reduce some of the liquid. Mix cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir into the beef mix and bring to the boil to thicken. Then, pour it all into a tray to cool. 
  8. Pastry: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Lightly grease a 22cm pie dish.
  9. Line the dish with shortcrust pastry. If needed, join pieces by scoring and brushing with egg wash. Roughly trim the edge leaving some excess hanging over the sides.
  10. Cover the base with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
  11. Remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes until the base is lightly golden.
  12. Once the filling has cooled, spoon it into the pastry base and sprinkle with grated cheese.
  13. Top with puff pastry, egg wash the edges to seal, and crimp with a fork or your thumbs.
  14. Make a few small holes in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash.
  15. Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Notes

  • Brown the beef in batches to get a rich, deep flavour in the filling. Don’t overcrowd the pan. 
  • Let the filling cool before adding to the cooled pastry case— this stops the base from going soggy.
  • For a glossy, golden top, don’t skip the egg wash. You can also use milk if preferred.
  • To stop the pastry from shrinking, it helps if it’s chilled before baking. After lining the pie dish, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes before blind baking. Avoid stretching the pastry when pressing it into the dish, as it will shrink back in the oven.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 603Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 546mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 41g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

© Grace Bowen
Cuisine: New Zealand / Category: Dinners
Collage showing steak and cheese pie ingredients, an uncooked pie, and a baked pie with a golden crust, with a serving taken out and placed on a plate. Text reads Steak & Cheese Pie.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
If you don't already follow me, head over to my Instagram, Facebook or TikTok pages to keep up to date with all my new recipes.
Vanya

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Comments

  1. Judy Ramsey says

    This looks delicious - are there any tips for making individual pies instead of one large pie?

    Reply

  2. Kathy says

    Hi!
    Please tell me what is short crust pastry? Is that a frozen pie crust made with butter!

    Reply

    • VJ cooks says

      Hi Kathy, where are you based? Short crust pastry is readily available in NZ supermarkets in the frozen section. Short crust pastry is a firmer, more crumbly 'short' pastry that doesn't flake up in the same way puff or flaky pastry does.

      Reply

      • Alison Wright says

        I always use tinned steak as I think proper steak is too nice to use in this way with worcestershire sauce and cheese

        Reply

    • Susie says

      This looks like a great recipe to make for the family! Looking forward to making it and I love the pie dish! Where did up you find it?

      Reply

      • VJ cooks says

        Thank you! It's a Mason Cash pie dish that I bought from Chef's Complements 🙂

        Reply

  3. Claire says

    Would you be able to use a crock pot to make this once everything has been browned and fried?

    Reply

    • VJ cooks says

      Yes that should work. Just ensure you remove the lid for last 30 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

      Reply

  4. Elise says

    So good we discussed selling them (in jest). Thank you

    Reply

    • VJ cooks says

      Haha pleased to hear it!

      Reply

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