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This simple steak pie recipe is perfect for when there's frost on the ground and a chill in the air.
With hot meat, vegetables and gravy, you can make a satisfying winter meal for the whole family and get little hands involved in the kitchen - making choices and building their confidence around food.
Read children's dietitian Angharad Banner's step-by-step guide below, with fun suggestions for how your child can personalise their pie using puff pastry cut-offs!
This recipe is suitable for children aged 12 months old and up鈥
Ingredients
Serves four
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 400g diced braising steak
- 1 onion, finely sliced or chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 beef stock cube dissolved in 300ml boiling water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 320g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
Method
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the meat and allow it to brown. Finely slice or chop the onion and add to the pan and cook for 5 mins until soft.
2. While the onions are cooking, peel and finely slice the carrots, cutting the larger circles in half. Once the onions are soft, add the carrots to the pan. Scatter over the flour and mix together. If your child has a safety knife, chopping carrots is the perfect opportunity to get them involved.
3. Add the ketchup and give it another stir. Pour over the stock and add seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook on low for 30 minutes until the meat is tender. The filling can be made up to three days ahead and chilled or frozen for up to three months.
4. To make the pie, heat the oven to 220 degrees celsius (200 degrees for a fan oven, or gas mark 7). Tip the filling into a 20cm rimmed pie dish. Beat the egg and brush the rim of the dish (another chance to get your child involved). Unravel the pastry, drape over the dish, and use a knife to trim and press the edges against the side of the dish.
5. If you like, you can help your child re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration of their choice. Angharad's son has made a spooky spider.
6. Brush the pie with the egg. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie and bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Opportunities to get your child involved in the kitchen
Preparing food and making choices in the kitchen is a great way for children to develop their skills and independence - this is especially important if they're starting nursery or school in the near future.
Kitchen tasks are great for fine motor skills and making decisions around what to include, or how to decorate, can build their confidence. Here are some suggestions for getting your child involved in the making of a steak pie鈥
Chopping vegetables if you have a child-safe knife
Rolling the pastry
Brushing egg onto the pastry
Using pastry off-cuts to make their own design on top of the pie. This could be an animal, a face, or perhaps the first letter of their name!
鈥淚 suggest you serve with mashed potato and green vegetables for some colour!鈥 - Angharad
Angharad is an NHS-registered children's dietitian. She says: "This pie is a great all-rounder as it contains protein, carbohydrates and vegetables which are three out of the four main food groups."
"Red meat is a good source of iron which is important for brain development and there is a lot of that going on!"
If you would like to make a vegetarian or vegan version of our winter warmer pie, Angharad suggests that you might start by substituting the beef for 400g of tinned green lentils and 150g of mushrooms, as well as a vegan beef stock cube.
