Easy Meat & Potato Pie
Here is Bar Bar’s homemade Meat & Potato Pie recipe — a comforting, flavour-packed dish with melt-in-the-mouth beef, tender potatoes and a crisp pastry top.
A delicious pie: falling-apart tender beef in a rich gravy with potatoes and a golden pastry lid.
This one is very special — it’s my mum Barbara’s recipe.
Perfect Comfort Meat Pie Recipe
This is the perfect family dinner because it’s simple to prepare, though the meat needs time to cook low and slow. Pop the beef in the oven, go about your day, and four to five hours later you’ll have the most tender, flavourful meat.
Cooking stewing steak slowly at a low temperature turns it into succulent, falling-apart beef with a deep, rich gravy — no fatty or gristly bits, just great texture and depth of flavour.
Preparation
You can do most of the work the day before. Once the filling is ready, simply add the pastry lid and bake for about 30 minutes to finish. The long cooking time is for the beef only — you can braise it in the oven or use a slow cooker.
Prepare the filling ahead, refrigerate, then assemble and bake when you’re ready. The slow-cooked meat develops a deep, satisfying flavour while you get on with other things.
Which Pastry to Use?
I use shop-bought shortcrust pastry for speed, but you can make your own if you prefer. Puff pastry also works well for a flakier top. I don’t use a pastry base — I find the dish doesn’t need it. If you prefer a bottom, par-bake it first to avoid sogginess.
Leaving out the pastry base avoids a soggy bottom and trims a few calories, while still giving you that lovely golden lid.
No Soggy Bottom
Just to be clear: this pie has no pastry base. If you like a pastry bottom, go ahead — everyone has their own preference. This version keeps things simple and avoids a soggy underside.
What to Serve With It
This pie is a real challenger to a Sunday roast — hearty and satisfying. Serve it with plenty of crisp vegetables. The gravy is rich and meaty, and pairs beautifully with greens.
- Green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas — all work well.
- Mushy peas are lovely with this pie if that’s your thing.
I usually skip extra potatoes since they’re in the pie, but roast potatoes are a great addition if you have guests.
This pie is comforting on a cold day and always reminds me of home in the north. The gravy is stunning — deep, meaty and rich. Serve with plenty of vegetables and extra gravy made from the meat juices.
Popular Homemade Meat & Potato Pie
This recipe is one of the most popular on Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy — readers love how the meat falls apart and how rich the gravy is. It’s one of my favourites too.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers, cool the pie, cover well and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in the oven until piping hot — reheating in the microwave is possible but the pastry will lose its crispness.
What Baking Dish to Use
Any pie dish or ovenproof tin will do. I like old-fashioned enamelled tins — they’re practical and inexpensive. Use whatever shape suits you.
Other Warming Pie Recipes
If you enjoy pies, try a straightforward Steak Pie or my Shepherd’s Pie with sneaky leeks. Both are comforting and family-friendly.
Lovely Beef Recipes
For a special occasion, try an Easy Beef Wellington — it’s impressive and delicious.
Warm Dinners
Another popular recipe is Honey Garlic Chicken, an easy slow-cooker dish that’s great for busy days.
Enjoy, Clare
Please comment if you make Bar Bar’s Easy Meat & Potato Pie — I’d love to hear how it turned out, and so would my mum.
Easy Meat & Potato Pie
20 minutes
4 hours 30 minutes
4 hours 50 minutes
6
766kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5 Kg lean stewing steak fat trimmed off
- 1.5 pts water enough to cover the meat
- 2 OXO cubes beef stock cubes
- Black pepper
- 6 large potatoes peeled and sliced into 1cm slices
- Pack of chilled shortcrust pastry or make your own; puff pastry also works
- 1-2 tbsp gravy granules or cornflour to thicken gravy
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 110°C / Gas 1/4.
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Place stewing steak in a roasting tin, cover with about 1.5 pints of water, crumble in the OXO cubes and add black pepper. Cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for a minimum of 4 hours.
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Peel and slice the potatoes into 1cm slices. Boil for 10–12 minutes until just tender, then drain and set aside.
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When the meat is done, pour half the meat juices into a jug and reserve for extra gravy. Thicken the remaining juices in the roasting tin with gravy granules or cornflour until very thick (about 2 tbsp).
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Place the shredded meat and thickened gravy in the bottom of a large pie dish. Arrange the cooked potato slices on top and spoon a little reserved gravy over them. Preheat the oven to 190°C / Gas 5.
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Roll out the pastry. Trim a narrow strip from the edge and attach this strip around the rim of the pie dish using a little water to help it stick.
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Brush the pastry strip with beaten egg, then drape the rolled pastry over the pie. Press down and trim any excess. Decorate the top if you like.
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Brush the top with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven at 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6 for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.
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Serve with plenty of vegetables and extra gravy made from the reserved meat juices.