In the kitchen: road trip hand pies.

When we're on the road from MKE to MN, I'm usually in such a "let's get home as fast as we can" zone that there's hardly anything that will make me stop...excluding some necessary coffee needs every now and then. Stopping somewhere for food is definitely not worth it to us, especially since these little hand pies are so easy to make. And, as an added bonus, we use up any leftovers before leaving for a few days; this makes the recipe really cost effective because you're using what you've already made. Plus-plus!

Hand Pies For the Road. 

-------------------------
Shortcrust dough, via Gordon Ramsey's Great British Pub Food. 

400 grams plain flour

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

200 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3-4 Tbsp. ice water

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter pieces until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. 

Add in ice water and mix with a fork, just until dough comes together. If it seems dry, add a bit more water, but don't make the dough too wet. 

Lightly flour a work surface, and gently knead the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out for the pasties. 

Ingredients to make 5 pasties***

3 medium potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled

1 large sweet onion

3 carrots, peeled

Leftover chicken or pork, about 2/3 cup shredded meat 

1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

Olive oil 

Salt, pepper 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

***I saved time the morning of our trip home last week by just cooking together the leftover potatoes, carrots, and pork shoulder Andrew had made for dinner the previous night. It really doesn't matter what filling you use for the pies - use anything you have on hand! 

Dice the potatoes, carrots, and onion into equally sized pieces. 

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat, add vegetables and cook 5-8 minutes until tender. Add the chicken pieces and cook to warm through. Add in mustard, and season with plenty of salt and pepper. 

Preheat oven to 425. Roll out dough into 5 rounds to fit 3.5 inch baking dishes; leave an inch of overhang. Fill pasties with cooked filling, adding a bit more salt to each. Pinch overhang to seal, and brush with beaten egg. 

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. 

And of course, as per any car trip, store in Tupperware containers and get ready to hit the road!