Slow cooker beef pie with golden puff pastry lid, crimped edges and steam holes, served in a rustic ceramic dish with tender beef and vegetable filling visible at the edge
WRITTEN BY
SERVES:
4-6 PEOPLE
Prep Time:
15 MINUTES
Cook Time:
7–8 HOURS (SLOW COOKER) + 20 MINUTES (OVEN)

There's a reason the slow cooker is one of the hardest-working appliances in a Kiwi kitchen. This beef pie does all the heavy lifting while you're out — diced beef, chunky veg, and a rich gravy bubbling away on low for hours. When you walk back in the door, all that's left to do is lay over a sheet of puff pastry and bake it golden. The result: a proper homemade beef pie with fork-tender meat and a crisp, flaky lid — no pastry skills required.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 500g diced beef
  • 1 Tbsp plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 200g mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp gravy powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Add the diced beef, flour, salt and pepper to the slow cooker and toss to coat.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, chopped tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, gravy powder and sugar. Stir well to combine, then place the lid on.
  3. Cook on low for 7–8 hours, until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
  4. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
  5. Check that your slow cooker dish is ovenproof and safe to transfer to the oven. Remove the lid and allow the filling to cool slightly.
  6. Place the slow cooker lid face-down on the puff pastry sheet and cut around it to create a pastry lid that fits your dish. Lay the pastry over the filling, trim any excess, then brush with beaten egg. Use a fork to crimp the edges and poke a few holes in the top to let steam escape.
  7. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the pastry is golden, puffed and crisp.
wonkybox

Slow Cooker Beef Pie

Pop it in the slow cooker before work. Top with puff pastry when you're home. Dinner is basically done.
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