Gluten-Free Mince & Cheese Pie

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-fee optional 

Makes: 4 individual or 1 large pie

Oh, New Zealand, I miss your glorious mince and cheese pies. No longer able to partake in a pie from the gas station or local bakery thanks to my body rebelling against gluten, I had no choice but to create a gluten-free version using the oh so classic filling of minced beef and cheese. 

Hints, Tips & Notes

You can make your own gluten-free pastry (recipe in my eBook Bridget's Healthy Bread and Pastries). Alternatively, you can use store-bought gluten-free pastry. 

I use ½ tbsp of my Black Gold, a healthier version of marmite. You can find the recipe here: Bridget's Black Gold.

My Roasted Tomato Sauce is also used in this recipe, which I created for my homemade meatballs. It's free from gluten, sugar, and dairy and has no added fats or oils. Get the recipe here. 

This recipe also requires Bridget's Sticky Sauce, a healthy cooking sauce I use in many of my recipes. It's simple, healthy and packs a lot of flavour without adding unnecessary calories. If you need the recipe, you can get it here.

You'll also need to prepare my Kombu Water. Kombu water is my healthy broth alternative and one of my favourite foundation recipes. If you need the recipe, you can find it here.

RECIPE

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp Bridget's Sticky Sauce 
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced 
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic 
• 500 g (1.1 lb) lean beef mince (ground beef) 
• 4 tbsp sugar-free tomato paste or Bridget's Roasted Tomato Sauce 
• 1 tbsp coconut amino sauce 
• 1⁄2 tbsp marmite or Bridget's Black Gold
• 2 tbsp tamari 
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 1⁄2 tbsp tapioca flour 
• 380 ml (12.8 FL oz) Kombu Water or good quality beef stock 
• Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp coconut oil, for brushing 
• 2 sheets of ready rolled gluten-free shortcrust pastry 
• 2 sheets of ready-rolled gluten-free puff pastry 
• 4 slices of sharp flavoured cheese, like cheddar or aged gouda or vegan dairy-free cheese 
• 1 egg 

Method 

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the sticky sauce on medium heat and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes, frequently stirring to prevent it from burning. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before breaking in the minced beef. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, breaking up any lumps and cook for 10 minutes. 
2. Add the tomato paste, coconut amino sauce, marmite, tamari and mustard and stir to combine. Sprinkle the tapioca flour over the top of the mixture and stir in, followed by the beef stock. Stir well, allow the mix to come to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring until the liquid reduces and thickens a little till it's a thin gravy. 
3. Taste the mince mixture for flavour and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mince to cool or place overnight in the refrigerator before filling the pies. 
4. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F) and lightly brush four individual pie tins with a bit of coconut oil, or if you have one, you can use a pie maker. 
5. Line the pie tins or pie maker with the shortcrust pastry on the base and cut out four rounds from the puff pastry for the topping. Fill the pies almost to the top with the cold filling and lay over a slice of cheese. 
6. Using the puff pastry round, top the pies, crimping the edges to seal the pie. Whisk the egg with one tablespoon of water and brush evenly over the top of the pie.
7. Bake the pies in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. If you're using a pie maker, cook them for 8-12 minutes or until golden and the pastry is cooked through. 
8. Allow the pies to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving, as the filling will be piping hot!