Moroccan Beef Pie is a delicious and comforting dinner for a chilly evening. It’s a family favorite of ours, and hopefully will be one of yours as well!
Food Hugs
Recently my family has had a few setbacks, both physically and financially. Being supportive can take on many forms, but as a mom who believes food = love, I immediately jump to what can I make that will bring comfort. One of my family’s favorite dinners is Moroccan Beef Pie. For me, it’s like delivering a group food hug to my family, and boy have we all needed one lately.
I discovered this recipe card in a grocery store display in front of the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts many years ago. I thought it looked easy enough, so after purchasing all the ingredients (the refrigerated pie crust, hash browns, beef broth, etc), I went home and made it. It was an immediate hit, and as our family grew, Moroccan Beef Pie became a frequently requested item. Anytime I asked my husband or the girls what they wanted as a special dinner, this was it. Isn’t that a definition of comfort food?
My well-loved recipe card...I found it in the grocery store years ago next to the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts
Chef-ing it up
Longtime readers know of my desire to replace processed foods with homemade items wherever I can, and after I went to culinary school I really upped that effort. My Moroccan Beef Pie is now made with homemade all-butter pie crusts using the 3-2-1 ratio for pie crust for a double crust pie (i.e. 12 oz flour, 8 oz butter, and 4 oz ice water). Homemade beef stock replaced the canned beef broth. I still use store-bought hash browns, but I’ve made sure there aren’t any ingredients that don’t belong. Let’s not get carried away, shall we?
grouHomemade pie crust and beef stock, beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, and some spices go into making a delicious dinner.
The spice mix (clockwise from top): Flour, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, and ginger (oh, and of course some garlic!)
Making the pie filling is pretty straightforward, just brown the onions, garlic, and beef, then add hash browns, spices, and stock. Easy Peasy. I do have a nifty way of draining the pan of fat...shove the filling to one side and tilt the pan the other way. You can then use a few paper towels to sop up the extra fat and liquid that drains down. Just use tongs to move the paper towels to the trash...remember that liquid is still hot!
Cooking onions, garlic, and beef. Notice my trick to draining the pan using a paper towel.
Adding the hash browns, spices, and stock to make the finished filling.
Morrocan Beef Pie out of the oven and ready to serve
The hardest part...
...is getting out that first slice of pie from the pan without leaving half of it behind. I still don't know how to get a piece that's picture perfect (pssst...here's my secret...that slice below is the second piece!). You might notice that I don't have parsley and cilantro in the mixture, or sesame seeds on top. That's because I have a picky eater in the family. I can assure you it's tasty this way or as the recipe is written.
This delicious beef pie is comfort food to my family, and hopefully will be to yours as well
We’ll get better soon
Moroccan Beef Pie is a comforting and filling dinner for what ails 'ya. The best part is that we share it as a family, and really it’s that coming together that makes the difference. We’re there for one another, supporting each person, comforting as we can. The pie is the catalyst, a food hug to say it’ll be all right. Group hug!!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Moroccan Beef Pie
Special Equipment
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 double pie crust recipe, 12:8:4 flour:fat:water ratio (see Recipe Notes)
Filling
- 1 Tbsp ghee or canola oil
- 1 cup chopped onions (5 oz 142g), about 1/2 a medium onion
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 lb ground beef (16 oz 455g)
- 2 cups hash browns, defrosted (4 patties)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley (0.4 oz 15g), chopped (see Recipe Notes)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (0.4 oz 15g), chopped (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup beef stock (8 oz 227g), preferable homemade or low-sodium beef broth
Spice Mix
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Topping
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, optional
- sour cream
Procedure
- Prepare a pie crust for a double crust pie. Ease one crust into a 9-inch pie pan and chill while you make the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk the ingredients for the spice mixture together in a small bowl.
- In a large skillet, heat the ghee on medium-high heat. Add the onions, sprinkled with 1/2 tsp salt, and sweat them until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Add the ground beef to the onion minute and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the mixture well.
- Place the hash browns in the pan, chopping them up with your spoon if they’re in a patty form. Cook the mixture 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the parsley, cilantro, and the spice mixture until well blended. Gradually pour in the beef stock. Lower the heat and simmer the filling an additional 5 minutes or until it starts to look a little dry, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.
- Spoon the filling into the pie crust-lined pan. Top with the second crust, trim and seal the edges. Cut silts in several places to allow for steam to escape. Crust mayonnaise over the top crust and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
- Bake on lower rack for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is dark golden brown (shield the edges if they’re browning too quickly).
- Let pie stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with sour cream if desired, and enjoy!
Always a crowd pleaser!
Moroccan Beef Pie, also known as the greatest food to ever exist! Seriously, if even I like something with spices, it MUST be good! 12/10, would recommend!