New Zealand Mince and Cheese Pie
There is a long standing debate between Aussies and Kiwis (Australians and New Zealanders) of which country does the best pies.
Pies are huge in both countries and there is a pie for any occasion- on the way to work? Servo pie (gas station pie), need a quick lunch? Bakery pie, on a budget? Bake at home pie. There really isn’t an inappropriate time for a pie.
Aussies love a ‘meat pie’ which is beef in gravy and kiwis love a mince and cheese pie- mince in gravy topped with cheese that melts inside the pastry. (CLICK HERE for my vegan Aussie meat pie recipe)
Over here at The Plant Bowls we are vegan for the animals forever and always so our pies are always free from animal products. So if you too love a pie but want a kinder option make these vegan mince and cheese pies.
Some more recipes...
- Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad
- Homemade Hummus with Za’atar Pitta
- Tofu Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Creamy Leek Risotto with Vegan Bacon
- Chinese Style Lemon Pepper Tofu
Vegan Pie Ingredients
- Puff pastry – Puff pastry is best for the lid of the pie I use shop bought frozen as in Australia it is accidentally vegan. You can use short crust but it wont be as good!
- Shortcrust pastry – Shortcrust makes a great pie base, again shop bought is totally fine but if you like making homemade pastry go for it- it will taste better for sure!
- Cheese – A great melty vegan cheese is needed here- it melts under the pie lid making a great cheesy topping.
- TVP – Textured vegetable protein mimics the beef mince here but you can use shop bought vegan beef mince if you prefer.
- Gravy granules – British gravy granules are my preferred gravy as they go thick and smooth. Any gravy granules or powder will do.
- Onion powder – Onion powder gives the flavor without chopping an onion. Fresh onion is also fin but make sure to cook until softened before adding into the mince mixture.
- Garlic – fresh or granules
- Soy milk – To egg wash the top. Any unsweetened plant milk is fine.
Freezing homemade pies
Pies are a fantastic thing to make ahead as you can store the made up but unbaked pies in the freezer and bake when you need them. When making pies I usually make an extra batch for the freezer for super lazy dinners- just brush the pie with milk and bake at 180C/350F for 45 minutes.
Vegan snack recipes
Vegan pot pie
This recipe is for individual vegan pies but you can also make a large pot pie for a family meal. Either with or without a base. Just place your filling in an oven safe dish and top with puff pastry, brush with soy milk and bake for 30 mins at 180C/350F.
Step-by-Step in pictures
- Rehydrate TVP
- Add seasonings
- Leave filling to cool
- Cut out pastry
- Add bottoms to pie tin
- Add filling
- Add cheese
- Add lids
- Brush with soy milk
- Bake and enjoy!
Vegan New Zealand Mince and Cheese Pies
Ingredients
- 2 Sheets Puff pastry
- 2 Sheets Shortcrust pastry
- 120 g Cheese
- 1 Cup TVP
- 1 tbsp Gravy granules
- 1 tsp Vegan beef powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Soy milk to egg wash
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of TVP to a bowl with 1 cup of boiling water, stir and set aside.
- Grate the cheese.
- To a pan add a little oil and the rehydrated TVP, stir fry for a minute.
- Add the gravy granules, onion powder, garlic powder and a little water.
- Cook on low heat adding water little by little until a thick consistency is reached. If the filling is too runny- in a separate bowl add 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tbsp of water to a small bowl mix well and add to the mix and cook until thickened.
- Taste the mix to see if it needs any salt and pepper.
- Take off the heat and leave to cool.
- Use the pie dish to trace around for the shortcrust pie bottoms and again for the puff pastry lid (see pictures in blog post).
- Add the TVP mix and 30g of the grated cheese, add the lid and brush with soy milk.
- Bake on 180C/350F for 30 minutes
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- Vegan Meat Pie- Jackfruit
- Vegan Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- Chinese style salt and pepper air fried gnocchi
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