FLAKY SAUSAGE AND POTATO HAND PIES

I told someone the other day I had made hand pies.  They had no clue what I was talking about.  If you do not understand either let me explain.  A hand pie is just that.  It is a pie you can eat with your hand.  You can make savory hand pies as I have here or you can make a dessert one.  


I pretty much played around with my filling.  For this one, I used a homemade venison breakfast sausage.  Since I have used maple ginger venison sausage.  Both were excellent.  Since not everyone has or wants to use venison sausage, I suggest for you to use your favorite sausage. 

Brown your sausage.

I did not know it but I was out of potatoes so I used a jar I had canned.  Which I am glad I did.  You do not want mashed potatoes you want them a bit chunky.  

Mix the sausage and potatoes together in a bowl.

Make some pie pastry or if you do not make from homemade buy a box of the pie crusts.  Do not buy the frozen ones.  Roll out your pastry and cut to the size you want.  Fill one side of the pastry with your sausage and potato mixture.

Make sure you leave room to cover your filled pastry.  Fold over the top of the filling and either use a fork or your fingers and seal.  Apply egg white wash to the tops and put on a baking sheet.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.  

Just cook them long enough to get golden brown.  

 SAUSAGE AND POTATO HAND PIES

Ingredients

• 1 pound of your choice of sausage
• 3 medium-sized potatoes
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
• 2 refrigerated pie crust pastries (1 box)
• 1 egg white

Directions

• Brown the sausage and drain any grease.
• Boil potatoes until soft.  Drain out water and add milk and butter.  If using garlic powder add now.  Mash the potatoes but leave them lumpy. 
• Roll out pie crust and cut into the size you want to work with.  Add sausage and potato filling to one side of the piece of crust.  Pull empty side over the filling part and seal edges.
• Put hand pies onto a baking sheet.  Brush on egg white mixture to top of each pie.
• Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.  
• Take out of the oven and allow to cool prior to eating.

Remember each oven is different.  You might have to cook your pies for a shorter or longer time.  

You can really do almost anything with hand pies.  You can make them savory or sweet.  You can use chicken and veggies or chicken and bbq sauce.  You could brown ground beef with some onions and add cheese.  You could even add pickles.  Honestly only your imagination could hold you back.  

Handpies use to be a huge thing for people to eat.  Back a few hundred years ago it was something a pub might serve with a pint of ale.  

As I said I have made these a few times and each time I have used a different kind of sausage.  My husband loves them.  

Hope you will try to make some and if you do please come back and tell me if you liked them.

ENJOY!!