PHILLY CHEESESTEAK HAND PIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup chopped green peppers

1 cup chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 lb. ground beef

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 oz. Provolone cheese, shredded

2 (14.1 oz.) pkgs. refrigerated pie crusts, 4 pie crusts total

1 egg, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch in a cup. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Set aside.

Preheat a skillet on medium heat. Add oil and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add onion. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add ground beef. Brown, using a wooden spatula to break into small chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally until meat is browned and cook through (about 7-8 minutes).

Stir cornstarch mixture. Pour into meat mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring until sauce thickens. Remove skillet from heat. Allow to cool to room temp.

While ground beef mixture cools, prep the pie crusts, using a 4-inch mold or an empty can to cut out rounds. Working with one pie crust at a time, remove from packaging. Unroll crust on a work surface. Press mold onto dough to cut out 5 rounds. Place rounds on a parchment or plastic wrap lined baking tray.

Form the excess dough into a rectangular block. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut out 2 more rounds. Transfer to the parchment/plastic wrap lined tray. Repeat forming rounds with the remaining 3 pie crusts. Stack rounds with parchment or plastic wrap in between each layer.

Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap while the beef mixture cools.

To assemble and bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix shredded cheese into cooled beef mixture. Place about 1/4 cup of mixture onto a pie crust round, leaving 1/4-inch border. Cover with a second round. Using fingers, press the edges close. Use the tines of a fork, press to tightly seal the edges. Optionally, use fingers to crimp edges. Cut a few 1/2-inch slits on the top of the crust using a sharp, pointed knife. Transfer hand pies to a prepared baking dish. Continue assembling the remaining hand pies. Place on baking dish a couple inches apart.

Brush tops with beaten egg.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Makes 14 hand pies.

Recipe Notes:

1. If a mold is not available, cut out a 4-inch circle on a piece of paper. Place the circle on the pie crust. Using a sharp pointed knife, trace and cut out rounds.

2. If using something other than a 4-inch diameter mold, the number of rounds produced will vary depending on the size of the mold.

3. Changing mold size may affect the baking time. Adjust time accordingly.

4. Take out a few pie crust rounds at time during assembly of the hand pies. Keep the remainder refrigerated to prevent them from softening and becoming sticky.

5. Baking might need to be done in two separate batches. Keep the unbaked hand pies refrigerated until ready to go into the oven.

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