Recipe Background
Cafeteria Beef Pie combines tender beef and veggies under a flaky crust, ideal for any new adventure.
The first time I sat down to a steaming plate of Cafeteria Beef Pie was during my first lunch with a mentor. Those initial, slightly awkward conversations were made warmer by the comforting aroma of beef and bacon mingling in the air. I was a green intern at a bustling magazine and my mentor, a seasoned editor with a penchant for good home-cooked food, figured the way to mentoring was through the stomach as much as the brain. The connection over beef pie taught me the beauty of a well-browned beef cube and the importance of letting the meat rest. I learned to let it simmer until tender, resisting the urge to rush the process as we chatted about deadlines and headlines.
For some, a cup of beef broth might just be a splash of flavor, but for us, it was the binder of great advice and a hearty meal. I still remember her tip to always sauté onions until crisp yet tender for that sweet, savory base. The moment the Worcestershire sauce streamed into the pot, the gentle sizzle filled the room—almost like punctuation to a well-told story. We chuckled, dunked our forks into the pie, and she reminded me to give the crust its golden sheen with a brush of beaten egg. These culinary and editorial lessons melded seamlessly like the layers of beef and veggies before being tucked under a flaky pie crust.
Years later, that mentor remains a cherished friend, and Cafeteria Beef Pie remains my go-to for any new adventure or comforting meal. Each bite is a nod to those insightful lunch sessions where the secrets of a story were as vital as the secrets of a good pie. Let it stand for fifteen before serving—a patience elegantly learned both in the kitchen and in life.
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound sliced bacon diced
- 3 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots halved
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust
- 1 large egg optional, lightly beaten
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Brown the beef in the bacon drippings in batches, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
- Drain the excess grease from the Dutch oven and place the browned beef on a separate paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add the onion to the Dutch oven and sauté until crisp but still tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, the cooked bacon, and the browned beef to the cooked onions and cook, about 3-5 minutes.
- While the beef and veggie mixture is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the flour, the broth, and the Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the beef and veggie mixture and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Stir the peas, the salt, and the pepper into the tender meat and veggie mixture.
- Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into an ungreased 7x11-inch baking dish.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crust into a 12x8-inch rectangle.
- Cut slits in the crust.
- Place the crust over the meat and veggie filling, trimming and sealing the edges.
- Brush the crust with the beaten egg.
- Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.
- Let the beef pie stand for 15 minutes.
- Plate and serve.
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