Cooking Up a Hooley In the Kitchen: Mini Cheddar and Bacon Pasties
By Katie Gagne
~~ “’Though she but little, she is fierce!” You will have to indulge the English teacher in me as I quote from one of William Shakespeare’s comedies. This often runs through my head when I think of something that is really good, but small. And since doing things in much smaller ways seems to be the norm these days, it wasn’t too difficult to adapt this tasty bundle of goodness into a tinier, appetizer-size version packed with flavor.
Mini Cheddar and Bacon Pasties
These tiny versions of this hand-held pie are filled with Irish bacon and a variety of cheeses, and quite simple to make. It was the perfect bite for our British Isles-themed dinner.
Makes approximately 24 – 2 inch pies.
Ingredients
1 lb Irish Bacon — cooked until browned and crumbled/cut into small pieces
½ lb Thick Cut Regular Bacon — Cooked until crisp and crumbled/cut into small pieces
18 ounces of Shredded Cheeses — I used a variety of a Cheddar Greyer, Sharp Irish Cheddar and Kerrygold Dubliner
2 teasp Garlic Salt
1 teasp. Black Pepper
Dash of Season Salt
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tblsp Stone-Ground Mustard
1/3 Yellow Onion sautéed with a bit of olive oil until soft
(This a great addition. I left it out of mine version in deference to my onion-hating hubby).
2 9 inch Pie Crusts — store-bought or homemade.
1 Egg and a dash of Water — whisked for the wash
2 tblsp Course Kosher Salt to sprinkle
Preheat oven to 375*
Line to baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the onions, bacons, cheeses, spices, and condiments.
It will become soft and well-coated.
Roll out the pie crusts and cut into 2 – 2 ½ inch rounds with a cookie cutter.
Place a spoonful of the cheese and bacon mixture on one half of each round.
Fold over to form a crescent or half circle shape.
Pinch the edges together and then take a fork and press around again.
Place on the baking sheets.
With a pastry brush the whisked egg and dash of water on each pastry.
Sprinkle each with a bit of Kosher Salt.
Cut two little slits in the top to let steam escape.
Bake in over for 18-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
These are great served warm or room temperature.
A great suggestion is to serve with a Creamy, Horseradish Mustard Sauce.
The mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until needed to bake.
To make a cute Valentine’s version – use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the pie crust and instead of folding it over the mixture – lay a second heart on top and seal the edges all the way around.
*Katie Gagne teaches English at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights. She is also the owner of her in-home bakery Sassy’s Sweets and Oh So Much More. You can contact her at (440) 773-4459 or at [email protected], or find her on Facebook at @sassyssweetsandmore.