OUT WEST: Food & Lifestyle

St. Patrick's Day

Rueben Hand Pies

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Light and flakey, these all butter crust hand pies are filled with corned beef, cabbage, potato and swiss cheese. Perfect for dipping in Reuben sauce.

I have to admit, my favorite way to eat corned beef and cabbage is the next day and there are so many ways to re-purpose corned beef leftovers. These hand pies are super easy to make. I show you how to make the all butter crust, but you could take the no fuss route and use pre-made dough (I won’t tell anyone) If you DO plan on making my all butter crust, please take special note to the butter. I have found to get the flakiest crust with very little effort and very little kneading (because kneading makes things tough) is to grate your butter with a cheese grater. I can’t believe it has taken me 20 years to figure this out, but I do this with EVERYTHING now. Trust, it’s definitely the way to go!

Back to the corned beef… I’m going to tell you my weakness. It’s leftover, cold from the fridge, corned beef. I love it. I could even eat the cabbage cold too! I don;t know, maybe it’s my 35 percent Irish or maybe it’s just that the corned beef sits overnight and gets all flavorful. O.k., now that we got that out of the way, you really need to try these cute little pies!

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Reuben Hand Pies

These all butter crust hand pies are filled with corned beef, cabbage, potato and swiss cheese. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Beef, Irish
Keyword Corned beef, hand pies, St Patricks day
Servings 10

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 cup leftover corned beef chopped
  • 1/2 cup baby red potatoes diced
  • 1 tbsp bacon fat (or cooking oil)
  • 1 cup green cabbage shredded
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 5 slices Swiss cheese cut in half diagonally

Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp horseradish

Crust

  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup butter grated
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-3 tbsp cold water

Instructions

Crust

  • In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and butter until crumbly.  Add cold water starting with 1 tbsp. and continuing to add 1 tbsp until dough starts to form together.  (You shouldn’t need more than 3 tbsp)
  • Press together into a smooth ball.  The less kneading the better.  Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for at least 15 minutes. 

Make the Reuben filling

  • In a medium pan over medium heat, melt bacon fat or cooking oil, whichever you choose to use. Bacon fat will have more flavor. Saute cabbage for 2 minutes until starting to wilt.  Add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
  • Place diced potatoes in a bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes to par cook.  
  • Combine, chopped corned beef, cabbage mixture and potatoes in a bowl.
  • Remove your dough from the fridge and cut into two equal parts.  Then. cut each  into another 5 equal pieces. 
  • Roll each piece into a 4 inch round, use small plate or bowl and cut around the edges.
  • Place 1 halved slice of Swiss cheese on half of the round, equally distribute the corned beef mixture between all 10 rounds, by placing mixture on top of cheese.  
  • Fold empty half of round over to close, pressing down on the edge to seal.  
  • Using a fork, crimp the sealed edge to ensure the mixture stays inside.  Slice 2-3 thin air holes in top for venting.  Place in freezer for about 15 minutes.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Keep any extras in the freezer for later use.
  • Note:  For a more golden crust, before baking, brush with a egg that has been beaten. 

Dipping Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients together.

Irish Cream Pie

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Everyone needs pie on Pi Day and this Irish Cream Pie vanished in about 3.14159265359 seconds, seriously! And, it is so easy to make!

Crushed chocolate animal crackers get covered in Irish cream chocolate pudding and topped with the most creamy, fluffiest whipped cream, that’s spiked with…yes, you guessed it, Irish cream. So, whether you are celebrating Pi Day or St. Patrick’s Day or maybe you just want a quick easy dessert, then this pie is for you!

Chocolate crust pie with chocolate Irish cream pudding and Irish whipped cream
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Irish Cream Pie

Chocolate cookie crust layered with chocolate Irish cream pudding and whipped cream spiked with more Irish cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Cream Pie, Irish food, Pi Day
Servings 8

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate cookies, such as chocolate animal crackers
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling

  • 1 5.9 oz chocolate pudding mix
  • 2 1/2 cup cold whole milk
  • 1/2 cup Irish cream liquor

Topping

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp Irish cream liquor
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp chocolate syrup
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips, finely chopped

Instructions

Crust

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Crush chocolate cookies until fine and crumbly.
  • Mix in sugar.
  • Combine with melted butter and press into pie dish right away.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling

  • In a bowl, whisk together pudding mix, cold milk and Irish cream until starting thicken.  Pour into prepared pie crust.  Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours until firm. 

Topping

  • In a bowl, using a hand mixer, whip heavy cream, sugar, Irish cream and vanilla until thick and creamy.
  • Spoon whipped cream evenly over chilled pie.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup and garnish with finely chopped chocolate chips.

Mushroom-Thyme Hand Pies

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These savory Mushroom-Thyme Hand Pies deliver big flavor. Flaky butter crust, earthy mushroom and sharp white cheddar. Eat them all now or freeze for later.

The best thing about these Mushroom-Thyme Hand Pies is that you get a bite of the flaky all butter crust in every bite. They are so easy to make and can hold a variety of flavor combinations. This savory version features button mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh thyme leaves and sharp white cheddar cheese. You get the bite of the mushroom, the tang of the white cheddar cheese and that fresh thyme to cut right through the richness. As soon as they hit the cooling board, they were gone! Into the mouths of my taste testers. But if you do happen to have leftovers, just freeze them in individual bags. They are super easy to reheat in the oven.

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Mushroom-Thyme Hand Pies

Savory Mushroom-Thyme Hand Pies with sharp white cheddar all in a light and crispy all butter crust.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vegetarian
Keyword cook with herbs, hand pies, meatless, mushrooms, savory
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup yellow onion sliced in thin rounds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cup mushrooms, your favorite sliced
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 cup white cheddar cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 3 tsp fresh thyme leaves, removed from stem

Crust

  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup butter grated (with a cheese grater)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2-3 tbsp cold water start with 1 and gradually add if needed

Instructions

Make the Crust

  • In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and butter until crumbly.  Add cold water, starting with 1 tbsp and continuing to add 1 tbsp at a time until dough starts to form together. (You shouldn’t need more than 3 tbsp)
  • Press together into a smooth ball. The less kneading the better.  Cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Make Mushroom Filling

  • Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Saute onions for about 3 minutes , until golden. 
  • Add another 1 tbsp butter and the olive oil to the pan.  Add the mushrooms and saute for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until browned.  Remove from pan and set aside in a bowl.
  • Keeping the pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp butter and stir until melted.  Add flour and continue stirring until bubbly and foaming.  Add beef broth and whisk until smooth and starting to thicken.  Add mushroom mixture back to pan and thyme leaves.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool.
  • Roll Dough and Fill
  • Remove your dough from the fridge and cut into 2 equal parts.  Then, cut each into another 5 equal pieces. 
  • Roll each piece into a 4 inch round, use small plate or bowl and cut around the edges.
  • Fill each round with 1/4 cup mixture and 1 tbsp white cheddar cheese.  Fold in half and press edges down to seal.  Using a fork press against the edge to crimp and seal.  Slice 2-3 thin air holes in the top. Place in freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Freeze any extras for later use.

Try These Similar Recipes:

Wine and Garlic Poached Cod with Irish Colcannon

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Simple, elegant Wine and Garlic Poached Cod with Irish Colcannon is a fresh take on the traditional Irish fare.

Wine and Garlic Poached Cod with Irish Colcannon

Let’s face it, sometimes we want to break free from the standard corned beef and cabbage routine on St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe we want something more authentic, something you imagine eating on the Irish coast.

The Pacific NW shares a lot of the same flavor profiles with it’s fresh fish and local potatoes. This Wine and Garlic Poached Cod is ready in very little time at all and is cooked so delicately and simple. Served with creamy Irish potatoes with folded in greens and rustic roasted carrots that lend a very simple classic vibe to the plate.

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Wine and Garlic Poached Cod

Simple and light wine and garlic poached cod with Irish colcannon and roasted carrots
Servings 4

Ingredients

Poached Cod

  • 1 lb cod fillets
  • 3 cups white wine
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ lemon sliced
  • S & P to taste

Colcannon

  • 5 russet potatoes peeled
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • ½ cup arugula chopped
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp cream

Instructions

Poached Cod

  • In a deep, wide rimmed saute pan, saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent.
  • Pour in wine and bring to a simmer, not yet a full boil.
  • Salt and pepper the cod fillets.
  • Slide fillets into wine and cook until opaque.
  • Remove and season again with salt and pepper.
  • Garnish with lemon slices and serve with colcannon.

Colcannon

  • Boil potatoes in a pot over high heat until you can easily pierce with fork, then drain.
  • Rice or shred potatoes with a fork until fluffy.
  • Add 2 tbsp butter and stir.
  • Add cream and stir.
  • Add green onion and arugula and stir.
  • Add remaining 4 tbsp butter on top and cover.
  • Let sit while butter melts into a pool…yum.

Poaching fish is a very elegant way to serve any kind of fish from cod, to halibut and even salmon. There are so many possibilities when it comes to flavor when poaching fish. Use white wine, broth or even milk as you poaching liquid. Throw in your favorite fresh herbs and some garlic. It’s such a simple and often lighter way of preparing fish. The most important thing to remember is watch your timing and don’t overcook. Cook until just opaque in the middle and when poked with a fork, just flakes naturally.

Looking for Traditional Fare?