Savory Hand Pies With Sausage, Apple And Sage

These savory hand pies scream fall! A savory filling of moist pork, apple, and sage is wrapped in flaky homemade pastry, then baked, for a delicious grab-and-go snack or lunch. I’m not sure why Americans never got on the savory meat pie bandwagon? In England, pasties are a common snack or pub lunch. The Brits do savory pies so well, and these sausage hand pies are similar to pasties. 

Hand pies are the ultimate Game Day food. They’re perfectly packable, and require no flatware or a plate. These little hand pies are great for a lunch box too.  (This post was originally published on August 31, 2016)

What is a savory hand pie?

Hand pies can be savory or sweet, with some English pies having both on either end of the pie! Savory hand pies can be filled with any ground meat and vegetables. In this case, pork sausage pairs beautifully with both apples and sage.

What’s a Cornish pasty?

A traditional Cornish pasty consists of ground, diced or minced beef, diced potatoes, or rutabaga encased in a flaky pastry. These pasties or hand pies cannot be called “Cornish Pasties” as there is a specific shape, and even a certain number of crimps in a Cornish pasty (20). Paul Hollywood even did a segment on perfect Cornish pasties on the Great British Bake-Off! Here’s an authentic Cornish Pasty recipe from the BBC.

Savory Sausage, Apple-Sage hand pies are easy to make, easy to serve, and don’t involve utensils or a plate, which makes them perfect for tailgating or picnics!

How to make pasties

Savory hand pies are easy to make, easy to serve, and don’t involve utensils or a plate, which makes them perfect for tailgating or picnics! 

​You’ll need about 1 pound of pie dough. You can buy pre-made pie dough, but this recipe for 1-minute homemade pie crust works well and really does take about a minute!

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces pork sausage
• 1 cup Granny Smith apple peeled and diced
• 1 cup onion diced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons of cold water for egg wash.

Filling

• Mix sausage, apple, onion, and seasoning together in a bowl or food processor. If using a food processor, pulse just until blended to keep the texture of the filling.
• On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out pastry to 1/8″ to 1/4″ thickness. Using round cutters, cut out circles. (The size of the cutter will determine the amount of filling and the number of hand pies you’ll get.) This recipe makes about 1 dozen 6″ pies. Continue using dough scraps until all dough is gone. I love using this hand pie set for perfect circles and crimping!

• Use about 3 Tablespoons for the large pies, and about 1 1/2 Tablespoons filling for mini pies (4″).

• Moisten the edges of the pies with water and fold over, using the back of a fork to seal edges of the dough.

• Place hand pies on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

• Brush each pie with a small amount of egg wash using a pastry brush.
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue baking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow pies to cool for a couple of minutes before serving. They can also be served at room temperature. 
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
• To reheat, wrap the hand pie in a paper towel and microwave at 30 second intervals until the filling is warm.

What to serve with savory hand pies

Depending on what the occasion is, can determine what to serve with hand pies

For a picnic: If you’re making these for a picnic, you’ll want easy to transport dishes with few or no utensils. Apricot Cherry Slab Pie doesn’t require anything more than a napkin. This Chicken, Brie and Cranberry Pie is a delicious savory English pie perfect for a picnic. If you have any leftover pie dough, make these super easy Jam Tarts, (which are also great for picnics!)

Tailgating or Game Day: We pull out all the stops on Game Days, and serve these hand pies as part of Game Day buffet. Buffalo Hot Wings, White Chicken Chili, and French Onion Dip are great additions to any Game Day party.

Looking for more savory hand pies?

Travel to Spain or Mexico with these Chorizo Pasties, Turkey Empanadas, or Vietnam for these Bánh Pate So . China for these Asian spiced Meat Pies, the American west for Venison and Wild Mushroom Hand Pies with Stout, Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies, or back to England for this Pasty recipe. These Breakfast Hand Pies are another delicious portable meal.

Savory Hand Pies with Apple and Sage.

Cynthia

These savory hand pies with apple and sage are adapted from King Arthur Flour's "pocket pies" recipe.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 12 pies

Calories 261 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb pie dough chilled (see notes)

Filling

• 10 ounces pork sausage
• 1 cup Granny Smith apple peeled and diced
• 1 cup onion diced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons of cold water for egg wash.

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix sausage, apple, onion and seasoning together in a bowl or food processor. If using a food processor, pulse just until blended to keep the texture of the filling.
• On a floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8″ to 1/4″ thickness. Using round cutters, cut out circles. (The size of the cutter will determine the amount of filling and the number of hand pies you’ll get.) I made 10 small, 4″ pies and a half dozen larger, 6″ pies.
• Use about 1 1/2 Tablespoons filling for the small pies and about 3 Tablespoons for the large pies.
• Moisten the edges of the pies with water and fold over, using the back of a fork to seal the pies.
• Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
• Brush pies with egg wash.
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue baking an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Notes

• For mini pies, use a 4″ cutter and use 1 1/2 Tablespoons in each pie.
• Will make about 2 dozen mini pies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 408mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

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