Nothing beats the comfort of a hearty pie on a cold day. After a brisk walk, imagine enjoying a flaky pastry filled with tender chicken and seasonal veggies, or delighting in a lattice-topped apple and rhubarb pie post-Sunday lunch. Pies truly offer a warm culinary hug.
Not only are they nostalgic, but pies are also surprisingly simple and fun to create.
These are our top pie recipes – perfect for this weekend! Pair them with fresh spring greens for a lighter touch.
5 Must-Try Pie Recipes for Any Season
These easy-to-make pie recipes are perfect for family gatherings or special occasions, offering a cozy alternative to the traditional Sunday roast.
Smoked Fish Pithivier
Serves 6
Salting the fish and layering potatoes beneath the filling keeps the pastry crisp.
Ingredients:
- 1 large waxy potato, peeled
- Salt and black pepper
- 125g smoked haddock, skinned and cubed
- 225ml whole milk
- 350g fresh haddock, skinned and cubed
- 100g raw prawns, halved
- 25g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 tbsp dry vermouth or white wine
- 80g watercress, chopped
- 500g ready-made puff pastry
- Beaten egg, for glazing
Method:
1. Boil the potato in salted water for 5 minutes, then cool and slice thinly. Soak the smoked haddock in milk for 10 minutes before draining and reserving the milk.
2. Season the fresh haddock and prawns with salt in a colander.
3. For the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion for 8-10 minutes until soft.
4. Stir in the flour, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the reserved milk and vermouth, stirring constantly until thick. Mix in the watercress and season.
5. Roll out half the pastry to 5mm thick and cut a 25cm circle. Roll out the remaining pastry for a 27cm circle. Place the smaller circle on a greased baking tray, layer with potato slices, leaving a border.
6. Ensure the seafood is dry, combine with the sauce, and spoon over the potatoes.
7. Brush the edges with egg, cover with the larger pastry circle, and seal. Score the top decoratively and chill for 20 minutes while preheating the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
Chicken and Vegetable Pie
Serves 6
This dish combines chicken, greens, and potatoes for a complete meal.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- 1.25kg chicken
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 200g new potatoes, halved if large
- 150g green beans, cut
- 5 spring onions, chopped
- 1 courgette, sliced
- 100g frozen peas, thawed
- 30g butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 10g tarragon, chopped
- 125ml crème fraîche
- Salt and black pepper
For the pastry:
- 300g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 90g butter
- 60g mature cheddar, crumbled
- 6 tbsp chilled water
- Beaten egg, for glazing
Method:
1. Cook the chicken with the carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaves in 1.5 liters of water for 30 minutes. Let sit covered for 45 minutes.
2. For the pastry, pulse flour, salt, butter, and cheddar until crumbly. Add water, pulse to combine, shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for 1 hour.
3. Shred the chicken and strain the stock. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes, then add beans, onions, and courgettes for 2 minutes. Combine veggies with chicken and peas in a bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Melt butter, stir in flour for 1 minute, then gradually add stock to create a thick sauce.
5. Mix in lemon zest, tarragon, and crème fraîche, season, and pour into a pie dish with chicken and veggies.
6. Roll out the pastry, line the dish, covering with a top layer. Trim and crimp edges, cut a steam hole, glaze, and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Mini Lamb and Egg Pies
Makes 12
Perfect for gatherings or lunchboxes. Opt for high-quality lamb sausages for the best flavor. Add fresh mint for a twist.
Ingredients:
- 12 quail's eggs
- 500g good-quality lamb sausages
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Handful of mint, chopped (optional)
- Pinch of crushed chili (optional)
- 450g ready-made shortcrust pastry
- Flour for dusting
- Beaten egg, for glazing
- Sesame seeds for topping
Method:
1. Boil quail's eggs for 2 minutes, then cool and shell.
2. Mix sausage meat, spring onions, herbs, and chili in a bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Roll out pastry and cut 12x9cm circles for a muffin tin, plus 12x7cm circles for tops.
4. Line muffin holes with larger circles, fill with sausage mix, add an egg, then cover with more sausage mix. Seal with smaller pastry discs.
5. Make steam holes, brush with egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
6. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Spanakopita
Serves 6
This classic Greek spinach pie is simple to prepare. Make it in the morning, and it'll be ready by lunchtime.
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, sliced
- 20g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 50g pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 600g spinach
- Salt and black pepper
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 20g dill, chopped
- Nutmeg for grating
- 270g filo pastry, thawed if frozen
- Caraway seeds for sprinkling
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Sauté onion in butter and oil until soft. Add pine nuts, garlic, and spring onion for 2 minutes, then stir in spinach until wilted. Drain and cool.
2. Mix spinach with feta, eggs, dill, and nutmeg in a bowl. Oil an oven-proof dish measuring about 20x30cm.
3. Layer half the pastry, brushing each layer with oil. Add filling evenly, fold over edges.
4. Top with remaining pastry sheets, brush with oil, score into 6 pieces, sprinkle with caraway seeds, and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.
Rhubarb and Apple Lattice Pie
Serves 6-8
Braiding pastry can be therapeutic, and you get to enjoy a delicious pie afterward. If intricate designs aren't your thing, a simple lattice will do.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp salt
- 175g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4-6 tbsp iced water
- Beaten egg, for glazing
For the filling:
- Zest and juice of 1 small orange
- 125g caster sugar
- 1 piece of stem ginger, chopped
- 2 Bramley apples, sliced
- 500g Cox's apples, sliced
- 300g rhubarb, chopped
- 3½ tbsp arrowroot
Method:
1. For the pastry, pulse flour, salt, and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Add lemon juice and water to form a dough. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Roll out larger pastry disc to line a deep pie dish.
3. Roll out second pastry disc into strips to create braids. Fill the pie dish, topping with braids.
4. Seal the braids with the overhanging pastry, chill, brush with egg, and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbling. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
