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Beef, Bacon & Spinach Rustic Pie
Simple rustic beef, bacon & spinach pie with bacon-fat pastry—ready in about 1 hour. Family-friendly savoury pie recipe.
Why this recipe works
A rustic, open-faced pie filled with browned beef, crisp bacon, wilted spinach and melting cheese. Suits cooks who want a simple, savoury family meal using an easy bacon-fat pastry.
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- bacon-fat pastry recipe
- family pie dinner
Key takeaways
Homemade bacon-fat pastry for extra flavour and crispness
Assemble quickly—bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbly
Rest 5 minutes before slicing to set the filling
Recipe guide
A rustic, open-faced pie filled with browned beef, crisp bacon, wilted spinach and melting cheese. Suits cooks who want a simple, savoury family meal using an easy bacon-fat pastry.
Make a flavourful rustic pie using the bacon fat to enrich the pastry.
- Homemade bacon-fat pastry for extra flavour and crispness
- Assemble quickly—bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbly
- Rest 5 minutes before slicing to set the filling
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
Pastry: 300 g plain flour, ~2 tbsp reserved bacon fat, cold water to bind. Filling: 500 g beef mince, 150 g streaky bacon, 150 g bagged spinach (roughly 1 small bag), 200 g semi-hard cheese, salt and pepper, 1 beaten egg or milk to brush (optional).
Method (40–60 minutes total)
1) Preheat oven 200°C (180°C fan). Fry chopped bacon until crisp; reserve ~2 tbsp fat and remove bacon. 2) Make pastry: mix flour with reserved fat and cold water to form firm dough, chill 15 minutes. 3) Brown crumbled beef in pan with remaining bacon fat, season. Add chopped spinach, cook until wilted and drain excess liquid. Stir in most of the grated/cubed cheese and the crisp bacon. 4) Roll dough to 3–4 mm thick, place filling in centre leaving 3–4 cm border, sprinkle remaining cheese, fold edges up to form rustic tart. Brush with egg/milk if available. 5) Bake on lined tray 25–30 minutes until pastry is golden and filling bubbly. Rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Tips, swaps and storage
Drain spinach well to avoid a soggy base. Swap ground beef for lamb or pork, or add herbs (thyme/rosemary). Store leftovers refrigerated 2–3 days; reheat in oven for best texture.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour
- 150 g streaky bacon
- 500 g beef mince
- 200 g cheese block
- 150 g bagged spinach
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Chop bacon into small pieces and fry in a pan until fat renders and edges are crisp; reserve about 2 tbsp fat and remove bacon, leaving fat in pan.
- Place flour in a bowl, add reserved bacon fat and cold water a little at a time, mix to form a firm dough, wrap and chill 15 minutes.
- Crumble beef into the pan with remaining bacon fat, season with salt and pepper, and brown until cooked through.
- Add wilted spinach to the beef: roughly chop spinach, add to pan and cook briefly until just wilted; drain excess liquid.
- Grate or finely cube cheese and stir most into the beef mixture, reserving a handful for topping.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface into a rough circle about 3–4mm thick.
- Spread the beef, bacon and spinach mixture over the center of the dough, leaving a 3–4 cm border.
- Sprinkle reserved cheese over the filling, then fold edges of the dough up over the filling to form a rustic pie, leaving the center open.
- Brush exposed pastry with a little beaten egg or milk if available for browning.
- Place pie on the prepared tray and bake 25–30 minutes until pastry is golden and filling bubbly.
- Rest 5 minutes before slicing and serve warm.
FAQs
Can I make the pastry ahead?
Yes—prepare the dough, wrap and chill up to 24 hours; bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
Can I freeze the pie?
Freeze unbaked assembled pie (wrapped) for up to 1 month; bake from frozen, increasing bake time by ~10–15 minutes.
What cheese works best?
A semi-hard melting cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or similar) gives good flavour and melt without excess oil.