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Cheesy Bacon & Beef Hand Pies with Spinach

Prep 30 min Cook 30 min Difficulty 3/5

Rustle up Cheesy Bacon & Beef Hand Pies with Spinach: a savory, portable snack with beef, bacon, spinach, and cheese.

Why this recipe works

Cheesy Bacon & Beef Hand Pies with Spinach are hearty, portable pies perfect for a weekend meal or party snack. They suit home cooks who want a comforting, hands-on dish that travels well.

Search intent: recipe for handheld meat pies
  • hand pies
  • bacon beef pies
  • spinach and cheese pies
  • savory hand pies
  • beef and bacon filling
  • puff pastry style dough
  • easy pie filling
  • bakeable snack

Key takeaways

Simple, scalable dough uses common ingredients
Make filling ahead for quick assembly
Freezable: bake from frozen for meal prep

Recipe guide

Cheesy Bacon & Beef Hand Pies with Spinach are hearty, portable pies perfect for a weekend meal or party snack. They suit home cooks who want a comforting, hands-on dish that travels well.

These hand pies come together with a sturdy dough and a cheesy, meaty filling.

  • Simple, scalable dough uses common ingredients
  • Make filling ahead for quick assembly
  • Freezable: bake from frozen for meal prep

Step 1: Make the dough

Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cold water a little at a time until dough just comes together; chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a sheet tray with parchment.

Step 2: Prepare the filling

Cook bacon until crisp; drain. Brown and crumble beef, then add back with bacon. Stir in onion and garlic until soft, then fold in spinach until wilted. Cool slightly, then mix in grated cheese and adjust seasoning.

Step 3: Assemble & bake

Roll dough to 3–4 mm, cut rounds (10–12 cm). Place filling in center, brush edges with egg, fold to form half-moon, seal crimped edges. Place on tray, brush tops with egg wash, vent, and bake 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool briefly before serving.

Ingredients

  • 300 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 120 g unsalted butter (cold)
  • 80 ml cold water
  • 200 g streaky bacon (chopped)
  • 400 g minced beef
  • 150 g fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
  • 150 g cheese block (grated)
  • 1 small onion (finely diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and salt in a bowl.
  2. Grate cold butter into flour or cut into small cubes and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Stir in cold water a little at a time until dough just comes together; form into a disk, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
  5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium, cook chopped bacon until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
  6. Add minced beef to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, brown and crumble until cooked through; drain excess fat if needed.
  7. Return bacon to the pan, add diced onion and minced garlic, cook until onion soft, then stir in chopped spinach until wilted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  8. Mix grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture and adjust seasoning.
  9. Lightly flour a work surface, roll chilled dough to about 3–4 mm thick.
  10. Cut rounds using a 10–12 cm cutter or a bowl; gather scraps, reroll and cut more rounds.
  11. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each round, leaving a border.
  12. Brush edges with beaten egg, fold dough over to form a half-moon and press edges to seal; crimp with a fork to secure.
  13. Place hand pies on prepared tray, brush tops with egg wash and cut a small vent in each.
  14. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed.
  15. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

FAQs

Can I reuse scraps to make more pies? Use a standard 10–12 cm cutter for rounds; reroll scraps until all dough is used.
How do I keep the pastry flaky? Chill dough well and don’t overwork it to keep the pastry tender.
How long can I store or freeze these pies? Store baked pies in a container in the fridge for 2–3 days or freeze unbaked rounds and bake later.