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Cheesy Bacon & Beef Spinach Pie Recipe

Prep 25 min Cook 45 min Difficulty 2/5

Make a hearty cheesy bacon, beef and spinach pie with quick pastry—ready in about an hour. Clear steps, tips and simple ingredient swaps.

Why this recipe works

A hearty savory pie combining crispy bacon, seasoned minced beef, wilted spinach and melting cheese in a quick homemade pastry. It suits weeknight cooks who want a filling, family-friendly main with straightforward steps. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and offers simple swaps if you prefer store-bought pastry or want a vegetarian version.

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Key takeaways

Make quick pastry or use ready-made to save time.
Drain excess fat for a non-greasy filling.
Can be made ahead and frozen before baking.

Recipe guide

A hearty savory pie combining crispy bacon, seasoned minced beef, wilted spinach and melting cheese in a quick homemade pastry. It suits weeknight cooks who want a filling, family-friendly main with straightforward steps. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and offers simple swaps if you prefer store-bought pastry or want a vegetarian version.

A simple, comforting meat-and-cheese pie you can make with basic pantry ingredients.

  • Make quick pastry or use ready-made to save time.
  • Drain excess fat for a non-greasy filling.
  • Can be made ahead and frozen before baking.

Ingredients (single pie)

Scale the listed ingredients to one pie: 250 g plain flour, ~100 g cold butter (or 60–80 ml oil) and ~60 ml cold water for pastry; 200 g streaky bacon (lardons), 400 g minced beef, 150 g fresh spinach, 150 g cheese, salt and pepper. Have a little milk or beaten egg ready to glaze.

Step-by-step method

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Make pastry: rub flour with cold butter (or oil) and add cold water until it holds; chill 15 minutes. Fry sliced bacon until golden; add minced beef, season, and cook through. Stir in chopped spinach until wilted, then mix most of the grated cheese into the filling. Roll out pastry, line dish, fill, top with reserved cheese and pastry lid or lattice, seal and glaze. Bake 30–40 minutes until golden; rest 10 minutes before serving.

Tips, swaps and make-ahead notes

Quick tips: drain excess fat so filling isn’t greasy; grate cheese finely so it melts evenly; blind-bake base 8–10 minutes for a crisper bottom. Variations: swap bacon for pancetta, use kale instead of spinach, or add a spoon of tomato paste for extra depth. To make ahead, cool filling and refrigerate 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 200 g streaky bacon
  • 150 g fresh spinach
  • 150 g cheese block
  • 400 g minced/ground beef

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
  2. Make a quick pastry by combining 250 g plain flour with about 100 g cold butter (or 60–80 ml oil) and ~60 ml cold water, rubbing until a crumbly dough forms, then bring together and chill 15 minutes.
  3. Slice 200 g streaky bacon into lardons and fry in a pan until golden and slightly crisp; drain excess fat.
  4. Add 400 g minced beef to the bacon, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through; drain any excess fat.
  5. Rinse and roughly chop 150 g fresh spinach, then add to the beef mixture and cook briefly until wilted; remove from heat.
  6. Grate or finely chop 150 g cheese block and stir most into the hot beef-spinach mix, reserving a handful for topping.
  7. Roll out chilled pastry on a floured surface to fit a pie dish, keeping some pastry for a lid or lattice.
  8. Line the pie dish with pastry, fill with the beef, bacon, spinach and cheese mixture, and sprinkle reserved cheese on top.
  9. Cover with pastry lid or lattice, seal edges and trim excess, then brush the top with a little milk or beaten egg for color.
  10. Bake for 30–40 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling; rest 10 minutes before serving.

FAQs

How long can I store leftovers or freeze the pie? Cool completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; freeze assembled (before baking) for up to 3 months—bake from frozen adding extra 10–15 minutes.
What's the best way to reheat slices? Reheat covered at 170°C/325°F until heated through (about 20–30 minutes); microwave heats faster but softens pastry.
Can I use store-bought pastry or make substitutions for dietary needs? Use ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry, replace bacon with smoked ham or omit for a vegetarian version (add mushrooms or extra cheese), and swap beef for cooked shredded chicken.