Creamy mushroom pie and vegetables
An alternative Sunday roast, this flavoursome pie is much easier to prepare than it looks and makes the perfect centrepiece for a meat-free meal. For a delicious vegan version, swap the milk for a plant-based alternative and make sure your puff pastry is vegan.
This recipe is part of a Budget vegetarian meal plan for four. In September 2023 this recipe was costed at an average of £3.88 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 400g/14oz mushrooms, any kind, sliced or halved if small
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 250ml/9fl oz hot vegetable stock, made with 1 vegetable stock cube
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk
- 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
- salt and black pepper
For the vegetables
- 350g/12oz medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
- 350g/12oz medium parsnips, peeled and halved lengthways
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250g/9oz frozen peas
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Toss the carrots and parsnips with 2 tablespoons of oil, a pinch of salt and lots of ground black pepper in a large bowl then scatter over a baking tray. Bake for 30–40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Don’t worry if the oven hasn’t reached temperature when you add the vegetables.
Meanwhile make the pie filling, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan, add half of the mushrooms and season with ground black pepper. Fry over a high heat for 2–3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring regularly. Tip into a bowl. Add a tablespoon more oil and the remaining mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes more. Add to the first batch.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the same frying pan and fry the onion over high heat for 3–4 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Reduce the heat a little, stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly.
Gradually add the stock, just a little at a time, stirring well between each addition. Stir in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked mushrooms. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Tip the mushroom mixture into a 1 litre pie dish and place on a baking tray.
Unroll the sheet of pastry and score in a criss-cross pattern with the tip of a knife without pressing all the way through. Put the pastry on top of the pie dish and squeeze around the sides to seal.
Trim off any excess with kitchen scissors, leaving a border around the edge of around 2cm/¾in as the pastry will shrink a little as it cooks. Work quickly before the heat from the filling softens the pastry.
Bake the pie on a baking tray (to catch any drips) on the shelf above the vegetables for 20 minutes, or until puffed up and pale golden brown. Cook the peas according to the pack instructions and serve alongside the pie and roasted vegetables.
Recipe Tips
If your pastry doesn’t quite fit your pie dish, use any trimmings to patch the gaps or roll a little larger with a rolling pin before covering the dish. Or make two or more smaller pies instead.
If your carrots or parsnips are large, peel and cut into lengthways quarters instead of halves so they cook quickly. If they are small, leave them whole or cook for 10–15 minutes less.
For extra flavour, add a crushed garlic clove to the onion and cook for a few seconds before adding the flour.
To prepare ahead, make the filling for the pie and allow it to cool completely before topping with the pastry. You can then hold it in the fridge for several hours or overnight before baking. You will need to add a few minutes to the cooking time to make up for the chill factor.
If your family isn’t keen on parsnips, either leave them out of add potatoes or extra carrots to the tin instead. Or choose your own selection of vegetables – fresh or frozen.