Beef Picadillo Skillet Pot Pie
This skillet pot pie is a great way to serve up a batch of Mexican Picadillo. The flaky pastry is a perfect match for the hearty beef and potatoes. Dice up 6 oz. of cold butter (1.5 sticks) into small 1/2" chunks and plop them into the flour.
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 potato
- 1 carrot
- 1/4 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 plum tomatoes
- 3/4 onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 6 oz. butter (1.5 sticks)
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 2 small eggs
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1 egg (for the eggwash)
- Start by mixing 1.5 teaspoons of salt into 3 1/4 cups of flour. Dice up 6 oz. of cold butter (1.5 sticks) into small 1/2" chunks and plop them into the flour. Use your fingers to disintegrate the butter into the mixture but don't worry about getting all of the butter dissolved. Mix it in just enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few chunks of butter laying about.
- In a bowl, combine 2 small eggs and 1/2 cup ice cold water. Add this mixture to the flour incrementally using a spoon or spatula to roughly combine.
- Dump the mixture onto a work surface but resist the temptation to knead! Just combine it enough to form a cohesive ball. Cut into two parts and form a round disc with each half. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
- After rinsing the tomatoes and cutting out the stems, roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
- Saute 1/4 onion in oil over medium heat for a few minutes (preferably in an oven-safe pan). Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute briefly. Add 1 lb. ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is lightly browned.
- Chop the potato and carrot into smallish pieces. Once the beef is lightly browned, add the potato and carrot. Saute briefly as you gather the additional ingredients.
- For the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture, add the roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 3/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno. Combine well.
- Add the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture to the beef, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, some freshly cracked black pepper, and another pinch of salt. I also add 2 teaspoons of this chili powder mixture but that is optional.
- Combine well and simmer for 5-10 minutes, taking a final taste for seasoning. Feel free to adjust the amount of liquid in the pan before baking; ideally the beef mixture reaches the top of the pan but the liquid does not.
- Remove one of the pastry dough discs from the fridge and let it come up to room temp. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out so that it's a couple inches wider than your pan. Sprinkle with flour if the dough is sticking anywhere.
- Drape the dough over the skillet. You can crimp the dough any way you want; for this batch I just folded it into a lip and tucked it inside the pan.
- Brush the dough with eggwash (1 egg combined with 1-2 tablespoons of water) and be sure to get the edges too. Season with salt and poke some knife holes in the top for venting.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are just starting to turn darker brown.
- Let rest for a few minutes and then serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Use your fingers to disintegrate the butter into the mixture but don't worry about getting all of the butter dissolved. Mix it in just enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few chunks of butter laying about.
Add this mixture to the flour incrementally using a spoon or spatula to roughly combine. Dump the mixture onto a work surface but resist the temptation to knead!
Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for an hour or so. After rinsing the tomatoes and cutting out the stems, roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
Saute 1/4 onion in oil over medium heat for a few minutes (preferably in an oven-safe pan). Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute briefly.
Once the beef is lightly browned, add the potato and carrot. For the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture, add the roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 3/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno.
Add the Tomato-Jalapeno mixture to the beef, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, some freshly cracked black pepper, and another pinch of salt. I also add 2 teaspoons of this chili powder mixture but that is optional.
Combine well and simmer for 5-10 minutes, taking a final taste for seasoning. Feel free to adjust the amount of liquid in the pan before baking; ideally the beef mixture reaches the top of the pan but the liquid does not. Remove one of the pastry dough discs from the fridge and let it come up to room temp.
You can crimp the dough any way you want; for this batch I just folded it into a lip and tucked it inside the pan. Brush the dough with eggwash (1 egg combined with 1-2 tablespoons of water) and be sure to get the edges too. Season with salt and poke some knife holes in the top for venting.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are just starting to turn darker brown.
