Homity Pies

Homity Pies are rustic open-topped pies with a generous, chunky filling based on potatoes and cheese.

In this extra tasty version, the boiled potatoes are mixed with sauteed leek, garlic and spinach, butter, a little cream cheese, plus grated cheddar. Top with more cheddar, and after just 20 minutes in the oven you can tuck in to what may be the best vegetarian pies ever.

Great with salad or hot vegetables, Homity Pies can also be eaten cold in packed lunches or for picnics.

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HOMITY PIES: A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Regular readers will know that the great produce I get delivered from Moorland Veg Box often appears in my recipes. I also opt to receive their emails packed with suggestions and recipe links for how to use it. And I’m so grateful for a recent one that included a blast from the past I’d forgotten about. Homity Pies.

Homity Pies are vegetarian, open-topped pies that are usually made with potato, onion (sometimes leek), and cheese. Very simple and rustic, the pies are said to have been created by the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War when meat was scarce in Britain. Others say they’re much older and come from the West Country.

I first heard of them back in the 1980s. I was vegetarian and regularly cooked from The Cranks Recipe Book, written by the founders of the now defunct vegetarian restaurant chain. It was Cranks’ recipe for Homity Pies that Moorland Veg Box mentioned, and gave a link to a modern recipe which included spinach and cream cheese.

Not having made the dish in literally decades, I decided to create my own new version, taking the best from both suggestions. The result was still simple, but absolutely delicious. In fact, the best veggie pie I’ve ever eaten.

MY HOMITY PIES

Doing a little more research, I found several variations of Homity Pie. But I thought many took it too far away from the simple original. All too often, it’s overwhelmed with lots of double cream or other unnecessary additions. My old Cranks book includes onions, but I liked the idea of swapping in leeks instead. Extra greens in the form of spinach, plus cream cheese instead of milk for richness, sounded good too. However, I use just small amounts of these to enhance the original rather than completely change its character.

Lots of modern versions also make one large pie in a flan dish or similar. But I still think Cranks’ individual pies are much nicer. I reuse round foil dishes I save from shop bought pies, but you can also buy them. Mine are approximately 9.5 cm in diameter at the top, with a smaller 7.5 cm base, and are 3 cm deep. The recipe card at the end gives ingredient amounts and instructions to make four Homity Pies of this size.

While the ingredient list and instructions may seem long, the process is actually quite easy. There’s not a huge amount of hands-on time either. For best results you’ll need to chill the pastry twice, for 30 minutes each time.

MAKE THE PASTRY

Basic shortcrust pastry is quick and simple to achieve at home. And that’s true whether you make it by hand or whizz it up in a food processor. In the recipe card you’ll find instructions for both.

Homity Pies are traditionally made with wholemeal pastry. Personally, I prefer it a bit lighter so use half wholemeal and half white plain flour. But you can replace some or all the white with more wholemeal if you want. You’ll also need a little salt, cold butter, and iced water. I like a little finely grated Parmesan to the pastry for extra savoury flavour.

After you’ve made the pastry, it will need chilling in the fridge to make rolling out easier. So prepare it first, before the filling. Thirty minutes in the fridge, wrapped in foil or cling film, is usually long enough. But the pastry won’t come to any harm if it’s more convenient to make it further in advance.

MAKE THE FILLING

I recommend making the filling while the pastry is chilling.

Start by cutting the potatoes into chunky dice and simmering in salted water until just tender. When done, drain in a colander but leave them in there to dry and start cooling.

While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, soften sliced leeks in olive oil, seasoning them with a little salt and pepper. When you think they’re five minutes away from done, add chopped garlic. Chopped or shredded spinach goes in next and is stirred around until wilted. If any water comes out, keep cooking until it evaporates otherwise your filling will be soggy.

Next, off the heat, you stir in butter and cream cheese for richness and moistness, plus grated mature Cheddar. Now gently stir the cooked potatoes into the mix, trying not to break them up.

Finally, have a taste and add more salt and/or pepper if you think it needs it. Now set the filling aside to completely cool while you roll out the pastry.

ROLL OUT THE PASTRY & LINE THE TINS

Take the chilled pastry from the fridge and divide it into 4 equal pieces. I always use scales for accuracy. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered so they don’t dry out.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll the pastry into a circle big enough to come all the way up the sides of the pie tin. But don’t roll it so much that you need to cut any off, or it will be too thin.

Neaten the top edge by pressing down and smoothing with your fingers, before putting in the fridge to chill for another 30 minutes. This step is important so the pastry doesn’t shrink as it cooks.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to the temperature shown in the recipe card.

FILL & BAKE

When the potato and leek mixture has cooled and your pastry shells are chilled, it’s time to fill and bake the Homity Pies.

Spoon a quarter of the filling into each pastry case. Try to fill any gaps, but don’t press down and compact it. To use up all the filling, you’ll need to pile it up. But plenty of chunky filling is how it should be! Sprinkle the tops with more grated Cheddar then place the pies on a baking sheet.

Transfer to a middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is browned and crisp and the filling hot and deep golden.

SERVING HOMITY PIES

The Homity Pies you see in this post are the second batch I’ve made of my new version. But, enjoying that first one so much: I served the next lot in exactly the same way. With homegrown runner beans plus a crunchy raw veg salad sprinkled with cider vinegar and olive oil.

It really was a lovely dinner with the rich but not heavy pie full of flavour. And just the right size too.

We’ve also enjoyed them cold for lunch and I think the pies would be great in packed lunches or for picnics.

The pies will keep for three days stored in a covered container in the fridge or can be frozen. To serve warm again you can reheat in a moderate oven, although my preference is a short burst in the microwave to start heating the filling, then transfer to the air fryer to re-crisp the pastry.

Whether Homity Pies are new to you or an old favourite, I’d love to know what you think of my version. Do please leave a comment.

5 from 1 vote

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Homity Pies

Homity Pies are rustic open-topped pies with a generous, chunky filling based on potatoes and cheese.

In this version boiled potatoes are mixed with sauteed leek, garlic and spinach, butter, a little cream cheese, plus grated cheddar. Topped with more cheddar, they take just 20 minutes in the oven and might just be the best vegetarian pie ever.

Great with salad or hot vegetables, Homity Pies can also be eaten cold in packed lunches or for picnics.

It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before beginning the recipe.

Course Main Course, Lunch, Picnic

Cuisine British, Vegetarian

Keyword shortcrust pastry, savoury pies

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Chilling the pastry 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 4 individual pies

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 70 g plain wholemeal flour (plus extra for rolling out)
• 70 g plain white flour (can be replaced with wholemeal flour)
• ½ tsp salt
• 70 g cold butter (diced)
• 20 g Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
• 2 - 4 tbsp iced water

For the filling

• 350 g potatoes, peeled or not as preferred (weight after preparation)
• salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300 g leeks (weight after preparation)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 80 g spinach (roughly chopped or shredded)
• 20 g butter
• 80 g full fat cream cheese
• 100 g mature Cheddar cheese, grated (divided in half)

Instructions

Make the pastry

1. By hand

   Stir the flours and salt together in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

   Use a round bladed knife to stir in the grated Parmesan.

   Gradually add enough cold water, 1 tbsp at a time and stirring in with the knife, until the pastry starts coming together.

   Using a food processor

   Put the flour, salt and butter into the food processor and whizz until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

   Add the grated Parmesan then briefly whizz to incorporate it into the mixture.

   With the motor still running add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the pastry starts coming together.

2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth ball.

   Flatten into a disc then wrap in foil or cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the filling

1. Peel or scrub the potatoes and cut into chunky dice.

   Put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add salt to taste. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cook until just tender.

   Drain and leave to dry and cool in the colander/sieve.

2. Put the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.

   Top and tail the leeks then cut into thinnish slices. Rinse well under running water to remove any mud, drain, then add to the frying pan.

   Season with a little salt and pepper then sauté until soft, adding the chopped garlic for the final few minutes.

   Add the spinach to the pan, stirring around until it's wilted and any water is evaporated.

3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and cream cheese so they melt and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

   Stir in 50 g of the grated Cheddar.

   Gently stir in the cooked potatoes, trying not to break them up.

   Taste the filling and add more salt and/or pepper if necessary.

   Set aside to cool.

Roll out the pastry and line the tins

1. Divide the chilled pastry into 4 equal pieces, using scales for accuracy.

   Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered so they don't dry out.

   On a lightly floured surface, roll into a circle big enough to come all the way up the sides of a pie tin, but not so big that you need to cut any off. Neaten the top edge by pressing down and smoothing with your fingers, then put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes: this is important so the pastry doesn't shrink as it cooks.

   Repeat with the remaining pastry.

Bake the pies

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C /200°Fan /Gas 7 /425°F.

2. Divide the filling between the chilled pastry cases. Try to fill any gaps, but don't press the filling down or compact it. To fit all the filling in you'll need to pile it up, but that's how it should be.

   Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 50 grams of grated Cheddar.

3. Place the pies on a baking tray and transfer to a middle shelf of the oven.

   Cook for 20 minutes or until the pastry is browned and crisp and the filling hot and deep golden.

   Rest for a few minutes before carefully taking out of the pie tins.

4. Can be eaten hot or cold.

   Store in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen.

   Reheat in a microwave, medium oven, or air fryer.

   Recommended: briefly heat in a microwave to start heating the filling, then air fry on 'bake' to re-crisp the pastry.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Cranks and Olive Magazine.

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