Hand Pies (Pasties)

Welsh "pasties" are also enjoyed in Ireland. I've heard them called hand pies, as they bake up small and firm enough to carry them around in your hand. My family usually makes them as veggie pies, but you could use a bit of ground beef or cooked crumbled sausage to round it out to a meal. We've had the pork sausage version, and it's pretty good -- some of the newer artisan sausage might be good, too -- chicken, sage and apple sausage is sounding pretty good right now.....

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 2  ready-made pie crusts (usually sold 2 to a package)
• 1  medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1  large carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1  large potato, peeled and finely diced
• 1  large celery rib, chopped
• 1  medium parsnip, peeled and finely diced (optional)
• 1⁄2 lb bulk pork sausage (optional)

Directions

1. Bring pie crust out and to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Lightly grease, spray or use parchment on a large baking sheet.
4. Mix vegetables, and pork sausage if using. Don't precook the sausage - it will cook when the pies bake.
5. Cut crust into small circles, about 2-3 inches across. You should be able to get five or six circles out of each crust if you re-roll the pastry leftovers.
6. Place an equal amount of the filling on half of the circles, and top with another circle.
7. Fold the edges over each other towards the top, and crimp together like a traditional pie crust. Make a small slit in the center to vent steam, and brush with an egg wash if you like.
8. Place each little pie on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for approximately one hour, checking for over-browning.
9. Can be eaten hot or cold.