Pie!

For those of you who keep reading, I did not eat pizza last night however did have two skinny girl margaritas... After two of those I decided I wanted pie for dinner tonight....not your normal dessert pie, but some sort of pot pie. I decided on a Rachel Ray recipe. I love Rachel Ray but there are two things you should know when you start making her recipes.

1. They are not healthy (most of the time) and you need to modify
2. The average time to bake/make them is 45 minutes. (At least for me.)

The recipe is called Beef Cheddar and Potato Pie. I am hoping with my modifications its enough for 2-3 meals and is a "healthier" version.


The ingredients are listed below.

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup dark beer
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Modifications:

• 2.5 lbs of 92% low fat beef.
  
• Bud light instead of dark beer
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (I used Pillsbury crescent rolls, which now conveniently are sold in a flat dough sheet)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a skillet, combine the beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let cool.
   

2. On a floured surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch round. Place in a 10-inch skillet or deep pie dish. Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11-inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture to the skillet. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some of the egg wash, then place the second sheet on top. Press the edges to seal, then trim to a 1/2-inch edge.
   

3. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Brush the top with more of the egg wash and cut an "X" into the pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the crust darkens too quickly. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Modifications:
I am making a bottomless pot pie and only putting one sheet of puff pastry on the top. I also used a casserole dish instead of a pie dish so that the overall portion sizes were easier to figure out. Since I used more meat, I also needed more room.

I am guessing this is about 8 servings at 320 - 350 calories a piece. Modifications are hard to measure so I am counting 400 calories for my portion tonight.

Week Ahead...
My weekend has been filled with eating new recipes and catching up around the house. My double workout yesterday has left me pretty sore so I am switching my days off so they are further apart. This week I am taking Sunday and Wednesday off. My workout today consisted of walking around the outlet malls! :) Tomorrow is back to the kick-butt Jillian Metabolism Boost. Stay tuned for the weekly workouts. So far the challenge is on track!!