This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.
Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Cook up our mouthwatering Potato and Cheddar Pastries, and you’ll be enjoying the most tender, flaky shortcrust pastry filled with savory sautéed potatoes accented with onion, cheddar, and sage.
- These portable entrees are delicious warm or at room temperature, and they’d be perfect for supper in front of the fire or on a picnic.
- Additionally, you can whip up the pastry earlier in the day (it’s best if it rests for an hour before cooking), or it can be frozen for up to eight weeks, so these pastries are also perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
I find that kids love food that’s served in its little package. George does anyway! Something about being able to pick dinner up makes it more fun and interactive for toddlers, teenagers, and even adults! Plus, you can sneak in some veggies and other healthy ingredients that kids might tend to avoid on a dinner plate. Try our Homemade Dumpling Wrappers stuffed with your favorite filling, Homemade Corn Tortillas for delicious tacos, Chorizo Handpies (with Potato and Red Pepper), and learn how to Make Samosas From Scratch!
Table of Contents
- What are Potato and Cheddar Pastries?
- Tools You Need
- Key Ingredients and Why
- How to Make Potato and Cheddar Pastries
- Can I Make Potato and Cheddar Pastries in Advance?
- How to Store Potato and Cheddar Pastries
- FAQs
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- More Potato Recipes
What are Potato and Cheddar Pastries?
- Potato and Cheddar Pastries are a nod to the traditional English pasty, a small, handheld pastry that holds a variety of meat, seafood, and vegetable fillings.
- Pasties were originally consumed by royalty beginning around the 13th century, but by the 17th century, they became a favorite food among miners and farm workers in Cornwall. There was a practical reason:
- At that time, the pastry protected the meat inside from arsenic-contaminated (or simply dirty) hands.
- The crust of these pasties was strong enough to be tossed down a mine shaft and thick enough to keep the filling warm for several hours!
- Pasties are still a typical lunch food today and are usually filled with ground meat or vegetables, but are now made with a crust that is intended to be eaten. Our pastry is a bit more refined than the Cornish pasties of the past with an incredibly tender crust and the same delicious and comforting filling connected to its humble past.
Tools You Need
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Glass measuring jug
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Rolling pin
- Chopping knife
- Wooden spoon
- Box grater
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Medium saucepan
- Prep bowls
- Pastry Brush
Key Ingredients and Why
-
All-purpose flour
- All-purpose flour has a protein content of 9-11%,
- That’s perfect for baked goods like this pastry, which needs enough structure to keep its shape, but without too much elasticity or chew.
-
Butter
- Butter adds fat, moisture, and flavor to baked goods.
- Butter creates the flaky layers in pastry: heat turns the water in the butter into steam, creating pockets in the dough and the flaky texture.
- Be sure to use cold butter for this recipe.
-
Salt
- Salt brings out the flavors in the pastry and the filling.
- We recommend kosher or sea salt; the iodine in most table salt can give an acrid flavor.
-
Eggs
- Eggs are a binding agent in pastry and contribute to emulsification (blending the ingredients together), structure, and tenderness. Egg is also used for the wash to make the pastry attractively shiny and golden brown.
- For all our recipes, we use large eggs, which weigh approximately 1 3/4 oz (50 g) without the shell. That is 30 g for the white and 20 g for the yolk.
-
Whole Milk
- I always use full-fat milk (which has 3.25% milkfat by weight) for the best flavor and texture.
-
Vinegar
- Vinegar serves as a buttermilk substitute when combined with milk, and it tenderizes the pastry in this recipe.
- You can use white, distilled, or apple cider vinegar. I wouldn’t recommend malt vinegar here. Save that for your chips!
-
Onion
- Onions come in many varieties, but in this recipe, we recommend a yellow or white onion.
-
Waxy potatoes
- Waxy potatoes are lower in starch, moisture, and sugar than starchy potatoes.
- They’re good for recipes like this one, where the potatoes should keep their shape and not crumble.
- For example, Red Bliss, Yukon Gold, or fingerling potatoes would all work here.
-
Sage
- Deeply aromatic sage is a herb that’s earthy, citrusy, and slightly peppery and piney. It pairs beautifully with the potatoes.
- I recommend using fresh sage in this recipe for the best flavor.
-
Cheddar cheese
- Cheddar cheese is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the village of Cheddar in England but is now made worldwide.
- The varieties range from mild to sharp, yellow or white, and aged for up to a few years.
- For the best flavor in this recipe, use sharp cheddar. I prefer the Dubliner brand, for obvious reasons!
-
Cream
- Cream adds rich flavor and moisture to the filling.
- Since this cream isn’t whipped, high-fat cream isn’t necessary.
How to Make Potato and Cheddar Pastries
- Make the pastry dough:
- Mix dry ingredients by rubbing cold butter in the flour and salt mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Whisk wet ingredients including egg, milk, and vinegar in a jug.
- Then, combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
- Prepare the filling:
- Melt the butter in a pan, and saute the onions for five minutes.
- Next, add the potatoes and sage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar and cream, and season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the pastries:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Divide the chilled dough into six equal pieces. Roll out each to a 6 1/2-inch circle and add 1/3 cup of the cooled filling, leaving a border around the edge.
- Next, fold half of the pastry over, press the edges to seal, and crimp the pastry. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
- Bake the pastries: Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.
Can I Make Potato and Cheddar Pastries in Advance?
Yes, you can make Potato and Cheddar Pastries in Advance.
- To make the pastry dough ahead:
- Mix up the dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Additionally, you can freeze the dough for up to eight weeks.
- To make the potato filling in advance:
- Let the filling cool, and store in an airtight container for up to two days.
- To prepare the Potato and Cheddar Pastries in Advance:
- Assemble the pastries, but do not bake.
- Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
- To bake the Potato and Cheddar Pastries in Advance:
- Cover baked pastries and keep them in the fridge for up to two days.
- Then, reheat at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil while reheating to keep them from drying out.
How to Store Potato and Cheddar Pastries
- Store Potato and Cheddar Pastries well-covered in the fridge for up to two days.
FAQs
-
How do I keep my pastry from cracking when I roll it out?
- Your dough may be too cold. Let it warm up on the counter for 15 minutes, and then try to roll it out again.
-
I can’t find waxy potatoes. What can I use instead?
- Waxy potatoes are preferred in this recipe because they hold their shape. However, any potato can be used here. The texture might be different, but the pastry will still taste delicious!
-
Can I make this recipe without eggs?
Yes, you can make these hand pies without eggs.
- See our guide to The 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking and How to Use Them.
- A flax egg could work well in the dough, and you can substitute some cream or olive oil to brush on the pastry instead of the egg wash.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- For successful pastry making, always use cold butter, work fast so that your hands don’t melt the butter, chill your dough before baking, and use an egg wash to get a lovely golden-brown bake.
- If you prefer, you can make the dough with a food processor instead of using your hands.
- The filling won’t cook much once it’s inside the pastry, so make sure the potatoes are fully cooked and tender before filling. Also, be sure the filling is cooled before wrapping it in the dough, as warm filling will make the dough difficult to handle.
- Pastry loves a hot oven, so keep that door closed so the temperature stays high!
- Additionally, you can change the size or shape of these pastries: make 12 smaller versions to serve as snacks or appetizers. Or make one large pie: Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a circle, and put one on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Add the filling to the center, leaving a one-inch border around the edge. Brush the edge with egg wash and place the second dough circle on top. Crimp to seal and bake until golden.
More Potato Recipes
Potato and Cheddar Pastries
Make our Potato and Cheddar Pastries Recipe and indulge in savory, golden brown turnovers stuffed with luscious sage and potato filling.
Servings: 6 pastries
Make our Potato and Cheddar Pastries Recipe and indulge in savory, golden brown turnovers stuffed with luscious sage and potato filling.
Servings: 6 pastries
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry
- 2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ oz/ 320 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (8 oz/227 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, cold
- About 3 tablespoons (1 ½ fl oz/ 45 ml) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 beaten egg, to glaze
For the Potato and Cheddar Filling
- 3 tablespoons (1 ½ oz/43 g) butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 4 oz/115 g)
- 1 medium waxy potato (about 9 oz/250 g), cut into 1cm dice
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh sage
- 2 ⅓ cups (7 oz/200 g) grated sharp cheddar
- 4 tablespoons ( 2 fl oz/ 60 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Pastry
- Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Rub in the cubed butter between your forefingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- In a separate measuring jug, whisk together the egg, milk, and vinegar.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Using your hands, bring the mixture together until it forms a dough – it should be soft but not sticky. Shape the dough into a ball on a flour-dusted work surface, flatten into a disc and cover in cling film. Set aside in the fridge for at least 60 minutes to rest. The pastry can be made up to 24 hours in advance. It also can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.
Make the Potato and Cheddar Filling
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the potato and sage to the onions and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool in a bowl for 20 minutes.
- Stir the cheddar and cream through the cooled potato mixture, season with a good pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Assembling the Pastries
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Divide the pastry into 6 equal pieces. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form roughly a 6 ½ inch circle. Pile about ⅓ cup of the cooled filling just off center on the pastry, leaving a border around the edge.
- Fold the other half over and press to enclose the filling. Crimp the edges of the pastry and place on a large, lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
- Generously brush the pastries with the egg wash and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.
- Serve the pastries, hot from the oven with salad on the side. Store leftovers, covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
- For successful pastry making, always use cold butter, work fast so that your hands don't melt the butter, chill your dough before baking, and use an egg wash to get a lovely golden-brown bake.
- If you prefer, you can make the dough with a food processor instead of using your hands.
- The filling won't cook much once it's inside the pastry, so make sure the potatoes are fully cooked and tender before filling. Also, be sure the filling is cooled before wrapping it in the dough, as warm filling will make the dough difficult to handle.
- Pastry loves a hot oven, so keep that door closed so the temperature stays high!
- Additionally, you can change the size or shape of these pastries: make 12 smaller versions to serve as snacks or appetizers. Or make one large pie: Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a circle, and put one on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Add the filling to the center, leaving a one-inch border around the edge. Brush the edge with egg wash and place the second dough circle on top. Crimp to seal and bake until golden.
