Oven Baked Corned Beef Potato Pie

Oven Baked Corned Beef Potato Pie

Not all of the best recipes begin with a carefully planned grocery list. They begin with a few ingredients in the kitchen and a simple question: What can I make with this?

That’s how this Oven Baked 3 Ingredient Corned Beef Potato Pie came about for me. It was a cold night, and I wanted something warm and filling without having to make a complicated dinner. I opened the fridge, and there was a can of corned beef. I had a sheet of refrigerated pie crust that needed to be used up, and a few potatoes sitting in the pantry.

I nearly put everything away and ordered dinner. I decided instead to experiment. I boiled the potatoes until they were soft, mashed some of them, and mixed them with the corned beef. Then I spooned the filling into the pie shell, covered the top, and put the pie in the oven.

That was all.

No fancy sauce, no long list of condiments, no pile of dishes in the sink. As the pie baked, the smell gradually changed the mood of the whole house. The crust was golden and buttery, the savory corned beef and potatoes giving off an aroma that reminded me of the simple homemade meals of my childhood.

When I pulled the pie out of the oven, the crust looked crisp and beautifully golden. I waited a few minutes, then cut into it. The first slice held together shockingly well. The potatoes made the filling really soft, and the corned beef added loads of savory flavor. Each bite was just right with the crisp pastry on the top.

Nobody wanted anything fancy to go with it. A simple green salad was sufficient. Since that first attempt, I’ve made this pie every time I’ve needed a cheap dinner that felt more special than the effort involved. But especially useful on busy nights as the filling is a breeze to make, and you can prep the potatoes ahead if you want to make dinner even faster.

If you’re looking for easy corned beef recipes, inexpensive family dinners, easy potato recipes, savory pie recipes, quick comfort food, easy weeknight dinners or simple meal ideas, this three-ingredient pie is one to add to your recipe collection.

Why This Corned Beef Pie Is So Good

• The beauty of this recipe is the textural combination.
• The potatoes make a soft and hearty filling and the corned beef provides a rich, salty flavor that goes naturally with them. The pastry adds a buttery crunch layer to everything.
• You don’t need a complicated filling to make a satisfying pie.
• Three simple ingredients can go a long way if you treat them right.

Ingredients

All you need is 3 main ingredients:

• 1 (12-ounce) can corned beef
• 3 large red-skinned potatoes
• 1 double-crust refrigerated pie crust

For this recipe, choose potatoes that mash easily and a pie crust that you like to eat on its own.

How To Make Potato Pie With Corned Beef

1. First, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces of even size. Add to a pot of salted water and cook until they are fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes well and leave them for a couple of minutes to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
4. Crush them a little. You don’t need perfectly smooth potatoes; a bit of texture adds more interest to the filling.
5. Add the corned beef, stir until the two are well blended.
6. Place a pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.
7. Spoon the corned beef and potato mixture into the crust, spreading it into an even layer.
8. Put the second crust on top of the filling and crimp the edges to seal the pie.
9. Cut a few small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
10. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
11. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
12. That short rest period helps the filling set and makes for cleaner slices.

Some tips from my kitchen

• Don’t use too much water to cook the potatoes. The watery potatoes make the filling soft and difficult to cut.
• You can prepare the mashed potatoes earlier in the day and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the pie.
• If the crust begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the edges with aluminum foil while the center cooks thru.
• And let the pie rest before cutting. I know it’s tempting to dig in right away, especially when the kitchen smells so good, but those extra minutes really do help.

What to Serve With It

• There’s plenty of hearty flavor in this pie, so I keep the sides simple.
• The meal is balanced and freshened out with a green salad.
• Steamed peas or green beans are also nice.
• If you’re making the pie for a family dinner, roasted carrots are another simple choice. They have a natural sweetness that pairs well with the salty corned beef.
• Serve each slice with a little mustard on the side for a casual weekend meal.

Simple Ways to Alter It

• The three-ingredient version is simple, but you can easily make small changes when you have extra ingredients.
• Some chopped onion for sweetness and texture.
• The filling is brightened and freshened with fresh parsley.
• If you like cheese with your corned beef, sprinkle a little cheddar on the potato mixture before adding the top crust.
• These toppings aren’t required, but they can change the personality of the pie each time you make it.

Tips for Make-Ahead

1. If you need to make dinner ahead of time, this recipe is especially good.
2. The potato and corned beef filling can be prepared several hours before baking. Cover and keep refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the pie.
3. When it’s time for dinner, fill the pastry, top crust and bake.
4. This is a great option for busy weeknights when you want a homemade comfort food dinner but want to do it all from scratch at the last minute.

Leftovers storage

• Store leftover pie in an airtight container or tightly cover pie dish and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Warm individual slices in a 350º oven. The oven helps the crust come back to life and regain some of its crispness.
• You might like your pie cold as well. The filling chills in the fridge and makes an easy lunch.

Concluding remarks

This Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Corned Beef Potato Pie is proof that you don’t need a complicated recipe to make a dinner people will remember.

Made from three inexpensive ingredients, a crisp pastry filled with creamy potatoes and savory corned beef is deliciously old-fashioned and comforting. This pie gives you lots of flavor without spending lots of time in the kitchen from an easy corned beef dinner to a budget friendly potato recipe or simple family comfort food recipe.

Some of the recipes you make over and over again are the ones that start with almost nothing.