Jamaican Meat Pie Casserole
Rather than making individual serving-sized meat pies, this recipe makes one large double-crust, deep-dish pizza-style casserole. The curry powder and jalapeño give it a taste of the islands. Serve with a salad tossed with a citrus vinaigrette to complete the theme.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
- 2 13.8-ounce cans refrigerated pizza crust
Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Add the ground beef, the yellow and green onions, jalapeño, garlic, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the curry powder, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, the salt, pepper, and cayenne to a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine and break the meat apart. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover and microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Drain off any excess fat.
Stir in the eggs, vinegar, breadcrumbs, and sugar. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Brush the bottom of a 14" nonstick deep-dish pizza pan or 9" × 13" nonstick baking pan with a generous amount of olive oil. Using the tips of your fingers, press one can of the pizza crust over the bottom of the pan. Brush the top of the crust with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of curry powder over the oil.
Poke holes in the bottom crust with a fork. Top with the filling. Top the filling with the other pizza crust, carefully pressing it out to the edges of the pan.
Generously brush the top of the crust with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of paprika over the oil. Cut several vents into the crust.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned on top and baked through. Let stand for 10 minutes, and then cut and serve.
