Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Hand Pies // S1E6 Shadows
This episode is notable for two things: the amazingly weird extras, and Mulder holding his coat over his shoulder like an Abercrombie model. As two Pennsylvanians, we also note this episode has the distinction of being the agents’ first visit to the Keystone State. And, so with these vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Hand Pies, we decided to create our own twist on a Philadelphia staple.
Because of this episode’s office setting, we wanted to make something you might take to work for lunch or a conveniently portable meal for when you’re on the run from the ghost of your dead boss. For the meat substitute, we decided to use mushrooms. And while cheesesteaks traditionally use provolone, Cheez Whiz, or American cheese, we opted for mozzarella because we thought it would melt better when baked into a hand pie. And because it lets us avoid taking a stance in great the Cheez Whiz vs. American cheese debate.
Method
To make the vegetarian Philly cheesesteak hand pies, start by preparing the vegetables. Thinly dice the peppers and onion. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the skillet. Sautee the onion and pepper, stirring infrequently, until browned and crispy, about ten minutes. Season with salt and a spice blend, then set aside. Note: You can cook the onion and peppers unseasoned, and they will certainly pick up flavor from the mushrooms, but we prefer to season the peppers and onion with a garlic and onion spice blend to give them an extra kick. We like to use the Justice blend from Penzeys Spices, but any blend will work, or you can just sprinkle on some garlic and/or onion powder.
While the onion and peppers cook, clean and dice the mushrooms. Transfer the peppers and onion to another dish; there’s no need to clean the skillet. Melt butter in the skillet, and add the mushrooms. Add steak seasoning. We like to use McCormic Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning or the Unholy Cow blend from Occult Herbs and Spices. Sautee, stirring infrequently, until the mushrooms are reduced in size and browned, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the flour until the mushrooms are coated. Add the vegetable or mushroom broth and continue cooking for 3 – 6 minutes until the broth is reduced to a thick gravy. Remove from heat. Shred the mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded will melt better than pre-shredded cheese).
Assemble & Bake the Hand Pies
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a splash of water. Set aside. Roll the puff pastry out slightly then cut into 4 pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. Put a layer of cheese on the bottom right triangle of each piece. Add a layer of mushrooms, a layer of the pepper onion mixture, and another layer of cheese. Fold the opposite corner down to form a triangle. (You will likely have leftover vegetables and mushrooms. Serve them on the side or throw into another dish.)
Press the edges down with a fork to seal, and cut vents into the top of each hand pie. Brush the tops with the egg mixture and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the vegetarian Philly cheesesteak hand pies are golden brown.
Note: These freeze really well. We often make a double batch and freeze half. To freeze: place unbaked hand pies on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for 2 – 4 hours, until frozen. After they’re frozen, the hand pies can be transferred to a freezer bag and stored for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before baking, simply heat the oven to 450°F and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Hand Pies Recipe
Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Hand Pies
Equipment
- cheese grater
- Rolling Pin
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 green bell peppers or any bell peppers
- ½ tsp garlic & onion spice blend we used Justice from Penzeys
- 1 tbsp butter
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms button mushrooms will also work
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning we used Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning from McCormick.
- 1 tbsp flour
- salt to taste
- ½ C vegetable or mushroom broth
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 1 C mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- If your puff pastry is frozen, set out to thaw in advance.
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Thinly dice the peppers and onion.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet. Sautee the onion and pepper, stirring infrequently, until browned and crispy, about ten minutes. Season with salt and the onion & garlic spice blend, then set aside.
- While the onions and peppers cook, wash and dice the mushrooms.
- Melt butter in the skillet, and add the mushrooms. Add steak seasoning. Sautee, stirring infrequently, until the mushrooms are reduced in size and starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the flour until the mushrooms are coated.
- Add the vegetable broth. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until the broth is reduced to a thick gravy. Remove from heat.
- While the mushrooms cook, grate the mozzarella cheese.
Assemble the Hand Pies
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a splash of water. Set aside.
- Slightly roll out the puff pastry. Cut into 4 pieces, and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Put a layer of cheese on the bottom right triangle of each sheet. Add a layer of mushrooms, a layer of the pepper onion mixture, and another layer of cheese. (you will likely have some of each component left over)
- Fold the opposite corner down to form a triangle.
- Press edges with a fork to seal. Cut two steam vents into the top of each hand pie.
- Use a brush to lightly coat the top of each hand pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve with a side of vegetables and a dipping sauce (we like to mix together 1 part mayonnaise and 1 part mustard).
