FILLING —–
3 c Onions — quartered
2 c Boiling water
1/2 c Butter, margarine — or beef
Drippings
1 c Unsifted flour
1 tb Salt
1/4 ts Pepper
1 1/2 qt Onion cooking liquid and
Water
1 ts Gravy seasoning — optional
20 oz Frozen green peas
3 1/4 lb Cooked beef — diced (2 1/2
Quarts)
CRUST —–
2 c Unsifted flour
1 ts Salt
3/4 c Margarine
1/4 c Cold water
1 ts Poppy seeds — optional
Line four 8x8x2-inch baking pans with heat-resistant freezer wrap.
Allow enough extra wrap to fold over top. Use one pan for each six
servings or one-fourth of the recipe. Do not line pans for food to be
served without freezing.
FILLING: Cook onions in boiling water until tender. Drain; save
cooking liquid. Melt fat. Stir in 1 cup flour, salt, and pepper.
Add enough water to the reserved onion cooking liquid to make 1 1/2
quarts. Stir in onion cooking liquid and water slowly. Add gravy
seasoning, if desired. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Pour gravy over onions, peas, and beef. Mix gently. Pour one-fourth
of mixture into each baking pan. Spread evenly to avoid air pockets.
CRUST: Mix flour and salt. Mix in margarine only until mixture is
crumbly. Add cold water and mix lightly. Divide dough into four
parts. Roll each part out on lightly floured surface into an 8×8-inch
square. Fit over filling in pans. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if
desired, using 1/4 teaspoon per pan.
TO SERVE WITHOUT FREEZING: Preheat oven to 450B0 F. (hot). Bake 45
minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
TO FREEZE: Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. Complete
wrapping by pulling paper up over top of food. Put edges of wrap
together and fold several times so paper lies directly on top of
food. Fold ends of freezer wrap over the top and seal with freezer
tape. Label with name of food, date of freezing, and last date the
food should be used for best eating quality (about 6 months). Freeze
immediately for 10 to 12 hours before removing packages from the pans.
TO HEAT FROZEN PIE: Preheat oven to 450B0 F. (hot). Remove freezer
wrap. Place food in baking pan. Bake 1 hour or until filling is
bubbly at edges, crust is lightly browned, and food is hot in center.
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NOTES : This recipe is for 24 servings (about 2/3 cup filling each).
Directions are given for dividing the prepared food into four parts
of six servings each. One part may be completely cooked and served
at the time of preparation. The remaining parts may be frozen.
“Freezing Combination Main Dishes” by Meredith Robinson and Lois
Fulton (Consumer and Food Economics Institute, Agriculture Research
Service) USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 40, 1973 (Stock Number
0100-02712).
Yields
24 Servings