Ground Beef Pie with Broccoli Rabe and Provolone

JENNY HUANG

Published on April 10, 2019

Good-quality store-bought puff pastry works perfectly as a crust in this savory pie, which combines ground meat, vegetables, and melted cheese between two layers of flaky dough. Since you want the pastry thawed but still cold, be sure to defrost it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day in advance. Serve with a salad or another vegetable side dish.

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What You Will Need

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. ground beef
¼ cups white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz. provolone, shredded
½ bunches broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces (2 cups or 3 oz.)
Crushed red chile flakes
2 sheets frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

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Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion, and potato, and season with salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until warmed and sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, 1½ teaspoons salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the beef is no longer pink and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and garlic, and continue cooking until the vinegar has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes more.

Step 2

Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, broccoli rabe, and a generous pinch of chile flakes until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, and chile flakes as needed. Transfer to a large, wide bowl and let cool completely.

Step 3

When the mixture is cooled, retrieve the puff pastry from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 sheet of pastry to about ⅛-inch thickness and trim into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or deep-dish pie plate. Roll the remaining sheet to about ⅛-inch thickness and trim into a 12-inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef mixture to the pastry-lined skillet. Lightly brush the edges with some of the egg mixture, then place the remaining round of pastry on top. Press the edges to seal, trim all but ½ inch of overhang, and crimp.

Step 4

Transfer the pie to a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the top with more of the egg mixture (you will have some left over). Using a sharp paring knife, cut an "X" in the center for ventilation. Lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Step 5

Bake until the top crust is golden brown and puffed, and the bottom crust is set and easily pulls away from the sides of the skillet, 45–50 minutes (if the crust is browning too quickly, gently tent with foil). Transfer the skillet to a rack and let cool for 10–20 minutes, then slice the pie into wedges and serve.