Finnish Sheet Meat Pie | Peltilihapiirakka

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often less expensive.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil offers heart-healthy fats, and margarine is often cheaper.

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: rye flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber, while rye flour can be more economical.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: soy milk

Almond milk is lower in calories, and soy milk is often less costly.

Boil 2 deciliters of water in a pot.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water.

Stir in 4 deciliters of arborio short grain rice and let it absorb the water.

Once the water is absorbed, add 4 deciliters of milk and let it come to a simmer, covering it and stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Chop 2 onions (or 1.5 if they are large).

In a bowl, combine 500 g of butter, 7 deciliters of flour, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder, mixing with fingers until incorporated.

Check the rice; if it's still crunchy, add a little more milk as needed.

Measure 500 g of yogurt and add it to the butter and flour mixture, incorporating everything together.

Fry 1.5 pounds of ground beef in a pan, seasoning with salt and breaking it down as it cooks.

Add chopped onions and several cloves of garlic to the beef, seasoning with black pepper, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, paprika powder, and ground allspice.

Cook the beef mixture until the beef and onions are browned, ensuring to cook it longer for better flavor.

Line the bottom of a tall pan with parchment paper and press half of the dough mixture into the bottom with wet hands.

Add the cooked rice to the beef mixture and mix everything together, tasting for seasoning.

Ladle the filling onto the crust in the pan.

Roll out the remaining dough to create a cover layer, making it as thin as possible and filling any gaps as needed.

Dock the dough with a docker and place it in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C).

Bake for about 40 minutes until done.

Remove the meat pie from the oven and let it cool until it's cool to the touch.

Cut a slice from the pie, garnishing with curly parsley if desired.

Taste the pie, noting the flaky crust and savory filling, and suggest adding condiments like ketchup or mustard.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens