OK.. Here goes.. The Ingredients Store was where I got the Freezer Flo. According to National Starch, that formula works best for thickening a freezing product. I make a simple pie crust recipe (quite large) and roll out dough for the bottoms of the Au Grautin foil pans. They are steep sided, so you need a bit of care to position the crusts in them. Trim off all extra at the edges to the foil rim. The filling is made of cooked chicken or turkey, some fresh carrot slices and frozen veggies (like peas, limas, and corn which are OK to refreeze). I also add cut up partially cooked potatoes. The sauce is usually made from the skins, fat, wing tips and bones of the bird. Its seasoned with a bit of rosemary and sage. These herbs and solids are removed and then the starch is added to thicken the flavored and seasoned stock . The 'gravy' is poured into a big bowl with all the other ingredients and is mixed. I apply a small amount of margerine (my favorite is I can't Believe its Not Butter) to the bottoim inside crust (still raw). This helps to reduce soggy bottom crusts. The meat mixture is spooned into the pie shells. Its thick and chunky with just a light coating of the gravy/sauce. I roll out top crusts and place them on the filled pies, trim, and press around the edges with a fork to seal. The top center gets a small hole cut into the dough. They are packed in 8 inch wide Food Saver bags and a vacuum is pulled, and then sealed. The 8 inch wide bag material is quite snug, so use care in puttng in the pies. They are then frozen for as long as you like. If you want a quick bake, take it out of the freezer about 2 days before baking, which will be less than an hour usually at about 400 degrees. If its still frozen, I bake at 425 and cover the top to prevent burning. I do it in my little toaster oven and the top just browns too quickly without e foil on top. After an hour, you can check it for bubbling, as well as remove the foil off the top, so it will brown. If its not bubbling yet at the hour, let it stay in there a bit longer before you take off the foil. My toaster oven has an enamaled baking pan that the pie is on. In the regular oven, have it on a metal cookie sheet or larger flat pan. What you end up with is a frozen pot pie like you see in stores, only yours actaually have MEAT in them, instead of traces of rubber boots that were on the chickens.. A store bought pot pie usually takes an hour or more to bake, depending on if its frozen solid or thawed, or sold as fresh raw. Here is a link that might be useful: Freezer Flo

I love having pasties in the freezer. I have always baked them first. They heat up in the microwave just fine. Pasties Dough 4� C unbleached all pupose flour 1 Tabsp sugar � tsp salt 1 C shortening 1 C unsalted butter, cold, cut in pieces � C water 1 lg egg 1Tabsp vinegar In large bowl or food processor, combine dry ingrediens, cut in shortening and butter, to the size of small peas. Combine in a small bowl, water egg and vinegar, gradually add to flour mixture tossing to combine. Donot overwork. If it seems dry, gradually add more cold water, Tablespoon at a time. You need a firm dough, that is not sticky. If I am going to double the recipe, I make the dough in my food processor up thru cutting in the butter, in single batches, then empty the processor into a lg bowl, doubling the egg mixture and tossing it all together at once. Form dough into a disk shape and refridgerate until ready to use. Filling 2 Lbs coarsly ground beef 1 Lb coarsly ground pork Note: I have used different cuts of lean beef and pork, grinding it myself using the grinder of my KA. If you use a knife, mince it well, no larger than � inch pieces, smaller is better. 3 C finely chopped potatoes 2 C finely chopped rutabaga 1 C finely chopped carrots 2 med cooking onions, finely chopped 1 Tablsp minced garlic 1 tsp salt � tsp pepper butter, approx � C Combine all, EXCEPT butter, in a large bowl. I use a food prosessor on the vegetables, but be careful not to grind them too much. You want chunks. Preheat oven to 400� Roll out dough , leaving it a little thicker than you would for pie crust. Cut into 6-8 inch circles. HINT: I use the lid from an older 3 qt saucepan. It has a sharp enough edge to use like a giant cookie cutter. If you have to, use a lid and cut around it with a knife. Fill with about 1 cup of filling and dot with a teaspoon of butter. Fold in half and use a fork to press the cut egde to seal. You might want to moisten the cut edge with a pastry brush dipped in water to insure a good seal. You can also roll the edge a bit before using the fork if your pastry is uneven. Combine 1 egg and 1 Tabsp of water, brush top of pastie and with a small sharp knife, slash the top about 1 inch. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, Bake 1 hour, or until a fork inserted through the slash meets no resistance, and pastry is golden. Special Gravy Brown 2 C of filling, in rendered fat or butter. You can use more or less depending on what you have left over, but I always save at least 2 C. When browned add 2 cups of water and simmer until vegetables are well cooked,about 15 min. Mash with a potato masher or tranfer to food processor bowl and pulse to smooth slightly. Return to pan,if you like lots of gravey, you can add etra beef stock or water at this point. Bring to a boil and thicken if needed with � C of flour mixed with � C of water. Add gradually to meat mixture, to desired gravy consistancy. Ladel over hot pastie or serve on the side. Salt and pepper to taste. You should get about 6-8 pasties from this recipe, depending on size and amount of filling you put in each one. I like to double or triple the recipe as they freeze very well, I freeze the gravey also, in small amounts. Nancy

I can't really come up with a dough that you would be able to BOTH bake and steam. The two cooking methods require two different doughs. For baking a hand held meat pie I would use a pizza dough, the other type of doughs such as puff pastry and pie dough don't seem to be what you require. For steaming would a Pierogi type of dough work? Pierogies 6 servings 2 Eggs 1/2 c Water 2 c Flour 1/2 ts Salt Pepper to taste Mound flour on kneading board and make hole in center. Drop eggs into hole and cut into flour with a knife. Add salt and water and knead until firm. Let rest for 10 minutes covered with a warm bowl. Divide dough in halves and roll thin. Cut circles with a large biscuit cutter. Place a small mound of filling a little to one side on each round of dough. Moisten edge with a little water, fold over and press edges firmly together. Be sure they are well sealed to prevent the filling from running out. Drop the pierogi into salted boiling water. Cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out of water carefully with a perforated spoon. The dough has a tendency to dry while you are working. A dry dough will not seal completely. We suggest rolling out a large circle of dough, placing small mounds of filling far enough apart to allow for cutting, and folding the dough over the mounds of filling. Then cut with a small biscuit cutter and seal firmly. Never crowd or pile pierogi. The uncooked will stick and the cooked will lose shape and lightness. Note: Pierogi can be frozen after boiling and they keep well. I prefer all my pierogi fried in butter and onions and seasoned with salt and pepper. They should be fried on a medium low heat till golden brown. Beef Filling 4 serving 1 lg Onion, sliced 2 tb Margarine 1 3/4 c ground Beef 3/4 c Cooked rice 2 ts Beef broth 3 ts Hot water 1 tb Parsley, chopped Salt and Pepper to taste Sautonion in margarine. Stir in meat and rice. Dissolve bouillon in hot water. Add to meat mixture with parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Cabbage Filling 12 serving 1 Head cabbage 7 Cans of sauerkraut 10 oz. cans 1 Small onion 1 Clove of garlic 10 tb butter Salt and Pepper to taste Parboil cabbage in boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse, drain, cool, and thoroughly wring moisture from cabbage and sauerkraut; set aside. The drier the cabbage and sauerkraut the less time required to complete cooking. Sauté onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. butter. Add cabbage and sauerkraut and remainder of butter; cook for approximately one half hour or until cabbage is soft and mixture is "reasonably" dry. It is important that the mixture not be too moist in order to prevent wetting dough during the filling process ... wet dough will cause pierogi to break open during cooking! Allow mixture to stand in refrigerator (in covered bowl) for twenty four hours prior to filling pierogi dough. Cheese Filling 8 servings 2 c Cottage or farmers cheese 2 Eggs (slightly beaten) 2 tb Sugar 2 tb Butter 6 tb Currants (optional) 1/2 ts Cinnamon (optional) 1/2 c Raisins (optional) Salt and Pepper to taste Cream eggs and butter together. Add other ingredients and mix well. Note: If using cottage cheese, use only the egg yolks. Fruit Filling 4 servings 2 c Pitted cherries, blueberries, or apples 3/4 c Water 1/3 c Sugar (optional) 1/2 ts Cinnamon or cardamom 1 ts Lemon juice 3 tb Dry bread crumbs Salt and Pepper to taste Combine fruit water and sugar in saucepan. bring to boil. Simmer until fruit is tender and water is almost gone. Remove from heat. mash slightly with potato masher. Add cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook and stir over low heat until thick. Stir in enough bread crumbs to further thicken. Mushroom Filling 4 servings 2 pkg Mushrooms, soaked and chopped 1 lb Button mushrooms 1/2 Medium onion, chopped Salt and Pepper to taste Soak Shitake mushrooms in warm water for at least an hour. Chop 1 lb button mushrooms roughly and 1/2 medium onion and sauté in butter until mushrooms cook down. Chop Shitake mushrooms fine and add mushrooms (and water they have been soaked in) in the to pan & simmer 5-6 min, until liquid starts to evaporate. Salt & pepper lightly. (This holds nicely in the refrigerator - if you make the mushrooms the day before you make the pierogi, they will absorb more flavor from the cooking liquid - or so it seems, but I'm not a chemist). Potato Filling 12 servings 2 lb Potatoes (6 medium) 1/2 lb Butter 1 Minced onion (optional) Salt and Pepper to taste Cook potatoes till tender, drain well. Add butter, salt and pepper, onion and mash. When mixture is cool it is ready to use. Note: You may wish to combine cheese, or sauerkraut with potatoes; if so, it is best to combine 2/3 mashed potatoes to 1/3 other ingredients. Sausage Filling 4 servings 10 oz Kielbasa, skin and chop 1/2 c Cheese, grated 1/2 c Mushrooms, chopped 1/4 c Bread crumbs, fine and dry 1 Egg Salt and Pepper to taste Fry the kielbasa in a pan and mix all ingredients together. Unfortunately, eating out of hand could be messy....LOL Nancy

I love a big cast iron pot full of Gigantes. A very lean and healthy dish. I follow Bobby Flay's recipe. We were in Greece this summer, and I was disappointed not to find them on a single menu anywhere. Gigantes 1 pound gigantes (or big lima beans), soaked for 12 hours, drained 1/4 cup Greek olive oil 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15-ounce) can chopped plum tomatoes plus their liquid 2 cups water 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves Directions Add the beans to a pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until just soft throughout but not quite cooked, approximately 50 to 80 minutes, depending on the beans. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their liquid, 2 cups water, honey, cloves, salt, and pepper and boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat. Place the beans in an oven-proof dish, pour tomato mixture on top, stir and spread mixture out evenly. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. (Check the dish during cooking and if needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) The dish will look crispy on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves: 6*; Calories: 380; Total Fat:10 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Protein: 17 grams; Total carbohydrates: 58 grams; Sugar: 14 grams; Fiber: 17 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 187 milligrams Here is a link that might be useful: Bobby Flay's Gigantes