Cheese and onion pie with winter slaw

I’ve always loved a pie. In fact, my first ever blog post back in 2012 was about a pie. Perhaps it’s because I just love comfort food or perhaps it’s because I hail from the northern end of the UK (at least as far as my Bristolian counterparts are concerned).

Usually, I slather my pie in gravy, with mash and veggies and whilst this is a fantastic way to eat them, when I was asked to try the new Wyke Farms mature cheddar cheese and onion pie from Hollands Pies (part of their new vegetarian range) I decided I’d do something different. Still comforting but just a bit of a change. I paired the pie with a crunchy winter slaw and sweet potato fries. Add a dollop of tomato sauce (I like Mr Organic ketchup) and job’s a good’un. Deliciousness on a plate! Plus, these can be cooked from frozen to make a really hassle free midweek meal.

About Holland’s Pies

Holland’s started life as a baker’s shop in Lancashire in 1851.  For over 168 years, its secret traditional recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Today the company prepares and bakes over 1.2 million pies every week and they have some great partnerships with Wyke Farms (of course) and also Guinness – their steak and Guinness puddings look great.

Alongside its industry accolades, it has received song dedications, poetry and art installations. It has even been called upon to create unique Holland’s Pies wedding cakes too! Imagine that!

Holland’s Pies are available to purchase through various retail outlets including fish & chip shops, all leading supermarkets; offering frozen, chilled and hot food-to-go. Visit their website for more info and to use their rather nifty pie finder to hunt out your local stockist.

Cooking your cheese and onion pies:

They come in packs of two, perfect for Dave and I, and can be cooked in the microwave or oven. We don’t own a microwave so I went for the oven option and the pies came out gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside. Just right!

For oven cooking, simply heat your oven to 200 / 180 fan and cook from frozen for 35-40 mins. For the microwave, just 5 minutes on full power!

To make the winter slaw:

This is really a ‘make it up as you go along’ recipe but roughly speaking, finely slice and mix the following ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and leave to sit for an hour in the fridge:

• 1/2 red onion
• 1/4 small red cabbage
• 1/4 small white cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Salt & pepper

This will serve 2-4 people and lasts a day or two in the fridge if you don’t eat it all.

To make the sweet potato fries: 

This couldn’t be simpler. Just peel and thinly slice 2 sweet potatoes (for two people). Toss them in rapeseed oil and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Oven bake at 180 fan / 200 oven for 20-30 minutes until crispy on the edges.