By Flavor & The Menu
March 24, 2020

When the Brits settled in Australia centuries ago, they brought their savory pies with them, and the Aussies have since made them their own. The classic is delicious, of course—flaky pastry with a hearty meat filling, perhaps crowned with minted peas or mashed potatoes and gravy. Fork-in Aussie Pies in Inglewood, Calif., tops its Classic Aussie Ground Beef Pie with a buttery croissant pastry top. Chefs here are adding their own versions of the pies, deftly moving them into builds that fit their menus. For example, Pacific Pie Co. in Portland, Ore., gives a distinct American twang to one of its offerings: the Pulled Pork Pie features tender slow-roasted pork with sautéed red bell peppers and onions in a tangy housemade barbecue sauce. Take a look at a few other ways Aussie’s savory pies are taking shape on menus here.

BREAKFAST PIES

What’s not to love about savory pies filled with breakfast favorites? The pie format works well as a brunch option, maybe served in a shareable skillet with a cap of crisp puffed pastry. It can also shrink down to a grab-and-go option for quick breakfast options, menued as hand pies or mini pies.

Bacon, two eggs, cheese, topped with skin-on red potatoes, side of maple syrup,
Pop Pie Co., with two locations in Southern California

Ham, Eggs, and Cheese Pie: Eggs scrambled with Jack cheese and caramelized onion, along with diced, smoked ham
Peasant Pies, with two locations in San Francisco

Three Little Pigs: A Breakfast Pot Pi filled with roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage, sausage sage gravy and cheddar cheese
3.14, Colorado Springs, Colo.

VEG-CENTRIC PIES

Savory pies offer a fantastic comfort food platform for creative and craveable plant-based flavor play. The Aussies demonstrate commitment to flavor here, too, and seem to lean into global flavors when it comes to savory pie fillings.

Veggies & Thai Peanut Sauce: Oven-roasted butternut squash, potato, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot in housemade sweet chile and peanut sauce
Waltzing Kangaroo, Fort Collins, Colo.

Madras Veggie Curry: South Indian-style curried chickpeas with cauliflower and sweet potatoes with a short-crust base and a croissant top
Aussie Pie Kitchen, Santa Monica, Calif.

Smokey Vegetable Pie: Roasted eggplant, cauliflower and sweet potato with shiitake mushrooms and root vegetables
Banksia, Kansas City, Mo.