When consumers find a menu item they love, they regularly want to repeat that experience. Offering that flavor experience in a new format affords patrons more opportunities to enjoy what they love. Savory hand pies offer a craveable, portable vehicle for delivering familiar favorites.

Reformatting popular dishes into hand pies provides operators ideal off-premise options. Position these as easy to eat, quick bites of a menu favorite that satisfy cravings when time does not allow for a sit-down meal.

Here are 10 well-known regional dishes made more accessible via savory hand pies.  All impart comfort nestled within crispy carriers. Big flavor and fun are the thread that weaves them together.

NORTHEAST

• Chicken Parm (pupusa): Crispy chicken breast bites + marinara + Parmesan + buffalo mozzarella
• Black n’ Blue (pasty): Charred filet mignon bites + Gorgonzola cream sauce + roasted cremini mushroom slices + crunchy onion straws

SOUTHEAST

• Jambalaya (pupusa): Andouille sausage bites + pulled chicken + white rice + peppers/onions/celery
• Chicken-Fried Steak (pasty): Chicken-fried steak bites + cream gravy + mashed potatoes

MIDWEST

• Burnt Ends (arepa): Burnt ends + KC barbecue sauce + smoked provolone + creamy apple-cabbage slaw
• Detroit Pie (pasty): Pepperoni + Wisconsin brick cheese + fontina + garlic-tomato sauce

SOUTHWEST

• Sweet-Heat Fajitas (pupusa): Chipotle-honey skirt steak bites + bell peppers/red onions + smashed avocado
• Enchilada Verde (arepa): Carnitas + Hatch chile sauce + black beans + Cotija crumble

NORTHWEST

• Totchos (pupusa): Smashed crispy sweet potato tots + smoked peppered bacon pieces + Tillamook cheddar sauce + spiced marionberry glaze
• Beer Beans n’ Franks (pasty): Kielbasa bites + brown sugar-craft beer baked white beans + minced Serrano chile

FEATURED RECIPE

Spiced Pulled Chicken in Corn Cake

Credit: Smithfield Culinary

A Southern entrée of pulled chicken and corn cakes transforms into a savory hand pie in these Spiced Pulled Chicken in Corn Cake with Roasted Jalapeño Sour Cream.

GET THE RECIPE FOR Spiced Pulled Chicken in Corn Cake