Cheese & Onion Pasties
Prepare carefully. Work safely. Evaluate honestly.
- Serves / makes
- 6 servings — 6 pasties; 1 each
- Preparation
- 25 minutes, plus 15 minutes cooling the filling
- Cooking
- 25–30 minutes
- Total time
- 1 hour 5 minutes–1 hour 10 minutes
Heat / oven setting200°C conventional / 180°C fan
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 750g | |
| 375g | |
| 1.5 large | |
| 225g | |
| 1.5 tbsp | |
| 1, for glazing; use a second only if needed | |
| A small pinch |
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Equipment
- Digital scales
- Board and sharp knife
- Saucepan and colander
- Frying pan and spoon
- Cheese grater
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling pin and plate or cutter
- Baking tray and baking paper
- Fork and pastry brush
- Oven gloves and heatproof mat
- Extra baking tray or larger pan/dish if needed for six servings
Method
Prepare the filling
Wash hands and clean the workstation. Boil the potato cubes for 8–10 minutes until just tender, then drain thoroughly. Meanwhile soften onion in oil over a low heat for 8 minutes without browning. Use pans and trays large enough for six servings. Cook in batches if needed; keep pieces the same size and allow extra time for batches. For baked dishes, use a wider dish to keep the original depth.
Cool and combine
Spread potato and onion on a clean plate to cool for about 15 minutes until no longer hot. Mix with the cheese and pepper. A hot filling can soften the pastry and make it difficult to seal.
Prepare the pastry
Preheat the oven and line a baking tray. Roll pastry to about 3mm thick if needed. Cut six circles about 18cm across, re-rolling offcuts once. Keep pastry cool while working.
Fill and seal
Divide the filling between the circles, keeping a 2cm border. Brush the border with a little egg, fold over and press to seal. Crimp firmly with a fork and make a small steam hole in each pasty.
Glaze and bake
Arrange on the tray with space between. Brush with beaten egg and discard unused glaze. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden, the bases are cooked and the filling is steaming hot.
Serve and evaluate
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving; the filling will be hot. Evaluate the seal, pastry texture and balance of cheese and onion.
Portion for six
Makes 6 pasties; 1 each. Divide evenly between six people.
Food safety
- Wash hands, clean surfaces, tie back hair and use clean equipment. Check use-by dates and ingredient labels before starting.
- Do not taste uncooked dough or batter: raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Use oven gloves and take care with hot trays, sugar and steam.
- Cool bakes on a clean rack. Keep plain dry bakes in a clean airtight container; refrigerate any perishable meat, dairy or cream-filled items promptly. Freeze extra portions if needed.
Guidance: Food Standards Agency cooking advice ↗
Nutritional considerations
Potato and pastry supply carbohydrate. Cheese supplies protein and calcium but also salt and saturated fat. Serve with vegetables or salad for more fibre.
Practical skills
Even dicing, boiling, cooling a filling, rolling pastry, crimping and glazing.
Presentation
Use clean serving equipment, divide evenly and wipe the plate or dish edges. Check the finished food against your planned colour, texture and appearance.
Evaluate your practical
Describe the appearance, flavour, texture and a skill you used successfully.
Explain one improvement to the recipe, your timings or your technique.
Classroom adaptation written from the recipe title in your collection. Review portions, ingredients and timings with your teacher before a practical.
Times are approximate. Quantities are for the stated yield; accompanying foods are included only when listed. This learning sheet does not itself award a qualification.