Hand pies are one of the most delicious inventions known to humans. It takes almost any food item as a filling and transforms it into a lovely little pocket of flaky wonder. Strawberry jam? Delicious. Leftover taco meat? Incredible. Lemon and herb based gravy? Sooooo yummy. See what I mean? Stick anything into two circles of dough and it levels it up.

The filling for these little flakey wonder pockets is a simple gravy that packs a lot of flavor for minimal effort. If you want to increase the protein on these, feel free to add a can of white beans or chopped chicken. I like them as is for a creamier texture.

Lemon and Herb Hand Pies 

Ingredients 

1 lemon 

½ cup frozen spinach (or 1 cup fresh) 

1 egg 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

2 Tablespoons butter 

½ onion, finely diced 

2 cloves of garlic, pressed (or minced) 

¼ cup flour 

1 cup vegetable broth 

½ cup whole milk 

1 teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon black pepper 

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 teaspoon dried rosemary 

½ cup grated parmesan  

1  package pie crust (2 rolls) 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 450*F 
2. Zest lemon peel then juice lemon.  
3. Microwave frozen spinach for 30 seconds and then squeeze in several layers of paper towel to absorb extra water. Finely chop spinach and set aside.  
4. Crack egg into small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.  
5. Add olive oil and butter to a large, heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until butter has melted.  
6. Add diced onion and cook until soft and clear (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  
7. Add flour and stir. It will be clumpy and a mess, but continue to stir with a wooden spatula until the raw flour smell is gone and the roux is fragrant.  
8. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk constantly. Continue stirring until mixture is smooth but thick. Turn off heat and add salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest, and spinach.  
9. Unroll pie crust and cut each into six 3-inch circles. Match up halves. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of filling to each bottom crust. Place the top crust on top and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Lightly score the top crust with a knife.  
10. Brush egg wash onto pie. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  

Notes:  

• To pump up these little pies, add 1 can of cooked chicken with the spices, lemon, and spinach.  
• You can use fresh spinach if you like and it tastes the same. No need to blanch, just chop up raw and add to the filling.
• Try mixing up the herbs and spices to see which you like best. Can add leftover ground beef, rotisserie chicken, sausage, or whatever meat you like. Other veggie options include carrots, peas, and diced mushrooms would all go lovely in these little pies.