Baked Pastelle Pie
This Trinidad pastelle pie is an easier, oven-baked version of the traditional Christmas favorite. Made with cornmeal, minced beef, olives, capers, and raisins, it has those familiar pastelle flavors without all the work of pressing, filling, and wrapping individual pastelles.
It’s a one-pan dish we make every Christmas, and my family always goes back for seconds. And thirds.
An easier way to enjoy pastelles at Christmas
Pastelles are a Christmas staple in many Trinidad and Tobago homes. Once the season rolls around, they’re practically edible gold at family gatherings.
But making traditional pastelles is a whole production. There’s filling to prepare, cornmeal dough to press, banana leaves to prep and wrap, and then each pastelle has to be tied and cooked. It’s a labor of love, especially when you’re making plenty for Christmas.
Pastelle pie gives you another option. Everything is mixed together and baked in one dish, so you get those familiar flavors with a lot less assembly. It’s perfect for a busy holiday, or anytime you want pastelle without committing to a full pastelle-making session.
What is a pastelle pie?
Think of pastelle pie as the shortcut cousin of the traditional Trinidad pastelle. It uses the same familiar combination of seasoned minced meat, cornmeal, raisins, olives, and capers, but turns everything into one baked dish.
With traditional pastelles, the cornmeal dough is pressed into individual rounds, filled with the meat mixture, wrapped in prepared banana leaves, tied, and boiled. Pastelle pie skips all of that assembly. The cornmeal mixture and filling ingredients are combined and baked together in one dish.
You still get those savory, slightly sweet, and briny pastelle flavors, just without setting up a whole Christmas pastelle production line.
How to make Trinidad pastelle pie
Ingredients
Pastelle pie uses many of the same ingredients you’ll find in traditional pastelles, but everything comes together in one baking dish.
- Minced beef: This is the base of the filling. Season it simply with salt and black pepper, or use the seasonings you normally like with minced meat.
- Cream-style corn: Adds moisture and helps bring the meat and cornmeal mixture together.
- Cornmeal: I use fine cornmeal for a smoother texture.
- Milk and eggs: Combined with the cornmeal to create the base of the pie.
- Margarine: Don’t be alarmed by the amount. The cornmeal needs that fat to keep the finished pie from becoming dry.
- Onions: Cooked with the minced meat for flavor.
- Raisins, olives, and capers: These are classic pastelle ingredients and give the pie its sweet, salty, and briny flavors. I don’t measure these. Add them according to your preference.
I use an 8 x 8-inch baking dish for a thicker pastelle pie. You can use a slightly larger dish if you prefer a thinner pie, but keep an eye on the baking time since it may cook faster.
Instructions
This recipe starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven.
- Cook the onions and minced meat.
Heat the margarine in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the minced meat, season with salt and black pepper or your preferred seasonings, and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the cream-style corn.
Stir the cream-style corn into the meat and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Prepare the cornmeal mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, beaten eggs, and milk until smooth and free of lumps.
- Combine everything.
Pour the cornmeal mixture into the cooked meat mixture and stir until well combined. Add the raisins, olives, and capers according to your preference. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed.
- Bake the pastelle pie.
Pour the mixture into a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, then check the center with a knife. If the knife doesn’t come out clean, continue baking and check again. Mine usually takes about 55 minutes total.
- Let it rest. Allow the pastelle pie to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Tips for making pastelle pie
- Add the raisins, olives, and capers to your taste. I don’t measure these because everyone has a different preference. Add as much or as little as you like.
- For fewer noticeable pieces, use a food processor. I usually leave the onions, raisins, olives, and capers as-is, but you can pulse them if you prefer a smoother texture or you’re cooking for someone who doesn’t like larger pieces.
- Mix the cornmeal well. Make sure the cornmeal, milk, and eggs are smooth before adding them to the meat mixture so you don’t end up with lumps throughout the pie.
- Check at 45 minutes. Insert a knife into the center. If it doesn’t come out clean, cover the pie again and continue baking. Mine generally needs around 55 minutes.
- Let it rest before cutting. Give the pie a little time to settle after it comes out of the oven so it’s easier to slice.
Variations
I make my pastelle pie with minced beef, but just like traditional pastelles, the filling can vary. Chicken and fish are other options if you want to change the meat.
You can also adjust the raisins, olives, and capers to suit your taste. Those flavors are part of what makes it taste like pastelle, but how much of each you use is completely up to you.
Storage, make-ahead, and reheating
Pastelle pie is a great make-ahead dish for Christmas. We sometimes bake the whole pie the day before our holiday dinner, refrigerate it once cooled, and reheat the pan the next day before serving.
Store leftover pastelle pie covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Individual slices can be reheated in the microwave until heated through.
To reheat a whole pastelle pie, keep it covered with foil and warm it in the oven until heated through. Covering it helps keep the cornmeal from drying out while it reheats.
You can also freeze the pie in individual portions. Wrap the slices well before freezing, then thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to serve with pastelle pie
Pastelle pie fits right in on a Trinidad Christmas table and can be served alongside many of your other holiday favorites.
Try it with callaloo, stewed pigeon peas, or a simple salad. A little chow chow or pepper sauce on the side also works well if that’s your thing.
And if you’re putting together the full Christmas spread, don’t forget the drinks. Sorrel, ginger beer, and ponche de crème are all holiday favorites that pair nicely with the meal.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional Trinidad pastelles are made by pressing cornmeal dough into individual rounds, adding a seasoned filling, then wrapping them in banana leaves and boiling them. Pastelle pie uses many of the same familiar ingredients and flavors, but everything is combined in one baking dish and cooked in the oven.
Yes. We sometimes bake pastelle pie the day before our Christmas dinner and refrigerate it once cooled. The next day, keep the pan covered with foil and reheat it in the oven until heated through.
Yes. I like to freeze leftover pastelle pie in individual portions. Wrap the slices well, freeze, and thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
Start checking the pie after 45 minutes at 350°F. Insert a knife into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. Mine usually takes around 55 minutes.
Traditional pastelles will always have their place at Christmas, but I love having this easier baked version when I want those familiar flavors without all the wrapping and assembly.
Have you tried pastelle pie before, or are traditional pastelles still the only way for you? Let me know in the comments.
Recipe
Baked Pastelle Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the margarine and onions and cook until the onions have softened.
- Add the minced meat, season with salt and black pepper or your preferred seasonings, and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream-style corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, beaten eggs, and milk until smooth and free of lumps.
- Pour the cornmeal mixture into the cooked meat mixture and stir until well combined.
- Add the raisins, olives, and capers according to your preference. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then insert a knife into the center to check for doneness. If the knife doesn’t come out clean, cover and continue baking. Mine usually takes about 55 minutes total.
- Remove from the oven and let the pastelle pie rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Add the raisins, olives, and capers according to your taste. I don’t measure these because the amount you like in your pastelles can vary.
- If you prefer fewer noticeable pieces of onion, raisins, olives, and capers, you can pulse them in a food processor before adding them to the pie.
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
