Chris Campbell grew up with this creative dish — an Irish mainstay welcoming variety to its potato-and-kale recipe. The interchangeable ingredient list can include broccoli, green onions, cauliflower or corn, and meat is often added as well. “Bacon was always something we added,” Campbell says. “We never cooked with anything but bacon grease.”

Pasties with Meatloaf and Irish Colcannon Potato Filling | Makes 4 servings
Recipe courtesy of The Merchant House

Pasty

INGREDIENTS
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sweet salted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS
Mix flour, salt and butter in a bowl until crumbly. Slowly add the water until the mixture starts to come together. Knead dough until elastic. Cover in clear wrap and let rest in the fridge for 3 hours while preparing the filling.

Meatloaf Filling 

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely crushed dry crackers (such as Cheez-Its or Chicken in a Biskit)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork belly
1/2 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons molasses
1 teaspoon spicy ground mustard

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and cover. Let sit in fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

Irish Colcannon Filling 

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and quartered 
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
6 slices bacon
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons melted butter (optional) 

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes 12 to 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large pan until crisp. Leaving drippings in pan, remove bacon and chop; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the bacon drippings. Cook cabbage over medium heat in drippings until tender. Mash potatoes, adding cream and butter as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold together mashed potatoes, cabbage and chopped bacon. Top with additional melted butter if desired.

ASSEMBLY
When the dough has rested, preheat the oven to 330 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough and cut into four circles of approximately 8 inches. Layer the meatloaf and colcannon filling onto one half of each circle. (Make sure you have enough filling left to fill all of the circles you cut out.) Fold the dough over to close it and crimp the edges. (If needed, lightly brush the edges of the pasty with water before crimping.) Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with beaten egg. Bake for approximately 50 to 55 minutes, until golden. Serve with mint/cranberry relish (recipe below) and a side of brown gravy.

Mint/Cranberry Relish

INGREDIENTS
2 12-ounce bags fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
2 teaspoons orange zest from 1 of 4 navel oranges
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup minced sweet yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon minced, peeled ginger

DIRECTIONS
Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a sharp paring knife, remove peel from all 4 oranges. Working over a bowl, cut between membranes to release orange segments. Coarsely chop segments; add to cranberries. Stir remaining ingredients and reserved zest into cranberry mixture. Cover and chill.