Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie)

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon of sage
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pastry for 1 deep 9 inch double crust pie

Boil and mash the potatoes, saving 3/4 cup of potatoe water. Set the potatoe aside. In a heavy sauce pan sauté the onion until tender, add the ground beef, with spices and brown. Mix in the potatoe water and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mashed potatoe, mixing well. Let cool while you line your pie plate with pastry.

Arrange the meat mixture in the pastry lined plate. Cover with a second piece of pastry, seal the edges, and slash the top crust. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes. Watch to make sure the edges of your pastry don't burn. Serves 4 - 6

TIP: Place a piece of aluminum foil over your pie once it is brown enough to keep the edges from burning. Alternatively, if you have a small disposable aluminum pizza pan you can cut a circle out of the bottom leaving 1 - 2 inch margin of plate. This works great over a pie, the centre browns, the edges won't burn and it's reusable!