5 GREAT WAYS TO TOP YOUR PIES

In celebration of national pie week! with 5 of our favourite ways to top a pie. Whether that be sweet or savoury, there are so many options for you to choose from plus, we’ve kept labour saving and cost in mind.

Mashed potato is the ultimate comfort topper used on the likes of cottage and shepherd’s pie. If you’re looking to go for a more traditional approach, try our mashed potato – formed into frozen pellets, these are great for reducing waste and are labour-saving too. You could always add cheese for added creaminess and crunch.

If you’re looking for luxury, try our mashed potatoes with Paris mushrooms. It would pair so well with a creamy chicken and mushroom pie.

Who says mash must be made with a regular potato? Sweet potato is a delicious alternative, the root vegetable is sweet and nutty – try it on a fish pie for something truly tasty.

This buttery French potato dish is a way to make your pies look a bit special. We have our very own pommes anna which are individually portioned, saving you time in the kitchen. The potatoes could be used for a lamb hot pot or, for a traditional ham and leek pie. Our development chefs have come up with a great recipe using the pommes anna, download the recipe now.

With layers upon layers, this flaky and crunchy pastry is a classic choice which can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes. If you’re looking to save on time and reduce waste, Jus-Rol’s puff pastry oval rounds require you to simply de-frost, add to the top of your pie filling and cook in the oven for that golden finish. However, if you’d like to cut your pie lid to your own specification such as size or thickness, we recommend using puff pastry blocks – it’s also great for multi-portion dishes.

Similarly, filo pastry sheets are a great alternative to puff pastry, scrunched up and laid on top of a pie filling it offers a different appearance and texture.

Perhaps one of the most traditional of them all, shortcrust is a humble yet melt in the mouth topping - fantastic for a steak and ale pie or apple pie. If you’d like to make your own but skip the hassle of mixing all the dry ingredients try our short crust pastry mix, all you need to do is add water! We also offer pre-made solutions such as our short crust pastry blocks and sweet shortcrust tartlets, small in size and great for creating desserts.

Mainly used for sweet pies, crumble topping is a favourite amongst many. Our pre-made crumble mix is great for labour-saving as you just need to spread it across the top of your stewed fruit before being put in the oven. For extra crunch and texture, add oats or try nuts like pecans or almonds. Depending on your filling you might want to add additional depth of flavour, sprinkle some cinnamon on top of an apple crumble or, for a rhubarb, mix in ginger which adds in plenty of warmth. For a great savoury crumble add cheese, herbs or crispy onions to the mix.