Recipes & Food Styling

For St. Patrick’s Day – and “PI” Day: Delicious Cabbage Hand Pies 

For St. Patrick’s Day – and “PI”Day, these delicious Cabbage Hand Pies honor the Irish immigrants who labored to build the Illinois & Michigan Canal, which is the waterway near where I live that leads into the Chicago River in downtown Chicago.  

I love to hike the canal towpath and imagine what life was like for the brave immigrants who painstakingly worked to create the canal. It’s such a huge part of my life – for work, recreationally and of course for the contributions that the canal has made to trade that allowed Chicago to become such an incredible and impactful city.

Hand pies were easily tote-able and so workers throughout history have turned to them for a lunch option that can be quickly scarfed down by hand. No fork to mess with- just a good quick meal. 

For cabbage pies, the trick is to doctor the flavor up good with lots of pepper, red bell pepper and herbs. Here is the recipe:     

Cabbage Hand Pies

1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup red onions, chopped

4 cups green cabbage, choppe0d

6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups spinach

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons pink Himalayan sea salt

2 frozen pie crust

3 egg whites

In a Dutch oven on the stovetop, melt butter; add olive oil and sauté garlic and onions. Add in cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper and spinach. Add pepper and salt. Sauté until cooked thoroughly and cabbage is somewhat translucent. Remove from heat and let cool for about 40 minutes. 

Cut pie crust into large circles; place the cabbage mixture in center and fold over. Pinch sides together. With extra pie crust dough, cut out shamrock shapes for tops of hand pies. Brush tops of hand pies lightly with egg whites. 

Bake in over at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.