Mary Berry Homity Pie Recipe

Mary Berry’s homity pie is an open pastry case filled with potato, onion, garlic, and melted cheese — a hearty, satisfying vegetarian pie that is completely delicious.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 20

Chilling Time 50

Total Time 2 40

Servings: 8 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 420

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry:
200 g plain flour sifted
100 g cold unsalted butter cubed
Pinch of fine salt
2 –3 tbsp cold water
Filling:
700 g waxy potatoes in 2cm cubes, boiled until just tender and drained
2 tbsp olive oil 30g unsalted butter
3 large onions thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves crushed
100 ml double cream
100 g mature Cheddar — for filling
50 g mature Cheddar — for the top
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Method

Make pastry — pulse to crumbs, add cold water, wrap and chill 30 minutes. Blind bake at 200°C: 15 minutes with beans, 8–10 minutes without. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
Boil potato cubes 10–12 minutes until just tender — drain and steam dry.
Cook onions in oil and butter over medium heat 20–25 minutes until golden and sweet. Add garlic — 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, cream, 100g Cheddar, parsley, thyme, and nutmeg. Season generously — stir to combine. Taste and adjust.
Spoon into pastry case — spread evenly. Scatter 50g Cheddar over top. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes. Slice.

Notes

Caramelise onions for the full 20–25 minutes — they are the soul of this filling.

Use waxy potatoes — floury ones break down and give a mushy filling.

Steam potatoes dry after boiling — wet potatoes make the filling watery.

Season the filling generously — potatoes absorb a lot of seasoning.

Rest 10 minutes before slicing — the filling firms and holds its shape.

Freeze for up to 2 months.