bren mills wrote: > I saw an advert this week for a Do on Xmas Eve and it included a > Potato Pie supper Just getting back online after vacation and what a joy to come in on one of my favourite subjects. ;-) Meat and potato pie is our yearly feast for the family gathering on Christmas Eve. My grandparents, from Lancashire in the 1920s, held the tradition as it was something easily made for a large gathering and, during depression times, relatively cost efficient. Mushy peas were always included on the side. Everyone in the family, and those friends who could squeeze in, gathered at their house for the evening - the main purpose being to wear the kids out so they would actually sleep for an hour or two when they finally went to bed. ;-) In time, as the location of the children changed, the celebration moved to my parents' house, then to my own. These days it is my daughter who welcomes the brood and does the baking of the pies. Large chunks of beef and potatoes with some onion added for flavour. Her pie crust is to die for - and she certainly didn't inherit that skill from me. ;-) A good deep pie, usually about 2-3 inches, done in a large casserole dish (or two or three or six etc.) double crusted and cut into hearty squares for serving. I enjoy the pie when it is hot, but it is better eaten the day after - or even better by Boxing Day lunch. A large chunk, eaten cold, and I am in heaven. With it being the family tradition to have the pie only at Christmas time, the smell and taste immediately conjures up a wealth of wonderful memories - perhaps that is the major reason it tastes so good. Katie Brampton, Ontario