I have a bit of a weakness for food in miniature. Their diminutive size just makes me smile. Remember these, and these and how about these? These little short rib pot pies are freaking adorable! Such a  clever idea to top them with thinly sliced potatoes. Wish I had thought of it, but the credit has to go to Martha on this one. Her version featured stout braised short ribs. I’m not a huge stout fan, so I used my favourite short rib recipe, from Chef Anne Burrell, which features red wine as the braising liquid.

After braising the ribs, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. You can use 2 forks, or just go at it with your hands. Mix the shredded meat back into the braising liquid. If you braise the ribs the day before you want to serve this, you can chill the ribs and braising liquid overnight and then just skim the hardened fat off the top of the braising liquid.

You could of course just make one large pie, in an 8×11 inch casserole dish, but mini ones are way more fun! Plus, leftovers can be frozen and stored for busy days when you just don’t have time to cook.

I used Yukon Gold potatoes because I wanted that gorgeous buttery yellow colour. I washed them really well and didn’t even bother peeling. They need to be sliced very thin. I used a mandoline. I love this one. Not too expensive and you don’t need an engineering degree to operate it. I have tried several brands and this one is my favourite from a performance and ease of use standpoint.

Arrange the potatoes over the beef. Overlap them so that at least 3/4 of the previous potato is covered. You want a tight concentric circle. The potatoes are quite thin so overlapping them prevents them from burning before the filling is hot and bubbling.

Brush with a flavourful olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Potatoes need lots of seasoning. Make sure you bake them on a rimmed baking sheet as the juices bubble up and over and cleaning your oven floor is not fun.

45 minutes later these golden beauties will emerge from the oven. A few fresh thyme leaves would be a pretty finish. Pour a big glass of a full-bodied red wine and congratulate yourself for making such a gorgeous dinner.

Click here to print recipe for Short Rib Pot Pie with Potato Topping.