It was the pie that the MasterChef judges wanted to “stick their faces” into, and now it’s available to buy at Coles for $22 – but not all Aussies have been left happy with Hannah Johnson’s creative cheeseburger pie.
The family-friendly pie gained rave reviews on MasterChef during Aussie Classics week, with many Aussies rushing out to try it themselves. Unfortunately, the mass produced supermarket version hasn’t quite hit the spot.
At-home food critics took to Facebook to leave their reviews of the cheeseburger pie concoction calling it “sloppy” and “gross”.
“Was very disappointed in the pie,” one woman posted alongside images. “It was sloppy and the bottom pastry was very thick with no flavour of a cheeseburger and $22.00. The one on MasterChef looked very different.’
Another person chimed in to agree, saying, “I’m with you – the pastry was ordinary, the filling was nothing like what was presented to the judges, and once you cut through the pastry the filling flowed out. I love the show but if you’re going to put something on the shelves it has to be the same.”
MasterChef fans label Coles version of Pat’s ice cream and Hannah’s pie as ‘waste of money’
In another post where MasterChef fans were discussing whether they’d buy the pie or Pat McGarry’s $8 Salted Caramel & Bickie Crumble Ice Cream, people slammed both the products for being overpriced, while labelling the pie as “tiny:
“REFUSE TO PAY $22 for a ‘family’ pie that would be lucky to feed two people!!!” one person said, while another commented, “The pie is not worth it. Hardly any flavour and so much pastry. Felt we had to at least try it, but so disappointed. Ice cream was so ordinary and a waste of money too.”
However, it wasn’t all negative, with some people won over by the products.
“My grandson pronounced the pie delicious,” one woman said, adding, “And I pronounce Pat’s ice cream fabulous. Could scoff it all at once!”
While the products didn’t quite hit the mark, there was an important reminder as one person pointed out: “The mass production of these products would taste so different from what Hannah and Pat made on MasterChef.”
Hannah’s family-friendly “feral” concoction may not be her last
When it came to designing a dish that would impress both the judges and supermarket giants, Hannah knew exactly who to look to for inspiration: her own family.
“I think for me, the thought process had two parts when deciding to do the cheeseburger pie,” Hannah told Woman’s Day. “The first one was, what is something that my family would like to eat? Something that kids and adults alike would love.”
“One of my mantras of cooking is that food is fun,” she continued. “I think the cheeseburger idea landed in this category! I think this pie actually appeals to both kids and adults, families and friends. It’s all-inclusive if you’re happy to be a little bit ‘feral’.”
The busy mum told Woman’s Day that knowing families across Australia would now be buying her pie felt “surreal” but it’s also inspired her to keep creating.
“Being a mum, I love the idea of being able to provide relief from the dinner routine,” she said. “I would love to develop a range of fun frozen dinner items if the opportunity arose!”
As for Pat, he was stoked to see his ice cream on supermarket shelves, but he’d also love to dabble in the pie game.
“It would be really cool to bring out a pie with Coles,” he revealed to Woman’s Day. “I am thinking a chipotle, beef and cheese would be a cracker! I am also a huge fan of sauces so it would be incredible to bring out some sauces with Coles.”
