Forget everything you thought you knew about mac and cheese or pies for that matter. These mini treats are a warm, golden embrace of flaky pastry cradling a creamy, cheesy heart of perfectly cooked macaroni. They are the best of cheap, Scottish street-eats from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Meet Lenny, a Scottish expat now calling Ireland home. While she may have swapped the rugged highlands for rolling green hills, one thing remains constant: her love for macaroni hand pies. She usually seeks them out after a fun night with friends. The savory and satisfying filling hits the spot just right. In Scotland, pies are ubiquitous, enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even as a late-night snack. They’re a symbol of comfort, convenience and resourcefulness.

The base of our pies, hot water crust pastry, may sound fancy, but they’re surprisingly simple to make. Melt lard or butter in water, then mix with flour and salt to form a dough. Once it’s cool enough to handle, divide the dough for your chosen pan size, then grease the pans and roll out pastry discs to completely line them. Trim any excess dough for perfectly formed hand pies. Next, cook macaroni al dente. Create a creamy cheese sauce with butter, flour, milk, cream, cheese and mustard. Combine the macaroni and sauce, fill your pastry-lined tins, top with extra cheese then bake until golden and bubbly.

These pies are so fun and of course, they’re budget-friendly! All in all, I spent $9.27 to whip these up. With Lenny’s recipe as your guide, you’ll be baking up batches of these in no time. I would highly recommend everyone try a Scottish mac and cheese hand pie. They’re truly delightful.