cheese

It’s been a while since I posted a pie, but I swear the wait was worth it.

I didn’t really burn out from last year’s ‘A Year of Pies‘ weekly pie recipes, I’ve been making them still. I’ve just taken a break from posting them on the blog to have a bit more variety of things. Oh yeah, and waffles too!! ha!

But that pie hiatus is all over now with this All-American Cheeseburger Pie.

This recipe is from Dinner Pies: From Shepherd’s Pies and Pot Pies to Tarts, Turnovers, Quiches, Hand Pies, and More, with 100 Delectable and Foolproof Recipes by Ken Haedrich. It’s a new cookbook, just released this fall, that focuses on savory pies. Perfect for pie lovers who want to try something new. Or just for anyone who wants an awesome pie for dinner.

I flagged several recipes in the book to make but this cheeseburger pie jumped out at me because I was really curious how it would turn out. Like would it really, actually taste like a cheeseburger. Well, guess what?!?!

It’s EXACTLY like a burger, but in pie form. It’s amazing. And genius. And amazing, all over again.

But, if we are going to be honest, I was a bit worried while making it. Hear me out!

The crust is tough to handle. And I’ve made a few crusts before!!

The crust is very soft, which the author notes is because of the moisture from the sour cream in the dough. His notes throughout the recipe process, and in notes off to the side, about appearance of the recipe, or even the touch or smell. His attention to detail and well written recipes are very clear to follow.

So, the crust it’s sorta a pain since it’s hard to work it. But I am warning you now so you don’t heave that sucker into the trash as you struggle with it. It’s a soft, wet dough so you will need plenty of bench flour (and patience) to roll out the dough, lift it up, and get it in the pie plate. I suggest using some parchment. I didn’t have any so it was a pain, but I used my bench scraper, which did help quite a bit.

That being said, you have to suck it up and make this crust. It makes this recipe. It has the best flavor and texture for this recipe. I swear.

Even then, don’t freak out when you look at the process to make this pie. Yes, it’s a lot of steps. Chill out, seriously. I broke out everything so it seems like a lot to do, but in reality it is just about making the crust, which you can do in advance, and sauteing the meat, mixing together a sauce, mixing everything together, and then baking it all.

Really, it’s not so bad! In fact I made the crust in advance, and then I made the rest while Autumn napped. In fact, everyone in the house, including the rabbit, was napping. But I was baking, what else is new?!?!

I followed the crust recipe exactly but I made a few tweaks to the filling recipe.

Don’t get me wrong, the recipe sounds great from the start, but I wanted it a bit leaner so I skipped the oil in the pan to cook the bacon (something I don’t think I’ll do for any recipe, ever). As well, I drained all meat mixture in a colander to remove a lot of fat, instead of spooning it out. Lastly, I cut back on the cheese. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 Cups, but I just used 1 1/2 Cups. I’m sure it would have been terrific with the extra cheese, but I was quite satisfied with the reduced amount.

Also, random bacon tip, I find that using kitchen shears to ‘chop’ up the bacon actually is a lot easier than cutting it with a knife.

Like I mentioned before, I loved this recipe so much.

I really had to stop myself after eating 1 slice. It was so tough. I am already looking forward to the leftovers.

Give it a try, I bet you will love it!

American Cheeseburger Pie

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Cornmeal Biscuit Crust

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 Cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″-inch cubes, cold
• 3/4 Cup sour cream, cold
• 1/3 Cup whole milk, cold

For the Filling

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped*
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 Cup Italian Style bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 Cup whole milk
• 3 Tablespoons Heinz chili sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 Cup dill relish
• 1 1/2 – 2 Cups grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

Process

1. Start by preparing the crust. You can prepare it a day in advance.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,  and salt. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Incorporate the pieces of chilled butter using a pastry cutter, or your hands (work quickly so that heat of your hands does not melt the better!). You are done blending when the pieces are the size of a pea.
4. Mix together the milk and sour cream. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk mixture in. Gently mix together with a wooden spoon. Let sit for at least 1 minute at this point.
5. Knead together on a well floured surface. (The dough will be wet) Work into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap before chilling, for a least 3 hours. You can make the pie dough in advance.
6. Butter a 9 1/2″ deep dish pie plate. On a very well floured surface or on a well floured piece of parchment paper, roll out your chilled dough again to be 12″ round. Carefully lay into the pie plate. Fold over and crimp any excess along the edges. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
7. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon for a few minutes, until it has rendered some of the fat. Add the ground beef and onion. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat while browning it. Add the garlic when the beef is almost done.
8. Drain the fat out with a colander.
9. In a large bowl, combine the meat with any remaining drippings with the bread crumbs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
10. Whisk together the eggs, milk, chili sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire Sauce in another bowl. Add the sauce mixture to the meat along with the relish and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix well.
11. Set aside for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
12. Spread the meat mixture evenly into the refrigerated pie shell. Top with a single layer of the sliced tomatoes.
13. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Let cool for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Adapted from Dinner Pies: From Shepherd’s Pies and Pot Pies to Tarts, Turnovers, Quiches, Hand Pies, and More, with 100 Delectable and Foolproof Recipes by Ken Haedrich

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Harvard Common Press sent me the Dinner Pies cookbook for review. As always, all opinions are my own.