Recipes
Holiday Meat and Cheese Pie
Source: Bob Pastorio
Servings: One 10-inch deep dish pie
Description:
This is an adaptation of a traditional Italian favorite that my grandparents served for holidays. It can be an entree, a one-pot dinner or even thinly sliced as an appetizer.
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PIE CRUST:
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons shortening
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 2 tablespoons flour for inside pie shell
- FILLING:
- 2 cups Ricotta cheese
- 1 level tablespoon grated Romano cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 pound loose Italian sausage browned lightly, fat poured off
- 1/4 pound pancetta or American bacon, diced
- 2 ounces ham, chopped
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
- 1/2 pound pepperoni, diced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves.
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions:
Sift dry ingredients together. Blend shortening into sifted flour with fork or pastry cutter. Whisk together egg and ice water. Add to flour and mix until a ball is formed. Chill for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine Ricotta and grated cheese. Add two eggs, one at a time, beating each in well. Stir in cooked sausage, bacon, ham, mozzarella, pepperoni, diced boiled eggs and herbs mixing well. Divide pastry in half. Roll out one piece of pastry on a lightly floured board and line a 10-inch deep dish pie pan. Sprinkle remaining flour evenly in the shell. Pour or spoon in the cheese mixture. Roll out other half of pastry for a top crust and lay over the pie. Trim edges leaving about 1/2 inch overhang. Fold dough under, fluting or otherwise decorating the edge. Cut 4 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400F for the first 15 minutes. Reduce temp to 325° F and bake 45 minutes more. . Remove the pie from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
Shenandoah Growers suggests:
For a shiny, richly browned top crust, whisk together an egg and a tablespoon water and brush on top about 10 minutes before removing from the oven. Return to the oven to finish baking. Can be eaten hot or cold.