Week 34 - Salami-Cheese Pie

 Salami-Cheese Pie

Week 34 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #5

    Well, this was something I never thought of making. I've never even made anything with salami. This recipe comes from the 1979 seventh printing of Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Casserole Recipes published in 1977. The recipe is on page 12, in the "home-style casseroles" chapter. I don't understand how it qualifies as a casserole and a number of recipes in this section are not casseroles. But, one of my goals of this year's Fifty-Two In Twenty-Two project, was to use recipes from cookbooks in my collection, which I haven't used. The other goal was to try things I've never had before. I couldn't remember if I had used any recipe from this cookbook, but I didn't think I had, so I kept it in the mix of books to choose this week's recipe from. And like I said, I've never made anything with salami. I am really glad I tried this and I'm very, pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. 

    Would I make this recipe again? Yes. Is it partly also because I bought the biggest sized package of salami at the store yesterday? Also, yes. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of chopped salami and 1 cub cooked & cubed potatoes. You could probably do a 1/2 cup less of the salami and add a 1/2 cup more of potato.  I used fresh basil as a garnish, which isn't called for in the recipe, but I wanted a garnish, Fresh parsley would be lovely also. Serve with a side salad or vegetable and hot bread or rolls. My notes in italics. 

Ingredients:

Plain Pastry (below)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup shredded American cheese (I used my standard Colby-Jack)

1/2 pound salami, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup cubed cooked potato

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped pimiento (I drained juice before measuring)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (You will turn the oven down to 350 degrees when you take the pie shell and cutouts out). In a saucepan combine flour and pepper. Blend in milk. Cook, stirring continuously until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted, then salami, potato onion and pimiento. Turn into pie shell and decorate the top with the baked cutouts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes (I did 40 minutes). You want the center to be nearly set. Cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with a garden salad or side of vegetables (I had cauliflower), with hot french bread or rolls and butter. It's a pie, so you could get six nice servings.

Plain Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water (I used 4 tablespoons)

Directions:

Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water at a time over the mixture and toss with a fork. You want it all moistened. Form a ball and roll out on a lightly floured baking mat, until you have a 9-inch round or if you are like me and your pastry rolling skills are sub-par, you have a large enough piece to entirely cover your pie pan). Gently lay your pastry in your 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork (I forgot to do this before baking the pie shell by itself, but did when it came out of the oven before adding the filling, and it turned out fine). Mash the trimmings together into a ball, roll out and use mini or regular size cookie cutters (I used a mini heart cookie cutter from Pampered Chef) and set aside on a small baking sheet. Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes and the cutouts for 5 minutes. Remove the pie shell and cutouts, setting aside while you finish making the filling.

Salami-Cheese Pie

Salami-Cheese Pie - Take Two

Salami-Cheese Pie w/Fresh Basil Garnish and Cauliflower