Peach slab pie

 

So apparently slab pies are a "thing", and it's brilliant if you ask me- you don't have to hassle with rolling out the dough, and it feeds a crowd? Perfect!  This peach streusel slab pie from Food Network Kitchen was a BIG hit with my crew.  The buttery crust, juicy peach filling, and sweet almondy streusel is a trifecta of deliciousness!

Note: this recipe is not for the butter-weary, as it calls for almost 3 (three!) sticks, but don't let that scare you- your crowd will love you for it!  

Mediterranean quiche

We were feeling inspired from the success of our last quiche, so we tried it again with a Mediterranean twist.  I used the custard base from the Quiche Lindsay, then added sauteed spinach (directions here), sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, fontina cheese and goat cheese.

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
3/4 cup fontina cheese, shredded
3/4 cup sauteed spinach, chopped
Sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced (I used 4-5 marinated ones from the Kroger salad bar)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
Olives (I used kalamata from the Kroger salad bar)
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.  Layer shredded fontina cheese, sauteed spinach, and sundried tomatoes in the bottom of the crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk.  Season with thyme, salt, and pepper; pour mixture into pie crust and top with olives.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then lower heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Once the custard is set, broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the top, then let set for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie Week: Quiche Lindsay

To wrap up Pie Week and to give your sweet tooth a break, our finale pie is a savory one- quiche!  Quiche is a great, flexible dish because you can add anything you like to it.  I made this one up out of thin air, hence the name Quiche Lindsay.  Clever, I know.

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
shredded cheese (I used gouda and mozzarella.  Sorry, no measurement- depends on your preferred level of cheesiness)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup skim milk
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 bell pepper
5 scallions, sliced
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.  Layer  shredded cheese in the bottom of the crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk.  Stir in the chopped bacon, bell pepper, and 4 of the scallions.  Season with salt and pepper, then pour mixture into pie crust.  Arrange tomato slices on top, then bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Once the custard is set, broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the top.  Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining scallion.

Pie Week: Tar Heel pie

I recently made this Tar Heel pie from the Pie cookbook by Ken Haedrich.  It is essentially a brownie in a pie crust, and the key is to underbake it ever so slightly so the center is soft.  This is ooey, gooey, chocolate deliciousness!

1 refrigerated pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut

1. Place the refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan.  Place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.  When it is melted, turn off the heat and immediately add 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the pan. Swirl the pan so the hot butter runs over the chips. Set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk to smooth.  Scrape into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla until evenly mixed. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.  Add the flour and salt and whisk just until evenly combined. Stir in the pecans, coconut, and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell.
4. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake until the top has risen somewhat but the center still seems a little moist, 30-35 minutes. Check it with a toothpick, which should emerge with a bit of batter attached.
5. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool.  Serve just barely warm or at room temperature.

Pie Week: Coconut cream pie

It's Pie Week at Lindsay's Menu, and first up is this coconut cream pie from Sugar Crafter. I love coconut desserts, but Robert won't tolerate them in any form or fashion.  Thanksgiving was the perfect time to make this because I knew there would be plenty of pumpkin and pecan pie for Robert to nibble on, leaving more of this dreamy pie for myself.  Everyone wins!

Salted caramel banana pudding pie

I saw this salted caramel banana pudding pie on a new Food Network show called Dessert First and immediately put it on my to-bake list. To be honest though, it's pretty complicated - homemade caramel sauce, homemade pie crust, homemade vanilla pudding AND homemade whipped cream. For all that work, this pie needed to be out of this world, and it wasn't. It was just... good. The salted caramel sauce is amaaaaaaaaaaaazing though, and it would be fantastic with other desserts!

Black bean dip, mac and cheese, and Snickerdoodle pie

Last night was the inaugural party on our new and improved screened-in porch. We served black bean dip for a starter, Adirondacker burgers (a repeat) and the Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese for the main dish, and Snickerdoodle pie for dessert! Everything was delicious, and the thunderstorms didn't ruin our good time!