The pie's the limit!

November 12, 2017 8:36 AM

I'm looking for your best pie recipes, both sweet and savory. I'm hosting a pie and book party in mid December, and I want my pies to wow people. Recipe me!

(In case anyone is wondering what a pie and book party is. I just invented it. It's part of my supper club where I invite a whole big hodge podge of friends and acquaintances and coworkers and whatnot. People are asked to bring a (wrapped) book, to be put in a grab bag (or more likely a grab pile), and then they get to pick a book.

The pie part comes into play because all we are going to eat is pie. Savory pie for dinner, sweet for dessert. I'm planning to make the bulk of the pies, but guests are welcome to bring stuff too.

I'm also open to hand pies and things that are pie-adjacent (ie, if you can make an argument for something to be considered a pie, it counts - like quiche or cheesecake.)

Thanks, pie-makers of metafilter!

posted by firei to Food & Drink (21 answers total)

Best answer: OK, a pie and book party sounds wonderful! May I steal this idea for my own use?

Here's a savory pie recipe passed down in my family:

Tourtiere

2 pie crusts (homemade or storebought)
1 lb. ground pork
1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped
1/2 c. water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. celery seed or celery salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pepper to taste
1 sleeve saltine crackers, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F /200 degrees C

Combine pork, onion, garlic, water and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat and add crushed crackers; mix well. Allow to cool slightly, then place in pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with second crust; cut vent to allow steam to escape. Bake until golden brown (in my experience this takes 30ish minutes, maybe a bit more).

Serve hot with gravy. (It's also not bad cold, TBH)
posted by Janta at 8:58 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This is the Saucy Roasted Eggplant Pie I made the other day. It's even vegan if you use a vegan crust. Self-link, but it's a really good savory pie!
posted by aniola at 9:22 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: This Stella Parks (Bravetart) sweet potato pie is the most popular thing I've ever made for Thanksgiving. Literally everyone who ate it last year has asked for it again this year. It's fiddly, what with the weighing the filling mixture before and after simmering to ensure it's reduced the proper amount, but worth it. Her pie crust recipe/method is pretty foolproof, too.
posted by lovecrafty at 9:26 AM on November 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I literally just made this Beef & Bacon pie yesterday!

It tastes great with the beef stock to de-glaze, or use a combination of dark beer and water. So yummy and very filling.

It's naturally dairy-free (if you by a dairy-free case), and I've made it gluten-free before by subbing in a GF case and a combo of tapioca and white rice flours for the roux (and don't use beer to de-glaze).
posted by RhysPenbras at 9:27 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: I made this sausage and apple pie recently and it was a hit. It would have been even more delicious if I’d melted some more cheddar cheese on the top before serving, and I’m totally going to do that next time.
posted by Kpele at 9:27 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: Tourtiere, yesssss! I like to do a mix of ground beef and ground pork, in mine (or sometimes pulled pork to replace the ground pork). I also swap out saltines for potato and add 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (sounds weird I know but it's delightful). We usually serve it with some sort of tomato relish and some mango ginger chutney as accompaniments. Chutney + tourtiere = best friends forever.

This is my absolute favourite dessert pie for winter. It's the best elements of pecan pie crossed with the best elements of fruitcake. I will literally eat one of these in two days by myself if given the opportunity. It's very flexible -- swap out the cranberries for cherries, swap out the apricots for figs... but in my opinion the apricot/cranberry/walnut combination is the best.

If you have guests with different preferences / food sensitivities, a selection of empanadas might be the way to go. You can do corn flour if anyone has wheat issues, it's easy to make vegan sets or veg sets... even dessert empanadas!
posted by halation at 9:29 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Honestly, if you're open to frying at all, these empanadas are god tier deliciousness. (There's a baked version too but oh god the fried ones...)

If you need a savoury gluten-free pie, these green plantain empanadas are great.

Sorry for spamming you with empanadas! I'm just really hungry and now want to eat all the empanadas.
posted by halation at 9:38 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: Seconding Bravetart. She has lots of pies in her book too. (Although the sweet potato pie isn't in the book.)

I've made her chocolate cream pie, coconut cream pie, and cherry pie. I also herringboned the top crust which was really rewarding.

She has a few more online, but I haven't made them yet. apple pie and pumpkin pie
posted by aloysius on the mixing boards at 9:39 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: Sformato di Caciofi
posted by Splunge at 9:53 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have had great success with the Finnish mushroom pie recipe from the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant cookbook.
posted by egregious theorem at 10:20 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I love apple cranberry pie and have gotten loads of compliments using this filling with double the cinnamon (YMMV) and a bit of cardamom--not too sweet, very fruity, lovely with coffee.
posted by esoterrica at 10:56 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: Russian vegetable pie from The Vegetarian Epicure is hearty and delicious.

I've never made this cheese ale and potato pie, but I want to.

I've made this Greek walnut pie more than once. It's very pretty and delicious, like a hybrid pecan pie and baklava. Speaking of phyllo, spinach pie, or just cheese tyropita, or a pie with mushrooms and feta cheese are great.

I've been reading about fish pie or fisherman's pie, and I want to try it--like shepherd's pie, but with fish and white sauce instead of lamb. I can't recommend a specific recipe, though. Has anyone suggested shepherd's pie or cottage pie?
posted by zorseshoes at 11:13 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: You guys are wonderful! Keep 'em coming.

Janta (and anyone else!) I'd be delighted if you also have a pie and book party! :)
posted by firei at 11:18 AM on November 12, 2017

Best answer: zorseshoes, if you're looking for one, this fish pie recipe is delightful. (I do leave out the prawns, as I'm not fond of having them in pie, and just add more fish.)

Also I just remembered: this caramel chocolate pie is probably the most raved-about pie I've ever made. The caramel is spiked with Grand Marnier and the chocolate filling is spiked with Guinness. Disregard the recipe's suggestion of Hershey's Special Dark; this pie is worth at least Ghirardelli.
posted by halation at 11:26 AM on November 12, 2017

I am a pie traditionalist (making apple today) so buttermilk pie counts as exotic for me. It's delicious.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:49 AM on November 12, 2017

A chunky beef and Guinness pie. I'm drooling as I write this. Best served with mashed potatoes and peas.

For something less traditional, throw some butter chicken in the pastry.
posted by cholly at 12:27 AM on November 13, 2017

Best answer: I very often make little spinach and feta triangles inspired by spanakopita, so easy and very popular: for a package of pre-made puff pastry, mix one cup of feta with one cup of blanched spinach. You can do it with a blender, but it's just as fine and easy with a fork. Cut the dough into 8 squares, distribute the filling and make them into triangles. Maybe give them an egg wash. Put them in the oven until they are puffed up and golden brown. If you like, you can season the mix with nutmeg, chili, pepper or whatever, but it's really fine just plain.

More complicated and spicy but also delicious: samosas, here is the recipe from Madhur Jaffrey that I use: vegetarian samosas
posted by mumimor at 12:58 AM on November 13, 2017

Best answer: For dinner: Pork and apple pie with a cheddar sage crust
For dessert: Marlborough pie
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:53 AM on November 13, 2017

Best answer: Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie - that is the recipe from scratch, but when you are short on time, there is a box pie mix at Target.
posted by soelo at 1:11 PM on November 13, 2017

I have had great success making Earl Grey pie - it's Earl Grey infused pastry cream over a butter-based pie shell, with a bit of ganache separating the crust from the cream, topped with whipped cream and crushed pistachios. See here.
posted by Aubergine at 3:27 PM on November 15, 2017

I recently made, for a second time, Nigel Slater's potato, leek, and goat cheese pasties. The crust recipe is absolutely perfect. It's the same as that printed here. The filling is here. The recipe makes twice as much filling as you need, which I pile on top of a bed of kale and eat while the pies are cooking.
posted by MrBobinski at 4:58 PM on November 15, 2017