PIE FOR PI DAY
March 14 is Pi Day, when number lovers the world over celebrate the mathematical constant of 3.14, or the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s also a fun excuse to bake a pie. We’ve turned to “pie whisperer” Ken Haedrich, founder of the Pie Academy and author of Dinner Pies, for a great savory recipe and tips on perfect pie dough.
— Alison Ashton
Bacon, Sausage and Sauerkraut Pie
Dough for one 9- inch piecrust ( see Parade.com/piedough for our favorite recipe or use premade)
6 slices thick bacon, cut into ½ - inch pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry
¼ tsp caraway seeds, optional
3 large eggs
1 ½³ cups sour cream
½³ cup whole milk or half- and- half
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp flour
¾ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ cups grated Swiss cheese 6
oz cooked bratwurst or kielbasa, cut into bite- size pieces 1. On a lightly floured sheet of wax paper, roll dough into a 13- inch circle. Flip into a 9- inch pie pan; peel off paper. Gently tuck pastry into pan without stretching it, fluting the
edges. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375° F. Position rack in center of oven.
3. Prick bottom of chilled pie shell with a fork 8– 10 times. Fit a 16- inchlong piece of foil snugly into shell. Fill with dried beans. Bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake 5– 7 minutes or until bottom is dry and pale golden. Put on wire rack.
4. While shell pre-bakes, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon to paper- towel- lined plate, reserving 3 Tbsp fat in pan. Add onion to pan; cook 12 minutes or until light golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in sauerkraut and caraway, if using; remove from heat.
5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Whisk in sour cream, milk, mustard, flour, salt and pepper.
6. Spread sausage in bottom of prebaked shell. Top with sauerkraut mixture. Pour egg mixture over sauerkraut mixture, smoothing top with a spoon. Crumble bacon over top. Bake 40– 45 minutes or until set. Transfer to wire rack; cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.