Got Ham? Make a Cheesy-Crust Ham Pie!

I'm always looking for recipes that use leftovers- and now that I have two hams in the freezer from the Unilever deal, I was reminded of this recipe that I got from a Cook's Illustrated recipe book (I can't remember which one - maybe Lost Recipes?).

I copied it because it was simple, looked hearty, used things I usually have in my pantry, and had a really intriguing crust made with cheese.

Now that I think about it, it was probably the cheese - I don't think I would've thought twice about this recipe without that cheesy crust. :-) I LOVE cheese, and I have to tell you that while the picture of the finished product might not make you drool (in fact, it's quite unspectacular), the crust makes this dish.

Please try it - the combination of creamy peas and ham with the flaky, crisp, cheesy topping is really something you'll want to have again.

I might even have to make ham just to be able to have this "leftover" dish again...

Start by melting some butter, then sauteing some chopped onions until softened. At this point, the recipe called for sauteing some sliced mushrooms, but my kids wouldn't eat it with mushrooms, so I left them out. I think it would be great with them, though.

Add some salt, pepper, dry mustard and flour and stir and cook together for about one minute.

Stir in some milk to make a white sauce. I've never been able to make a smooth white sauce with a spoon, so I change to a whisk right after adding the milk:

After cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes over medium heat, it should be to the desired consistency for a white sauce.

Now I simply added the partially frozen leftover ham chunks and the frozen peas and stirred together. I also added some home canned green beans to make up for the lack of mushrooms and stirred all together.

Spread in a 13x9 pan and set aside while making the crust. I started the oven heating at this point to 375 degrees.

Now you'll need to use your imagination here (no pictures!)- In a food processor, mix flour and a little cayenne pepper. Pulse in the butter until it resembles corn meal.

This is the part I had doubts about: dump the flour mixture on a floured surface and add the grated cheese. Knead together until it forms a dough and shape into a ball.

It just seemed too flour-y to work. But in just a few minutes, it held together and I was able to form into a ball!

This is the part that was new to me: forming the crust is so easy- cut (or pinch off) pieces of dough, roll into a ball and flatten with the bottom of a cup or in your hand. The recipe said to flatten to 1/8 of an inch, but I couldn't get it that thin. Most of mine were about 1/4 inch, which seemed to turn out fine.

Place on top of the ham mixture, covering the top. There will be some ham mixture that shows through between the circles.

After baking about 30 minutes, it will be slightly browned on top and bubbling around the edges.

This recipe typifies the "cottage mentality:" using what you have and making something new from old (or in this case, leftovers!). And without a can of "cream-of-whatever" in sight, which fulfills one of my requirements. :-)

It comes in at well under $5.00 for 6 servings. In fact, we had a simple salad of greens and cranberries this night, so the whole meal came in under $5.00!

Cheesy-Crust Ham Pie

Filling:

• 3 TB butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb. sliced mushrooms (or use other vegetables)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups cooked, chopped ham
• 1 cup frozen peas

Dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 6 TB. butter, softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (sharp will give extra flavor)

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over med.-high heat; add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, if using, and cook for another 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the salt, pepper, flour and mustard and cook about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until slightly thickened, about another 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the ham and peas (and any other cooked vegetables using), then transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. Set aside.
4. Pulse the flour and cayenne in a food processor; add the butter and pulse until the flour resembles course cornmeal.
5. Transfer dough to a floured work surface, sprinkle with the cheese, and knead until the cheese is well incorporated and can be formed into a ball.
6. Cut or pinch off about 1-inch pieces, roll into balls and pat into 1/8-1/4 inch thick rounds.
7. Place on top of the ham mixture, covering the top.
8. Bake until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
9. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes about 6 servings

Jami