Author Notes
This is it. Your ace in the hole. The one dish that everyone asks you to bring to the potluck. The one that makes people swoon. The one that gets your marriage proposals from strangers. I made this pie for the first time when I was entering a bunch of pies into a pie-off contest. I had some crust leftover after I made my two fruit pies and thought this would be a quick and easy pie to toss together at the last minute. Though it didn't win, this pie turned heads and made me new friends at the competition. It's easy to make, full of cheap, pantry-ready ingredients and fun, too!
And here's a tip: I'm crazy about caramelized onions so that's what I've used here, but you can stuff this pie with all kinds of delicious things. How about bacon crumbles and apple butter? Sauteed greens? Or how about whatever just happens to be in your fridge at the moment? —vrunka
Ingredients
- Pie Crust
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1-1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
6 tablespoons
butter
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4-6 tablespoons
cold milk
- Mac and Cheese Filling
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1
large sweet onion, thinly sliced
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
8 ounces
small elbow macaroni
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4 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
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4 tablespoons
butter
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2 cups
milk
-
salt and pepper to taste
-
1 teaspoon
dry mustard
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2 cups
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
-
1/2 cup
goat cheese, crumbled
-
1/2 cup
panko bread crumbs
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2 tablespoons
fresh parsley, minced
-
2 teaspoons
fresh sage, minced
-
1 teaspoon
fresh rosemary, minced
-
1 teaspoon
fresh thyme, minced
-
1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese, grated
-
8
fried sage leaves for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Pie Crust
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Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl.
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Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is the texture of rough cornmeal.
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Gradually add milk until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Roll dough out into a circle and place it in a 9" pie pan, fluting the edges. Set aside.
- Mac and Cheese Filling
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil and then add the onion slices. Stir until the onions have wilted, about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have turned a rich, dark brown, about 30-40 minutes. Set aside.
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While the onions are cooking, prepare the macaroni and sauce. First, bring 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for about 6 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
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In a medium saucepan over medium-high, melt the butter then whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the flour turns nut brown. Slowly whisk in the milk, then salt, pepper and dry mustard. Bring to a low boil. Stir in cheddar cheese and remove from heat.
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Add drained macaroni to cheese sauce. Pour about half of the macaroni mixture into the pie shell. Spread the caramelized onions and goat cheese over the middle. Then top with the remaining macaroni.
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In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the pie. Bake the pie for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and topping is browned. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
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For the fried sage topping, clean and thoroughly dry 8 sage leaves. Heat a 1/2-inch of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the sage leaves until crisp, but before they turn brown, about 30 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels and place on top of the pie.
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