“Impossible” Ham-and-Cheese Pie
By Diane UngerPublished on December 20, 2012
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoon unsalted butter divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese 8 ounces (227 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)4 ounces (113 grams) thickly sliced deli ham, chopped4 scallions, minced½ cup all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)¾ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup half-and-half 4 large eggs, lightly beaten2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Before You Begin
Use a rasp-style grater or the smallest holes on a box grater for the Parmesan.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan.
- Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-and-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pie dish. Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in now-empty bowl. Whisk in half-and-half, eggs, melted butter, mustard, and nutmeg until smooth. Slowly pour batter over cheese-and-ham mixture in pie dish.
- Bake until pie is light golden brown and filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve warm.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 8Ingredients
3 tablespoon unsalted butter divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces (113 grams) thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
4 scallions, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoon unsalted butter divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces (113 grams) thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
4 scallions, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoon unsalted butter divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces (113 grams) thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
4 scallions, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Never heard of an impossible pie? The lure of this 1970s phenomenon is that you get a “crust” without rolling out pie dough. Traditionally, Bisquick batter was poured over vegetables, meat, and cheese and baked. To prevent our “crust” from sticking to the pan, we coat the buttered dish with Parmesan cheese, which makes for a crispy, well-browned (not to mention tasty) exterior. We replaced the Bisquick with a simple batter of flour, baking powder, eggs, and milk, which we pour over a no-cook mixture of Gruyère cheese, ham, and scallion.
Before You Begin
Use a rasp-style grater or the smallest holes on a box grater for the Parmesan.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan.
- Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-and-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pie dish. Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in now-empty bowl. Whisk in half-and-half, eggs, melted butter, mustard, and nutmeg until smooth. Slowly pour batter over cheese-and-ham mixture in pie dish.
- Bake until pie is light golden brown and filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve warm.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments