Savory Potato Pie
This recipe was inspired by an original recipe by Melissa d’Arabian called a potato-bacon torte. The original recipe was a good idea if a bit bland. So we decided to jazz it up a bit. It makes a very hearty dish and will easily serve four people.
- 4 strips of bacon
- 3 oz ham, diced small
- 1/2 red onion, cut into thin half rounds
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
- 2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, rinsed thoroughly
- 2/3 cup cream or half and half
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or one teaspoon dried
- 2 pie crusts rolled out for a 9″ pie
- 3 medium baking potatoes
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 egg yolk mixed with a splash of water
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Preheat a skillet over medium high heat, add the bacon, and cook until crispy and brown. Place the bacon on some paper towels to drain the fat. Crumble the bacon when cool.
Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the onion and the bell pepper. Sauté until just wilted, about 5 minutes.
In a small sauce pan heat the thyme, bay leaves, and cream over low heat just to simmer. Turn off the heat and let the mixture rest.
Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and finely slice creating thin wedges. Place one of the pie crusts in a 9 inch pie pan. Add one layer of the sliced potatoes to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Add about ¼ of the spinach evenly over the potatoes to cover. Add about ¼ of the onion, ¼ of the bell pepper, ¼ of the bacon, ¼ of the ham and ¼ of the cheese.
Layering
Spread out evenly as the ingredients will not completely cover the spinach. Continue the layering process until the pie crust is completely full. It will actually bulge up above the lower crust. You should finish with a layer of potatoes topped with a layer of cheese.
Topped Off
Remove the bay leaves from the cream mixture, and if using sprigs of thyme remove the sprigs. Pour the cream mixture evenly over the ingredients in the pie pan.
Top the pie with the other crust and crimp to seal the edges. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the surface of the crust with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
All Sealed
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Check to see if the crusting is browning too rapidly. If so add foil on top of the crust to prevent further browning. Cook the pie for an additional 20 minutes to ensure the potatoes are fully cooked.
Finished
Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.